How to choose dog boarding or day care in Tunbridge Wells and the Weald

Fourteen dog boarders and day cares are listed for Tunbridge Wells and the Weald, from central Tunbridge Wells out to Paddock Wood, Crowborough, Wadhurst and Ticehurst. Ten are home boarders working from their own house, and four run from a fixed site: Bruce's Tunbridge Wells and MONKI Dog Care run day care in the Tunbridge Wells area, Little Dale Dogs runs day care from a unit in Hawkhurst, and Bell Reed Kennels and Cattery, near Heathfield, runs purpose-built boarding kennels alongside its own cattery and day care. What matters most when choosing depends on which of these you need.

Home boarding, day care or kennels

Ten businesses here board dogs in the boarder's own home rather than a kennel block: RTW Dogs, Scooby's Canine Care, Showpaws and Unleashed UK in the Tunbridge Wells area; Waggatails in Langton Green & Groombridge; Farm from Home and Snuggle and Cuddle Dog Boarding around Crowborough; Mary's Animal Care and Pampered Waggy Tails around Wadhurst and Ticehurst; and Pets are Life around Paddock Wood. 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 family or several. Bruce's Tunbridge Wells and MONKI Dog Care run day care from a dedicated site rather than a home, Little Dale Dogs runs day care from an industrial unit in Hawkhurst, and Bell Reed Kennels and Cattery, near Heathfield, runs purpose-built boarding kennels across 14 acres with a separate cattery and its own day care.

Thin coverage in Cranbrook & Hawkhurst

Cranbrook & Hawkhurst has only one business listed, Little Dale Dogs, and its licence was due to expire within days of this page being researched, so ask directly whether it has been renewed. If you are further out in that area, some of the businesses above, including Bruce's Tunbridge Wells and Farm from Home, state they cover a wider stretch of west Kent and the Weald, so it is worth asking whether they reach you.

What the council licence tells you

Every business listed holds a current dog boarding, home boarding or day care licence, from one of three councils: Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, for most of the town and out to Hawkhurst; Wealden District Council, for Crowborough, Uckfield and Heathfield and parts of Wadhurst; and Rother District Council, which licenses Pampered Waggy Tails in Ticehurst even though the rest of that area falls under Wealden. A licence is a legal requirement in England for dog boarding, home boarding and day care, not an optional extra. All three registers were read for this page only through a third-party mirror of the council's own records, not the council's own published pages, so no star rating is shown for any business here; ask the business directly what its current inspection rating is, and ask to see the licence certificate itself. Ask what the maximum number of dogs the licence covers, too, since it can cap a home boarder or kennels below what the house or site could otherwise hold.

Questions worth asking about vaccinations, breed rules and insurance

None of these are things this directory can answer on a business's behalf; they are worth putting 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 what appears on their own site, so ask rather than assume an answer either way.

Prices and extras

Five of the fourteen businesses listed publish a price; see our Tunbridge Wells prices guide for the published figures and what they cover. Whichever type of boarding or day 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 is included or priced separately.