Vaccinations, licences and what to ask in Stevenage

Nine dog boarders, day cares and kennels are listed for Stevenage, spread across three licensing councils: Stevenage Borough Council, North Hertfordshire District Council and Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council. All three licence home boarding, day care and boarding kennels in England under the same 2018 regulations, so a current licence matters wherever a business sits.

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 applies across the town. Views on kennel cough cover vary between businesses too, so raise it directly when you call. None of the nine listed here publish a specific vaccination schedule, and this directory does not set one either.

Licences: three councils, two very different formats

Little Dave and Charlie, TopDog and We Love Pets Stevenage are licensed by Stevenage Borough Council, which runs no animal-licensing register of its own on its website. What is shown here comes from a third-party mirror of the council's list instead, and because it is not the council's own register, no star rating is shown for any of the three. Country Boarding Kennels, Sentabarcs, K9 Interaction and We Love Pets Hitchin are licensed by North Hertfordshire District Council, whose own PDF register does carry a star rating, shown here at 5, 4, 5 and 4 stars respectively. Happy Waggy Tails and Wagalot Dogs both state a North Herts home-boarding licence on their own sites, but neither could be matched against that register this round, so no licence panel is shown for either. Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council covers Welwyn & Welwyn Garden City, but no business there has a confirmed licence and a working phone number this round, so none is listed for that area yet.

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, so ask directly rather than assuming either way. Happy Waggy Tails' own site states that it is licensed, insured and DBS checked; treat that as the business's own claim, since Roskosh has no way to check an insurance policy independently, and ask to see evidence if it matters to your decision. Little Dave and Charlie specialises in small, lap-companion breeds such as Bichon Frise, Maltese and Cavachon crosses and requires a paid trial stay before a holiday booking; ask whether your dog's size and temperament are a good fit before booking further ahead.

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 are they from one household or several?
• 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. Where a star rating is shown, it 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. See our council licences guide for the full breakdown by council.