We found one Belfast-area dog boarding centre we could verify: Ferndale Boarding Kennels in Dundonald, which has its own website, a Google Maps listing and a named entry on DAERA’s list of licensed boarding establishments. We haven’t visited it. Five more centres sit under “Other options” because we could not confirm a current licence, so ask each one to show it. Boarding is a licensed activity, so ask to see the licence before you book.
Dog boarding centre with a website, a licence we could see and a Google Maps listing
Ferndale Boarding Kennels
★★★★★ 5.0 · 27 Google reviews
Dundonald, Belfast (BT16)
Type: Kennel
Licence: DAERA’s list of licensed boarding establishments (released under a freedom of information request, response dated 30 June 2026) includes Ferndale Boarding Kennels with a licence expiry of 2 May 2027. That list shows only the business name and the expiry date, so we matched it by name. Google lists the business as Ferndale Boarding Kennels and Cattery, and we have said only what concerns dogs. Its website shows no licence number, so ask to see the licence
Website
View on Google Maps
The rating and review count are from Google Maps on 13 November 2026 and come from the public. We haven’t checked them independently. DAERA’s list was current at about 30 June 2026, so expiry dates may have changed since.
Listings we left out, and why
Cranmore Pets Hotel is on DAERA’s list (expiry 14 January 2027) but is at Dundrod (BT29), outside the Belfast area, so we have left it out of this guide. Good Dog Academy NI shows a website (pawfinity.com) on its Google listing, but our tools cannot read it, and its entry on DAERA’s list showed an expiry of 22 June 2026, which has passed. It is also mainly day care. Breeny Boarding & Quarantine Kennels (BT6) and Carryduff Boarding Kennel and Cattery (BT8) have names that match DAERA’s list, with expiries of 13 March 2027 and 4 April 2027, but neither shows a website on its Google listing and we found none, so we have left them out. K9ndergarten, K9 Clubhouse and Dog Days Belfast appear in our dog daycare guide for Belfast. We found no boarding evidence for them and could not find them on DAERA’s list. We didn’t assess matching platforms. A centre being left out doesn’t mean it is unlicensed. It means we couldn’t see the proof, so ask it.
Other options we could not licence-verify
These five have a website and a Google Maps listing, but we could not confirm a current boarding licence. Each card says exactly what is missing, so treat them as options to ask questions of rather than verified listings.
Loughview Animal Resort
★★★★★ 5.0 · 223 Google reviews
Belfast (BT14)
Type: Kennel (type not stated)
Licence: its website says “As proud owners of a fully licensed animal boarding facility, we’re registered with DAERA” and shows no licence number. DAERA’s list (response dated 30 June 2026) includes Loughview Animal Resort with an expiry of 2 October 2026, matched by name. That date has passed and we could not see a renewal, so ask to see its current licence, its number and its expiry date
Also offers daycare: see our dog daycare guide for Belfast
Website
View on Google Maps
Johnny’s Doggy Hotel
★★★★★ 5.0 · 105 Google reviews
Belfast (BT8)
Type: Boarding (type not stated)
Licence: its website offers overnight stays and says “Fully licensed and insured”, naming no licensing body and showing no number. We could not find Johnny’s Doggy Hotel on DAERA’s list (response dated 30 June 2026), though it may trade under another name. Ask for its DAERA licence, its number and whose name it is held in
Also offers daycare: see our dog daycare guide for Belfast
Website
View on Google Maps
Whinney Hill Kennels
★★★★★ 4.8 · 96 Google reviews
Dundonald, Belfast (BT16)
Type: Kennel
Licence: its website describes a family-run boarding kennel and shows no licence wording or number. DAERA’s list (response dated 30 June 2026) includes Whinney Hill Kennels with an expiry of 11 July 2026, matched by name. That date has passed and we could not see a renewal, so ask to see its current licence, its number and its expiry date
Website
View on Google Maps
Dogzone NI
★★★★★ 4.8 · 75 Google reviews
Crossnacreevy, near Belfast (BT5)
Type: Home boarding (per its website)
Licence: its website lists home boarding and shows no licence wording or number. We could not find Dogzone NI on DAERA’s list (response dated 30 June 2026), though it may trade under another name. Ask for its DAERA licence, its number and whose name it is held in
Also offers daycare: see our dog daycare guide for Belfast
Website
View on Google Maps
Riverside Boarding Kennels
★★★★★ 4.8 · 33 Google reviews
Carryduff, Belfast (BT8)
Type: Kennel
Licence: its website describes a dog boarding kennel and shows no licence wording or number. We could not find it on the DAERA names we checked, though DAERA’s list shows only a name and an expiry date and it may trade under another name. Ask for its DAERA licence, its number and whose name it is held in
Website
View on Google Maps
Ratings and review counts are from Google Maps on 13 November 2026 and come from the public. We haven’t checked them independently.
How to check a dog boarding licence in Belfast
In Northern Ireland, an animal boarding establishment needs a licence under Part II of the Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 1972, and DAERA, the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, licenses boarding kennels. Licensing is by DAERA rather than by the city council, so it doesn’t matter that Dundonald (BT16) is in the Belfast postcode area but outside Belfast City Council’s boundary. There is no public register. DAERA publishes lists only when it answers freedom of information requests, and those show a business name and an expiry date, with no address, licence number or licence type. We used the release dated 30 June 2026, which leaves out businesses whose licence had expired while a renewal was pending, so we could match by name only. A centre missing from it isn’t proven unlicensed. Ask each centre to show its licence, number and expiry date, and ask DAERA if you want to confirm one.
What to ask before you book
Ask what vaccinations the centre wants to see, and speak to your vet about what your own dog needs. Our guide to kennel cough in dogs explains the signs and when to call your vet. Ask what happens if your dog needs a vet in the night, who is on site overnight, how dogs are exercised and supervised, whether dogs from different homes ever mix, how many dogs are boarded at once, and whether a trial stay is possible.
A stay somewhere new can feel exciting or unsettling for some dogs. A calming bite is a complementary feed some owners use around change, and if your dog struggles with being left, speak to your vet or a qualified behaviourist first.
More for Belfast: our Belfast dog services hub, dog daycare in Belfast if your dog only needs the day, dog walkers in Belfast for a midday walk, and vets in Belfast.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did you choose this Belfast dog boarding centre?
It has its own website, a Google Maps listing and a licence we could see: a named entry on DAERA’s list of licensed boarding establishments, dated 30 June 2026. The list shows only a business name and an expiry date, so we matched it by name. We checked Google Maps on 13 November 2026. We haven’t visited, so meet any centre first.
Does dog boarding need a licence in Belfast?
In Northern Ireland, an animal boarding establishment needs a licence under Part II of the Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 1972, and DAERA licenses boarding kennels. There is no public register, so ask to see the licence, its number and its expiry date.
What should I ask a kennel or home boarder before booking?
Ask to see the licence and its expiry date, what vaccinations they want to see, what happens if your dog needs a vet, how dogs are exercised and supervised, whether dogs from different homes mix, and whether a trial stay is possible. Speak to your vet about your own dog’s needs.
Why is only one Belfast centre verified?
We only list a centre as verified where we could see a boarding licence. DAERA publishes lists only through freedom of information releases, with a name and an expiry date, so we could match by name only. Five centres sit under other options because their licence had expired on the list or we could not find them on it, and the rest are left out. Not being listed doesn’t mean a centre is unlicensed.
Written by Georgiana & Figo, who prefers his holidays to be properly licensed.
