Vaccinations, licences and what to ask in Halifax and Calderdale

Nine dog boarders, day cares and kennels are listed for Halifax and Calderdale, all licensed by the single council that covers the area, Calderdale Council, whose animal boarding register can be downloaded as a live CSV file from its own open-data portal. All three activities offered here — home boarding, day care and boarding kennels — need the same kind of council licence in England, so a current one matters whichever service you are booking.

Vaccinations

Every boarder, kennels and day care here sets its own vaccination policy, so ask what it requires and how long before a stay it needs to see proof, rather than assuming one rule covers the whole borough. Croftmount Pet Resort's own site sets out the vaccinations it asks for before a stay and treats a kennel-cough vaccine as advisable rather than compulsory — a good example of how much this can vary from one kennels to another, so ask directly rather than assume the same policy applies elsewhere.

Licences

Eight of the nine businesses here carry a star rating currently shown against Calderdale Council's own register, running from 1 to 5. The ninth, Toothill Pet Boarding, had an expiry date recorded in the register that has since passed, so no licence detail is shown on its page while that remains unconfirmed — ask the business directly whether it has renewed before you book. See our council licences guide for how the rest are rated.

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 with a valid exemption certificate, so ask directly rather than assume either way. Freddie's Friends states on its own site that it is insured; treat that as the business's own claim, since Roskosh has no way to check an insurance policy independently, and ask any business here to show 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 will be with mine at the same time, and from how many households?
• What happens if my dog needs a vet while in your care, and who decides that?

What a licence actually covers

Wherever it is confirmed, a licence covers premises or home 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. A star rating, where shown, is a council licence rating from a risk-based inspection, not a customer review, so it is worth asking what kept a business from a higher star band if that matters to your decision.