Care while you are away
Boarding kennel directory
This directory covers selected areas of Scotland, England and Wales, plus selected boarding establishments in the Republic of Ireland. It is not a complete UK directory. Northern Ireland listings are not yet available while current licence checks are pending. Inclusion is not a recommendation.
Find a kennel
Coverage is partial within each country. A search with no results does not mean there are no kennels nearby. Choose a directory area below. Search by UK postcode or town and choose a distance, or filter by name or region.
Northern Ireland: not currently covered by published listings. Current DAERA licence confirmation is still needed before entries can be added. The published DAERA list found during this check contains January 2024 data, so it has not been presented as a current licence list. Check boarding licensing with DAERA
Distances are approximate straight-line miles, not driving distances. Town searches use town centres. Map pins use postcode or settlement centres, as stated in each listing; they do not identify kennel entrances. Some listings without a reliable map location appear only in name/region results. Confirm the address and entrance with the kennel before visiting.
UK location searches send your postcode or town to Postcodes.io. Irish town searches send your town name to Open-Meteo; Eircode searches are not supported. The map uses OpenStreetMap and loads only when you choose to open it. No device-location access is needed.
No supported listings are currently published for this selection. Coverage is incomplete; this does not mean there are no kennels nearby.
What we check
- Scotland, England and Wales: a current boarding licence in official council records, matching the named premises and boarding activity. Republic of Ireland: a published local-authority registration record for a boarding establishment. Registration is not the same as a UK boarding licence, and document checks do not establish current trading.
- Companies House details are shown where a matching record has been checked. Company registration is not an admission requirement: licensed sole traders and partnerships can also be listed.
We link to official records and show when the document was checked. Irish record dates are shown where available; older or undated records need particular care. Confirm current registration and the operator with the relevant local authority before booking. Where company details are available, we show their source and check date too. Licence numbers and expiry dates are shown where the council publishes them. If a current council register does not publish an expiry date, the listing says so; reconfirm with the council before booking.
What these checks do not tell you
Head & Paws does not endorse, recommend or rank any kennel. We have not visited or assessed the care provided. A licence check does not guarantee quality, current trading or suitability for your dog. An optional Companies House record does not establish care standards or financial stability.
The licence check covers the named premises and boarding activity. Daycare-only services, home boarding and catteries are different services and are not automatically listed as overnight dog kennels.
Keeping records up to date
Checks are due every fourteen days. Listings are hidden if checks become overdue, a UK licence expires, or a material concern is recorded. This is not live monitoring: changes unknown to us cannot be detected immediately. Check the official records again before booking.
Do your own research and visit
Do not book on the strength of a listing alone. Research the kennel yourself and arrange a visit before booking. Ask about staffing, overnight supervision, exercise, cleanliness, security and veterinary emergencies. Discuss your dog’s health, behaviour, medication and individual needs.
Check what is included, vaccination requirements, prices, booking terms and cancellation arrangements. Decide whether the kennel suits your own dog.