Vaccinations, licences and what to ask in Burnley, Nelson and Colne

Ten dog boarders, day cares and kennels are listed across Burnley, Nelson and Colne, and every one of them needs a licence to operate in England, whatever kind of boarding or day care it runs. A licence is a legal requirement, checked and renewed by the relevant council, not a badge a business chooses to display. This guide sets out what is worth asking about the licence, your dog's health and the stay itself, rather than assuming any of it.

Check the licence, and which council issued it

Three of the ten listings — New Forge Pet Hotel, Nutshaw Kennels and Cattery and Burnley Pet Boarding Centre, all in the Burnley area — are licensed by Burnley Borough Council, whose own online register gives a licence number and an expiry date for every operator but carries no star rating field at all, for any business in the town, not just these three. The remaining seven — Pacey Pooches, Paws For A Walk and Stainthwaite Boarding Kennels in Nelson & Brierfield, and Barka Lounge Doggy Daycare, Happy Trails, PetStay East Lancs & Bury and We Love Pets Pendle (Colne) in Colne & Barnoldswick — are licensed by Pendle Borough Council. Pendle publishes no register of its own; these seven licence numbers come from a third-party mirror site instead, which does show a star rating on its own operator pages, but since Pendle itself has not said it treats that mirror as its official register, no star is shown here for any of the seven. Ask any of these businesses which council licensed it and for its licence number, and check the number yourself rather than taking a website's word for it.

Vaccinations and kennel cough

Ask the business what vaccinations it requires before a stay, and how long in advance it needs proof. Requirements and timing vary between operators, so there is no single schedule to give here, and this directory does not set or check one. Ask separately about a kennel cough policy, since that also varies from one boarder to the next.

Group size and what's on offer

Several of the ten publish how many dogs they are licensed for at once: Stainthwaite Boarding Kennels is licensed for up to 41 dogs; Pacey Pooches for up to five dogs by day and five overnight; Paws For A Walk for up to six by day and five overnight; and each of the two PetStay East Lancs & Bury hosts for up to two by day and two overnight. The remaining businesses do not publish a number. Stainthwaite also offers grooming and training alongside boarding, and New Forge Pet Hotel runs a dog rescue and rehoming arm alongside its kennels. Ask how many other dogs, and from how many households, will be there during your dates.

Medication, breed policies and a vet emergency

• Ask how medication is given during a stay, and whether there is an extra charge for it.
• Ask whether the business has any breed policies or conditions, including for an XL Bully with a valid exemption certificate.
• Ask what happens if your dog needs a vet while in the business's care, and who decides and pays.
• Ask whether the business holds public liability insurance, and ask to see evidence rather than take a website's claim on trust.

None of the ten Burnley, Nelson and Colne listings publish a vaccination schedule or a stated insurance position, so put these questions directly to the business rather than assuming an answer.