Vaccinations, licences and what to ask in Wolverhampton

Wolverhampton's eighteen listed dog boarders, day cares and kennels sit across five areas and four different licensing councils: City of Wolverhampton Council, Walsall Council, South Staffordshire Council and Cannock Chase District Council. None of them can be checked in exactly the same way, so the questions below matter more here than in a town with one shared register.

Vaccinations and kennel cough

Every business you call will have its own policy on which vaccinations it requires and how long before a stay it needs to see proof, and practice genuinely varies between one boarder and the next. Ask directly rather than assuming an answer, and ask specifically about kennel cough: some businesses ask for cover against it, some do not, and this is the business's own policy rather than a rule this directory sets or checks.

Licences: what can and cannot be checked here

Five of Wolverhampton's listed businesses — The Clees Dog Services and Penn Pet Care in the city centre, Henry's Haven in Tettenhall & Compton, Simmo Woof in Wednesfield and Bilston Home Boarding in Bilston & Willenhall — fall under City of Wolverhampton Council, which keeps no public register of animal welfare licences at all. Their licence status rests on what each business tells you directly, so ask to see the current certificate. Businesses under Walsall Council, South Staffordshire Council and Cannock Chase District Council can be checked against a register or a mirror of one, though none of these three publish exactly the same fields as each other, and this guide does not state a star figure for any Wolverhampton business, whichever council licenses it — ask to see the business's own certificate and current rating in person.

Insurance and breed policies

None of Wolverhampton's eighteen listed businesses publish a statement about insurance on their own site, so do not assume any of them holds public liability cover; ask directly, and if a business does say it is insured, treat that as the business's own claim rather than something this directory has checked. The same goes for breed policies: several dog boarders and kennels have their own rules on breeds they will not take or extra conditions they apply, including for an XL Bully with a valid exemption certificate, so ask rather than assume either way.

Questions worth asking before you book

• What vaccinations do you require, and how long before the stay do you need to see proof of them?
• What is your policy on kennel cough?
• Do you have any breed conditions, including for an XL Bully with a valid exemption certificate?
• Can I see your current council licence certificate?
• How many other dogs, and from how many households, will be in the house or on site during my dates?
• How is medication given during a stay, and is there an extra charge for it?

That last question matters more here than in many towns: fourteen of Wolverhampton's eighteen listed businesses are home boarders, taking dogs into their own house rather than a purpose-built kennels, so the number and mix of other dogs already there is worth asking about directly. None of these are questions this directory can answer on a business's behalf, and none of the answers should be assumed either way before you ask.