Home boarding or kennels in Maidstone?
Twelve dog boarders, day cares and kennels are listed for Maidstone. Eight take dogs into the boarder's own home; three run purpose-built kennels; and one, a dog grooming school, offers day care but neither home boarding nor kennels.
The real difference
A kennels typically houses more dogs at once, each in its own run or block, with set hours for visiting, collection and drop-off. A home boarder usually takes far fewer dogs at a time, often just one household's dogs alongside their own, and your dog lives in an ordinary house rather than a purpose-built building for the stay. Neither is better in every case: a dog used to living in a house with people around may settle better with a home boarder, while a kennels can suit an owner who wants a fixed routine and set visiting hours.
Maidstone's kennels
Chart Sutton Boarding Kennels, near Chart Sutton, has run since 1992 and also boards cats and runs an on-site grooming salon. East Dean Kennels, near Headcorn, prices its stays per dog and also runs a day creche. Pets Holiday Home, south of Maidstone at Cuckoo Farm, boards both dogs and cats on a working farm with a 12-acre exercise field. All three are licensed by Maidstone Borough Council for both dog and cat boarding.
Maidstone's home boarders
Eight businesses board dogs in their own home: Elite Pet Services and Parsley and Pals in the Bearsted, Grove Green & Weavering area; Bark and Ride K9 Services in the Headcorn area; Kate's Doggie Daycare in the Loose & Tovil area; Linda's Happy Hounds and The Best (Not Very Exotic) Doggy Hotel in the Coxheath, Boughton Monchelsea & Chart Sutton area; The Kent Dog Hotel in the Larkfield, Ditton & East Malling area; and Wags n Walkies in Maidstone town centre. As with every home boarder on this site, only the area and town are shown on the listing; the boarder's own address is theirs to give once you have spoken and are ready to book.
Neither, exactly
Kent Dog Grooming Academy, based in Lenham, is primarily a dog grooming training school that also advertises day care rather than overnight boarding of either kind; its day-care licensing status could not be confirmed on the council's register, so ask directly before booking day care there.
Questions to ask either way
- How many other dogs will be there during my dates, and are they from one household or several?
- Where exactly will my dog sleep, and is that space shown to me before I book?
- What happens if my dog doesn't settle well, and is there a trial period first?
- How is my dog exercised, and is that included in the price?
Whichever you choose, ask to see where your dog will actually stay before you book, whether that is a kennel run, a spare room or a shared living space, so you know what to expect on the day you drop your dog off.