How to choose dog boarding or day care in Horsham and Billingshurst

Fifteen dog boarders, day cares and kennels are listed for Horsham and Billingshurst, all licensed by a single authority, Horsham District Council, which covers Horsham town, Southwater and Cowfold, Billingshurst and Pulborough, and Henfield. Ten are licensed for home boarding (including Little Rowfold, which also holds a day care licence at the same address), three run purpose-built boarding kennels, and three run day care from a dedicated site. What matters most when choosing depends on which of these you need.

Home boarding, day care or kennels

Ten businesses board dogs in the boarder's own home rather than a kennel block: Benji's K9 Holidays and Day Care, Cottage Farm Dog Training & Boarding, Harry's Hounds and Paws Aplenty Pet Care in the Billingshurst and Pulborough area; Fine & Dandy Pet Services and Sussex Home Dog Boarding in Southwater and Cowfold; Horsham Pet Care, We Love Pets Crawley and Doggie Rambles Horsham in Horsham itself; and Little Rowfold in Billingshurst, which also runs day care from the same address under a separate licence. A home boarder usually takes far fewer dogs at a time than a kennels, so ask how many other dogs will be in the house during your dates, and whether they are all from one household or several. Club K9 and Daily Dog Digs, both near Rusper, and Little Rowfold in Billingshurst run day care from a dedicated site rather than a home. Bluebell Countryside Kennels near Southwater, Penny Paws Kennels near Henfield and Springfield Dog Boarding Kennels at Colgate run purpose-built boarding kennels for overnight stays.

What the council licence means

Every business listed holds a current Horsham District Council licence: a legal requirement in England for dog boarding, home boarding and day care, not an optional extra. Horsham District Council publishes its register on its own website, and every one of the fifteen businesses here carries a star rating on that register, ranging from 4 to 5 stars. A star rating is the council's own inspection score, tied to how often the licence is reinspected, and is not a customer review, so treat it the way you would a food hygiene rating rather than a Google star. Ask to see the current licence certificate, and ask what the maximum number of dogs it covers is, since a licence can cap this below what the kennels or house could otherwise hold. Henfield currently has only one licensed business listed here, Penny Paws Kennels, which is thinner than the other three areas; if you are in Henfield and want a home boarder closer by, it is worth calling Horsham District Council directly for its current list of licence holders.

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 licence, so ask rather than assume an answer either way.

Prices and extras

Six of the fifteen businesses listed publish a price; see our Horsham and Billingshurst 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.