Vaccinations, licences and what to ask in Ipswich

Eighteen dog boarders, day cares and kennels are listed for Ipswich, licensed across four different councils. None of them publish a vaccination schedule, a stated insurance position or a full breed policy on this site, because those are things every business sets for itself and can change. This guide sets out what is worth asking before you book, rather than telling you what any one business requires.

Vaccinations and kennel cough

Every boarder, kennels and day care will ask what vaccinations they require before taking your dog, and most ask to see proof close to the stay. Requirements vary by business and by vet, so this site does not state a vaccination schedule or a waiting period for any of them — ask the business directly which vaccinations it needs, and how long before your dog's stay it needs to see proof. Practice on kennel cough cover varies too: some Ipswich businesses require it, some do not, and it is their policy to explain, not a rule this site sets.

Checking the licence

All eighteen businesses fall under one of Ipswich Borough Council, East Suffolk Council, Mid Suffolk District Council or Babergh District Council. East Suffolk, Mid Suffolk and Babergh's registers are current, but Ipswich Borough Council's own register is a single PDF dated December 2024, and at least two Ipswich-based home boarders here state a licence the council's own list now shows as lapsed since March 2025. A licence not showing on a register is not necessarily proof of anything either way — a genuinely current licence can simply be missing from a stale list — so the safest step is always to ask to see the actual certificate when you call, whichever council is meant to cover the business.

Breed policies

A business may ask about breed restrictions or conditions, including for an XL Bully with a valid exemption certificate. This site does not state any Ipswich business's specific policy unless the business has confirmed it, and this directory cannot verify a dog's exemption paperwork on a business's behalf — that is a conversation to have directly.

Insurance

None of the businesses listed here is shown as insured on this site unless it publishes that itself, and even then it is shown as the business's own claim rather than something this directory has checked. If insurance matters to you, ask to see evidence of current cover.

Questions worth asking

• What vaccinations do you require, and how long before the stay do you need to see proof of them?
• What is your policy on kennel cough cover?
• Can I see your current council licence certificate, whichever council issues it?
• Do you have any breed policies, including for an XL Bully with a valid exemption certificate?
• Do you state that you hold public liability insurance, and can you show evidence of it?
• How many other dogs, and from how many households, will be there during my dates?

See our guide to how Ipswich's four councils license dog boarding for what each register actually shows, and our choosing guide for what each business offers.