How to choose dog boarding or day care in Folkestone, Dover and Deal

Eight dog boarders, day cares and kennels are listed for Folkestone, Dover and Deal, split between two councils: Dover District Council covers the Dover and Deal areas, and Folkestone & Hythe District Council covers Folkestone, Hawkinge and Lyminge, and Hythe and Romney Marsh. Seven of the eight are home boarders, and one, Bowesfield Kennels and Cattery, runs boarding kennels near Dover. Coverage across the five areas is uneven: Dover has four listings, Hawkinge and Lyminge has two, Folkestone and Deal have one each, and Hythe and Romney Marsh currently has none with a confirmed phone number, so where you live matters as much as which type of boarding or day care you need.

Home boarding or kennels

Seven of the eight businesses board dogs in the boarder's own home rather than a kennel block: Come Stay Play, Harry's Home Boarding and Daycare and Lesleys Pet Services in the Dover area; Hella's Happy Hounds in Deal; Home From Home in Folkestone; and Spring Rise Canine Care Services and Top Dogs & Tails Day Care & Boarding in the Hawkinge and Lyminge area. A home boarder usually takes far fewer dogs at a time than a kennels, so ask how many other dogs will be in the house during your dates, and whether they are all from one family or several. Bowesfield Kennels and Cattery, near Dover, is the only boarding kennels listed here; it is licensed for both dogs and cats and also offers day care and hydrotherapy alongside standard boarding.

What the council licence means

Every business listed needs a licence: dog boarding, home boarding and day care are all licensed activities in England, not something a business can opt out of. Five appear on Dover District Council's register — Bowesfield Kennels and Cattery, Come Stay Play, Harry's Home Boarding and Daycare, Hella's Happy Hounds and Lesleys Pet Services — and three on Folkestone & Hythe District Council's: Home From Home, Spring Rise Canine Care Services and Top Dogs & Tails Day Care & Boarding. Dover District Council's own register was read directly this round, so its five entries carry the council's own star rating alongside the licence number and expiry: Bowesfield Kennels and Cattery (3 stars), Come Stay Play (4 stars), Harry's Home Boarding and Daycare (4 stars), Hella's Happy Hounds (5 stars) and Lesleys Pet Services (5 stars). Two of the Dover entries carried an expiry date that had already passed when the register was read, 9 September 2026 for Come Stay Play and 4 September 2026 for Harry's Home Boarding and Daycare, so no licence number or expiry is shown for either, though the star rating above still comes from the same register entry; ask both whether the licence has been renewed. Folkestone & Hythe District Council's register was read this round through a third-party mirror rather than confirmed as the council's own adopted register, so no council star rating is shown for its three listings; the licence number and expiry date are shown instead where the licence is current. Ask to see the current licence certificate when you call, and ask what the maximum number of dogs it covers, since a licence can cap this below what the house or kennels could otherwise hold.

Questions worth asking about vaccinations, breed rules and insurance

None of these are things this directory can answer on a business's behalf; they are worth putting to the business directly before you book.

• What vaccinations do you require, and how long before the stay do you need to see proof of them?
• Do you have a policy on kennel cough, and what is it?
• Do you have any breed restrictions or conditions, including for an XL Bully with a valid exemption certificate?
• Are you insured, and can you show evidence of current cover?
• How is medication given during a stay, and is there an extra charge for it?
• What happens if my dog needs a vet while in your care?

None of the businesses listed here publish a vaccination schedule or a stated insurance position beyond what appears on their own licence or website, so ask rather than assume an answer either way.

Prices, and where coverage is thin

Three of the eight businesses listed publish a price; see our Folkestone, Dover and Deal prices guide for the published figures and what they cover. Coverage is thin in two of the five areas: Hythe and Romney Marsh has no business listed here with a confirmed phone number yet, and Deal has only one, Hella's Happy Hounds. If you are in either area, it is worth asking a neighbouring area's business whether it also covers where you live, or contacting the relevant council directly for its current list of licensed operators. Whichever type of boarding or day care you choose, ask what a second dog from the same household costs, whether bank holidays are charged at a higher rate, and whether collection is included or priced separately.