Vaccinations, licences and what to ask in Leicester

Thirty dog day-care, boarding-kennels and home-boarding businesses are listed for Leicester, licensed across five district or borough councils plus one business under a sixth, Kettering Borough Council, not otherwise represented here. Whichever authority issued it, a licence is worth asking to see before you book, alongside a plain answer on vaccinations and any breed policy.

Vaccinations

Every kennels, home boarder and day care sets its own vaccination policy, so ask what a business requires and how far in advance, rather than assuming one rule applies across all thirty. Dog Nanny Leicester, in Glenfield, asks about vaccination requirements ahead of booking day care; raise kennel-cough cover directly with whichever business you call too, since practice varies from one to the next.

Licences

Leicester's thirty businesses sit under six licensing authorities: Leicester City Council (3), Oadby and Wigston Borough Council (8), Blaby District Council (5), Charnwood Borough Council (7), Harborough District Council (6) and Kettering Borough Council (1). Not every business could be matched to a register row: Minezara Home Boarding Services, TailTroopers and Doggy Day Care Leicester found no match in this research, and Porter's Paw Patrol and Wooden House Kennels state a licence number on their own sites that this research could not confirm against a council register. See the companion council-licences guide for how each register works.

Breed policies and insurance

A boarding or day-care business is entitled to ask about a dog's breed and set its own conditions, including for an XL Bully, so ask directly rather than assuming either way. If a business states on its own site that it holds public liability insurance, treat that as something the business says about itself; this directory has no way to check an insurance claim independently, so ask to see evidence if it matters to your decision.

Questions to ask before you book

• What vaccinations do you need before the stay, and how far in advance?
• Do you have a policy on kennel cough cover?
• Do you have any breed policies I should know about, including for an XL Bully?
• Do you say you hold public liability insurance, and can I see evidence of it?
• Will my dog share a room, kennel or garden with other dogs, and how often?
• What happens if my dog needs a vet while staying with you, and who decides that?
• Is a booking fee or deposit required, and is it refundable?

What "licensed" actually covers

A licence covers premises or household standards, record-keeping and how many dogs a business may keep at once; it does not fix a price, guarantee a particular room, or promise a certain group size, so ask those questions separately even once a licence is confirmed. Furry Friends Pet Care Services, in the Glen Parva part of Leicester, asks for a 25% non-refundable booking fee before confirming a place — worth asking any business about upfront, since terms like this vary widely.