How to choose dog boarding or day care in Newcastle

Nineteen dog boarders, day cares and kennels are listed for Newcastle, spread across three council areas. Fifteen are licensed, or trade, under North Tyneside Council, covering the Wallsend & North Shields and Whitley Bay & Tynemouth areas plus one Newcastle-centre franchise branch that also holds a North Tyneside licence; two sit under Gateshead Council in the Blaydon & Ryton area; and two are based in Newcastle city itself, in Gosforth and Byker & Walker. Newcastle City Council publishes no usable public register of its own licence holders, so most of what is listed for this town in fact sits in North Tyneside and Gateshead rather than the city centre: the four areas Newcastle City Council itself covers directly (Newcastle city centre, Jesmond & Heaton, Gosforth and Byker & Walker) each have only one listed business.

Home boarding, day care or kennels

Fourteen of the nineteen businesses board dogs in the boarder's own home rather than a kennel block: PetStay Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside & South Northumberland in the city centre; We Love Pets Newcastle in Jesmond & Heaton; TynePets in Gosforth; Small Paws Pet Services, Pillows & Paws, I Love Pugs Boarding and Kate's Coastal Dog Care in Wallsend & North Shields; Pets, Homes and Gardens - Whitley Bay, Furry Towers, Sam's Dog Boarding & Pet Services of Whitley Bay, Purrfect 4 Pets and Hounds Haven in Whitley Bay & Tynemouth; and Petsercise and Barking Mad Newcastle & Tyne Valley in Blaydon & Ryton. A home boarder usually takes far fewer dogs at a time than a kennel, so ask how many other dogs will be in the house during your dates, and whether they are all from one family or several. Three businesses run day care from a dedicated site instead of a home: Nic's Stay and Play Doggy Daycare & Grooming Pawlour in Byker & Walker, Canine Camp in Wallsend & North Shields and The Doggy Day Care Centre - Whitley Bay. Two run boarding kennels for overnight stays, both in Whitley Bay & Tynemouth: Whitley Bay Boarding Kennels & Cattery, which also boards cats, and Peter & Paul's Dog Boarding.

What the council licence means here

Every one of these activities needs a council licence in England, whether it is home boarding, day care or kennels. North Tyneside Council keeps a single public register covering all of its licensed dog boarders and day cares, with a star rating from 1 to 5 and an expiry date; fifteen of Newcastle's nineteen listed businesses are checked against that register directly. Gateshead Council's register, via the animal-licensing.uk platform, covers Petsercise and Barking Mad Newcastle & Tyne Valley in Blaydon & Ryton. Newcastle City Council itself publishes no register that could be read for this guide: TynePets and We Love Pets Newcastle quote their own licence numbers, and Nic's Stay and Play's licence status could not be checked at all, so treat any of these three as self-reported rather than council-confirmed, and ask to see the current licence certificate directly. Where a star rating is shown, it is the council's own inspection score, tied to how often the business is reinspected, and is not a customer review; one business here, Furry Towers, quotes a lower 4-star rating on its own site than the 5 stars North Tyneside's register currently shows, and the register figure is what is published on its listing.

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?
• How many other dogs, and from how many other households, will be there during my dates?

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. See our Newcastle prices guide for what the three businesses that publish a figure charge, and ask everyone else what a stay or a day would cost for your dog before you book.