Day care or boarding in Hemel Hempstead and Chesham?
Day care and overnight boarding solve different problems, and the businesses listed across Hemel Hempstead and Chesham split fairly evenly between them. Of the twelve listed here, four run day care only from a fixed site — K&M Animal Care, Harts and Hounds @ The Hayfields, Schnoodles Doggy Daycare and Dogtopia of Amersham — and two run boarding kennels — The Old Pastures Boarding Kennels and Arklow Kennels.
When day care fits
Day care suits a dog that would otherwise be alone through a working day rather than one needing to stay overnight. K&M Animal Care, in Hemel Hempstead, calls its service a 'doggy day school' and requires new dogs to be assessed first. Harts and Hounds @ The Hayfields runs daycare on five acres of secured farmland near Tring, with puppy paddocks and agility equipment, at £39.50 a day including VAT. Schnoodles Doggy Daycare, based on a field outside Chesham, offers pickup and drop-off across five towns. Dogtopia of Amersham, a locally run franchise, offers day care of up to eight hours from £35.
When overnight boarding fits
The Old Pastures Boarding Kennels, near Tring, and Arklow Kennels, in Chalfont St Giles, both run purpose-built kennels for overnight stays; Arklow Kennels also boards cats. Pet Relief, Cosy Paws Dog Boarding and Auntie Kelz Dog Home Boarder and Day Creche, all home boarders in Hemel Hempstead, and The Puppy Dog Hotel in Chesham, list home boarding without a separate day-care price, though Auntie Kelz Dog Home Boarder and Day Creche's own name includes 'day creche' among its services.
The businesses offering both
Dogtopia of Amersham lists both day care of up to eight hours and overnight boarding of up to 24 hours from the same premises, priced at £35, £40 at weekends, and £50 for a combined day-and-night stay. Poos and Doodles, in Berkhamsted & Tring, and Friends Paw Life, covering Great Missenden, both offer day care and home boarding from the same address, with Friends Paw Life pricing home boarding at £35 for a single session and £50 for five or more sessions in a day.
Ask which one you actually need
If you are not sure whether your dog needs a day or a night away, describe your situation directly: how long the dog will be away from you, whether it has been left with strangers before, and whether it needs medication or has any anxiety around other dogs. Day care and overnight boarding are licensed the same way in England, under the same 2018 regulations, so this is also worth raising as part of checking a business's licence.
Cats and other pets
Arklow Kennels boards cats alongside dogs; Pet Relief also offers cat sitting and sitting for small pets and exotic animals alongside dog boarding. If you need cover for more than one type of pet, ask directly whether a business can take both under one booking.
Where each type sits
Day-care-only businesses here are concentrated in Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted & Tring and Chesham & Amersham; the two dedicated kennels sit in Berkhamsted & Tring and Chalfont St Giles & Beaconsfield. See our area-by-area guide for the full breakdown of where the twelve listed businesses actually are.