Vaccinations, licences and what to ask in Salisbury

Salisbury's 22 listed dog boarders, kennels and day cares sit under three different councils depending on the area: Wiltshire Council (Salisbury, Amesbury & Durrington, Warminster & Westbury), Test Valley Borough Council (Andover) and Winchester City Council (Winchester). A licence is not a promise about any one stay, but alongside a plain answer on vaccinations and any breed policy, it is the main thing worth checking before you book.

Vaccinations

Every kennels, home boarder and day care on this page sets its own vaccination policy, so ask what they require and how long before the stay, rather than assuming one rule applies across the town. Clearway Kennels, on the A30 outside Salisbury, states on its own site that proof of vaccination is required before any dog can stay; practice on kennel cough cover also varies business to business, so raise it directly when you call.

Licences

Eighteen of the 22 businesses here carry a licence confirmed directly against a council register: seven against the Wiltshire Council register, read via its animal-licensing.uk mirror since the council's own site blocks automated checks; seven against Test Valley Borough Council's own published PDF; and four against Winchester City Council's own PDF. The other four — Pad and Paws, The Salisbury Dog Retreat, Court Lane Kennels and The Sighthound Lounge — state a Wiltshire Council licence on their own site that could not be independently confirmed against either the council's register or its mirror, so no licence panel is shown for them here; ask to see the certificate itself before booking any of these four. See our council licences guide for exactly which register covers which business.

Breed policies and insurance

A kennels, home boarder or day care 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. Where a business's own site states it holds insurance, treat that as the business's own claim: Roskosh has no way to check an insurance policy independently, so ask to see evidence if it matters to your decision.

Questions to ask before you book

• Which council licensed you, and can I see the certificate or licence number?
• 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?
• How many other dogs, and from how many households, will be there during my dates?
• What happens if my dog needs a vet while in your care?

What a licence actually covers

Wherever it is confirmed, a licence covers premises standards, record-keeping and how many dogs a business may keep at once; it does not fix a price, promise a particular run, or guarantee a certain group size, so ask those separately even once the licence itself checks out.