How to choose dog boarding or day care in Shrewsbury

Nine dog boarders and day cares are listed across Shrewsbury and rural Shropshire's five areas: Shrewsbury town centre, Shrewsbury south and Meole Brace, Shrewsbury north villages, Shrewsbury west villages, and Church Stretton. Three are home boarders, three run boarding kennels, two run day care from a dedicated site, and one runs boarding, day care and a cattery together. Church Stretton has no published listing in this round: every dog-care business found while researching the area sits over the boundary in the Craven Arms or Clun postcode district, so if you are near Church Stretton, expect to look slightly further afield or call a Shrewsbury business directly to ask if it covers your postcode.

Home boarding, day care or kennels

House of Hounds (Shrewsbury south and Meole Brace), Maggie's Mutts and AristoDogz (both Shrewsbury north villages) care for dogs in the boarder's own home rather than on a commercial site. 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 household. Fairfield Boarding Kennels & Cattery, Netley Boarding Kennels & Cattery and Lower Mill Boarding Kennels & Cattery, spread across the north and west villages, run boarding kennels for overnight stays and also take cats. Whitley Crest Boarding and Doggy Daycare, in the west villages, runs boarding, day care and a cattery from one site. Waggy Warehouse Shropshire and Wags Day Care Shrewsbury run day care only, both close to Shrewsbury's south side, with Wags Day Care Shrewsbury also offering private field hire and dog grooming.

What the council licence shows here

Dog boarding, home boarding and day care are all licensable activities in England, and every business here should hold a current licence from Shropshire Council. Seven of the nine listed are confirmed on the council's public register: House of Hounds, Fairfield Boarding Kennels & Cattery, Maggie's Mutts, AristoDogz, Netley Boarding Kennels & Cattery, Lower Mill Boarding Kennels & Cattery and Whitley Crest Boarding and Doggy Daycare. Waggy Warehouse Shropshire and Wags Day Care Shrewsbury each state a licence number on their own site that could not be matched on the register in this check, so no licence details are shown for either; ask to see their current certificate directly. No council star rating is shown against any Shrewsbury listing in this round, so treat every business the same way and ask to see its current licence certificate and the number of dogs or the premises it covers.

Questions worth asking about vaccinations, breed rules and insurance

None of these are things this directory can answer on a business's behalf; put them 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?

None of the businesses listed here publish a vaccination schedule or a stated insurance position beyond their own licence, so ask rather than assume an answer either way.

Prices and extras

Only one of the nine businesses listed, Wags Day Care Shrewsbury, publishes a price; see our Shrewsbury prices guide for the figures and what they cover. Whichever type of care you choose, ask what a second dog from the same household costs, whether bank holidays are charged at a higher rate, and whether collection or drop-off is included or priced separately.