Vaccinations, licences and what to ask in Torquay

Torquay's twenty-eight dog day cares, boarding kennels and home boarders sit under three different councils depending on their address: Torbay Council, Teignbridge District Council or South Hams District Council. How much of a business's licence can be checked against a register varies sharply between the three, so ask to see the certificate itself rather than assuming a council page has already done that checking for you.

Vaccinations

Every business here sets its own vaccination policy, so ask what it requires and how far ahead of the stay, rather than assuming one rule covers the whole area. Several also have their own view on kennel-cough cover; practice differs business to business, so raise it directly when you call.

Licences: three different pictures

Torbay Council's own register lists all twenty-one of its Torquay, Paignton and Brixham businesses by name, address and phone, so their licence is confirmed, though the register shows no star rating or licence number for any of them. Two of Teignbridge's four businesses, Monty's Friends and Wickham Walkies, are confirmed with a licence number on a third-party mirror of the council's register; the other two, Cary Boarding Kennels and Castleford Pet Centre, quote their own licence number, which could not be matched against that mirror. South Hams District Council's own register is a web application that could not be read at all for this site, so all three South Hams businesses — The Dog Lodge, Blackdown Rings Kennels & Cattery and Dartmouth Canine Care — are shown on their own stated licence only. Asking to see the certificate itself matters most for these three and for the two unmatched Teignbridge businesses, since no register could confirm their position independently.

Breed policies and insurance

A boarder, kennels 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 says it holds public liability 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 staying with you, and who decides that?

What a licence actually covers

Wherever it can be 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 room, or guarantee a certain group size, so ask those separately even once the licence itself checks out.