The Boarding Pack

Are you ready to apply?

A free 2-minute check, based on Defra’s home boarding guidance.

Answer 14 quick questions to see where you stand before you apply for a home boarding licence in England. Your answers stay on your screen. Nothing is sent to us or saved.

1. Do you live in England, and will you look after every dog inside your own home?
2. Does every room the dogs will use have a window that opens and a full-height door that latches shut?
3. Are there at least two secure barriers between a dog and every way out of your home?
4. Are you registered with a vet who has agreed a preventative healthcare plan with you?
5. Do you have a written emergency plan, including where the dogs would go if your home became unusable?
6. Do you have a working smoke detector on each floor and a carbon monoxide detector?
7. Do you have a first aid kit suitable for dogs?
8. Is there a key holder who could reach your home within about 30 minutes in an emergency?
9. Will you hold and document a trial session so dogs can get used to each other, including your own dogs?
10. Do you have a written cleaning and disinfection procedure?
11. Will you see an up-to-date vaccination record for every dog, including your own?
12. Will you keep a dog register and keep your records for at least 3 years?
13. Will you get written consent from every owner before boarding dogs from different households together?
14. If anyone under 16 lives with you, do you have procedures to keep them and the dogs safe?

answered “Yes”

    This check covers some of the main points in Defra’s home boarding guidance, not all of them. Every council has its own checklist and has the final say. It is not legal advice.

    Source: Defra home boarding guidance. More detail on our free help page.

    Ready to start?

    Got a few “not yet” answers? That’s normal. The questionnaire is free, and we flag every gap in your pack so you know what to sort out.

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