How to choose dog boarding or day care in Oldham, Ashton and Saddleworth

Ten dog boarders, day cares and boarding kennels are listed across Oldham, Ashton and Saddleworth's five areas: two home boarders, four day cares (one of which also boards overnight) and four boarding kennels (two of which also keep a cattery). This is a thinner supply than many towns of this size, since Oldham Council's whole-borough animal welfare licence register holds only 24 entries of any kind and only a handful of Tameside's register rows cover Ashton-under-Lyne, so it is worth reading the whole list rather than assuming a bigger choice exists just outside it.

What's listed, and where

Oldham town centre, Ashton-under-Lyne and Failsworth & Hollinwood each have only one listed business, so if none suits your dog it is worth checking the neighbouring area rather than assuming there is nothing nearby.

Home boarding, day care or kennels

GGL Pet Services (Saddleworth) and Hotel 4 Hounds (Chadderton) board dogs in their own homes rather than a kennel block; GGL specialises in small dogs and Italian Greyhounds, while Hotel 4 Hounds also runs day care and a wedding chaperone service. Sully's Doggy Daycare, The Pooches Playhouse and Waggy Warehouse run structured weekday day care from a dedicated unit, and Day 2 Day Doggy Day Care & Luxury Hotel in Ashton-under-Lyne combines day care with overnight boarding. Broadway Barks & Bubbles, Simply Animals Dog Training & Sports Club, Petsville and Lower Hey Boarding Kennels & Cattery run purpose-built kennels; Petsville and Lower Hey also keep a cattery alongside the dogs.

The council licence position here

Two different councils' registers cover this town, and they show different things. Oldham Council's own online register gives a licence number and an expiry date for each of its holders but carries no star rating field at all, so the seven Oldham-licensed businesses here — GGL Pet Services, Hotel 4 Hounds, Sully's Doggy Daycare, The Pooches Playhouse, Broadway Barks & Bubbles, Waggy Warehouse and Simply Animals Dog Training & Sports Club — show a licence number and expiry but no star. Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council's own register does carry a star rating, and Day 2 Day Doggy Day Care & Luxury Hotel, in Ashton-under-Lyne, is shown with a 5-star rating from that register. Two of the ten, Petsville (Uppermill) and Lower Hey Boarding Kennels & Cattery (near Ashton-under-Lyne), do not carry a licence panel on their listing here: Petsville was not found among the entries on Oldham Council's register checked for this town, and Lower Hey's own site states it is licensed by Tameside but this was not confirmed directly on the council's own register page, so ask both businesses to see their current licence before booking.

Questions to ask before you book

• Can I see your current council licence, and which council issued it?
• What vaccinations do you require, and how long before the stay do you need proof?
• Do you have any breed policies or conditions, including for an XL Bully with a valid exemption certificate?
• How many other dogs will be there during my dates, and from how many households?
• What happens if my dog needs a vet while it is in your care?

None of the ten businesses listed here publish a price; see our Oldham prices guide for what is normally asked about cost instead.