Vaccinations, licences and what to ask in Nottingham

Nottingham's built-up area sits across six licensing authorities: Nottingham City, Gedling, Rushcliffe, Broxtowe, Erewash and Ashfield councils between them license all 26 dog boarders, day cares and kennels on this page, whether they board dogs in their own home, run a day-care site or keep a purpose-built kennels. A licence is worth asking to see before you book, alongside a straight answer on vaccinations and any breed policy.

Vaccinations

Every business here sets its own vaccination policy, and this varies from one to the next, so ask what they require and how long before the stay they need to see proof, rather than assuming one rule covers every Nottingham boarder. Several also have their own view on kennel-cough cover; raise it directly when you call, since practice differs by business rather than following one fixed rule.

Licences: six registers, six formats

Nottingham City Council publishes its own register as a downloadable document, giving a licence number, star rating and expiry month for each of the nine businesses it licenses here. Gedling Borough Council's register, covering five of the businesses, is read through a third-party mirror that gives only a name and licence type, with no address, star rating or expiry date at all. Broxtowe Borough Council, which licenses two businesses, publishes its own address-and-star tables directly on its website. Erewash and Ashfield councils' mirrors, covering four and three businesses respectively, give a town and postcode or a full street address but no star rating. Rushcliffe's mirror, covering two businesses, gives an address under a column headed "Rating" that in practice shows no figure for either. One business, Nottingham Pet Services in Carlton, could not be matched to any of the six registers at all, which is worth asking about directly.

Breed policies and insurance

A boarding or day-care business is entitled to ask about a dog's breed and to 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, that is something the business says about itself; Roskosh 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

• Which council licensed you, and what is the licence number?
• What vaccinations do you need before the stay, and how far in advance?
• Do you have a policy on kennel cough?
• How many other dogs, and from how many households, will be there during my dates?
• Do you have any breed policies I should know about, including for an XL Bully with a valid exemption certificate?
• Do you say you hold public liability insurance, and can I see evidence of it?
• Is there a discount for a second dog, or any extra charge for a bank holiday?

What "licensed" actually covers

A licence covers premises 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. Nottingham Pet Services publishes a discount of £4 for an additional pet at day care, which is the kind of detail worth checking with every business rather than assuming it applies everywhere.