We found two County Durham dog boarding centres we could verify: a kennel and a licensed home boarder, each with its own website, a Google Maps listing and a licence number quoted on that website, with Durham County Council named. We haven’t visited either of them, and Durham County Council doesn’t publish a register we could check the numbers against, so ask to see the licence before you book and treat this as a shortlist to meet. Darlington and Hartlepool have their own councils and aren’t covered. Home boarders are included where they are licensed.
Dog boarding centres with a website, a licence we could see and a Google Maps listing
Skyecroft Kennels & Cattery
★★★★★ 4.9 · 145 Google reviews
Old Eldon, near Shildon (DL4)
Type: Kennel
Licence: its website says it is “fully licensed by Durham County Council to accommodate up to 68 dogs” and shows kennels licence number LC202504-67140, valid until 21 June 2027. We have said only what concerns dogs. Durham doesn’t publish a register, so we couldn’t check the number against a council record
Website
View on Google Maps
Doggy Digs Durham
★★★★★ 5.0 · 12 Google reviews
Langley Park, near Durham (DH7)
Type: Home boarding
Licence: its website says “We are fully licensed with Durham County Council” and shows licence number DCC/DHB/125433. The page describes boarding in a family home with a designated room for overnight stays. We couldn’t check the number against a council record. Only twelve reviews so far, so weigh that
Also offers daycare: see our dog daycare guide for County Durham
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. Licence numbers and dates are as each centre’s website showed them on that day, and they can change.
Listings we left out, and why
Lynsdene Boarding Kennels and Big Paws K9, both at Shotton Colliery, have no website on their Google Maps listings. The website on Hurworth Burn Luxury Pet Hotel’s listing now redirects to an expired-domain page, and Poppy’s Perfect Pups’ website wouldn’t load for us. Mighty Mutt House shows a daycare licence only and no boarding. Oat Hill Farm Boarding Kennels quotes licence number DL22/01273/ANILIC without naming a council, and the number format and village suggest Darlington rather than Durham County Council, so we left it out as outside this guide’s area (we haven’t confirmed that). Ferry Farm and Stoneygate Stables have Sunderland addresses, Mypetstop is in Washington, and Sadberge, Aeolian House and West Park Pet Hotel are around Darlington, so none of them is covered here. Breeds Apart in Sherburn Village has only a Facebook page, and Hounds at home, Dog Sitting Durham, Country Canines Home Boarding, Muddy Paws Home Boarding, Durham Private Dog Boarding and Petz 1st have no website we could confirm or fewer than eight reviews. Rover’s County Durham page shows 20 sitter profiles, the highest with 244 reviews, but it states no licence for any of them and we didn’t open the profiles, so we haven’t listed any. 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 seventeen County Durham boarding businesses have a website and a Google Maps listing, but we could not see a licence number tied to Durham County Council on their own site, or in an official record, so we don’t list them as verified. Ratings are from Google Maps on 13 November 2026. We haven’t visited any of them. Where a business also takes cats, we say only what concerns dogs. Ask each to show its licence, who issued it and when it expires.
Deerness Kennels
★★★★★ 4.4 · 325 Google reviews
Langley Moor, near Durham (DH7)
Type: Kennel
Licence: its website shows no licence number or council on the pages we read, so ask to see the licence and when it expires
Website
View on Google Maps
Mahon House Boarding Kennels
★★★★★ 5.0 · 261 Google reviews
Garmondsway, near Ferryhill (DL17)
Type: Kennel
Licence: its website shows two codes, LC202504-67087 and LC202504-64738, without saying what they are or which council issued them, so ask which licence covers dog boarding
Website
View on Google Maps
Centre Barks K9 Stay & Play
★★★★★ 4.7 · 242 Google reviews
Sedgefield (TS21)
Type: Boarding (type not stated)
Licence: its website offers dog boarding and daycare but shows no licence number or council, so ask to see the licence
Website
View on Google Maps
Tendercare Boarding Kennels and Cattery
★★★★★ 4.5 · 130 Google reviews
Annfield Plain, near Stanley (DH9)
Type: Kennel
Licence: its website says the kennels received a 3 star award at a licence inspection in January 2020, but shows no licence number or council. Its page description says 4 star, so ask which is current
Website
View on Google Maps
4 Paws Farm
★★★★★ 4.9 · 114 Google reviews
Near Bishop Auckland (DL14)
Type: Kennel
Licence: its website shows boarding licence number DCC/ABO/031586 and daycare licence number DCC/ADC/040909 but names no council, so ask which council issued them and when they expire
Website
View on Google Maps
Lanchester Pet Resort
★★★★★ 4.9 · 114 Google reviews
Browney Bank, Lanchester (DH7)
Type: Kennel
Licence: its website blocks our reading tools, so we couldn’t read it for a licence. Ask to see the licence, its number and its expiry date
Website
View on Google Maps
Dovecote Farm Boarding Kennels
★★★★★ 4.3 · 57 Google reviews
Brasside, near Durham (DH1)
Type: Kennel
Licence: its website shows dog licence number DCC/ABD/078076 under licence details but names no council, so ask which council issued it and when it expires
Website
View on Google Maps
East Shaws Boarding Kennels & Cattery
★★★★★ 4.8 · 54 Google reviews
Westwick, near Barnard Castle (DL12)
Type: Kennel
Licence: its website says it is fully licensed and rated 5 stars by Durham County Council but shows no licence number, so ask to see the licence and its number
Website
View on Google Maps
Shincliffe Mill Boarding Kennels
★★★★★ 4.5 · 50 Google reviews
Shincliffe, near Durham (DH1)
Type: Kennel
Licence: its website says it was “proudly awarded 5 stars by Durham County Council” but shows no licence number, so ask to see the licence and its number
Website
View on Google Maps
The Barkary – Boarding, Daycare & Grooming
★★★★★ 4.9 · 42 Google reviews
Ramshaw, near Bishop Auckland (DL14)
Type: Kennel
Licence: its website shows licence numbers DCC/ALA/084269 and DCC/DBK/084269 and calls itself a “5 star licensed site”, but doesn’t name the council, so ask which council issued them and what each covers
Also offers daycare: see our dog daycare guide for County Durham
Website
View on Google Maps
Wild at Heart Dog Boarding
★★★★★ 5.0 · 41 Google reviews
South Hetton (DH6)
Type: Home boarding (six guests at most, per its website)
Licence: its website says it is licensed by Durham County Council and links a licence document that our tools couldn’t open. The page shows no licence number, so ask to see the licence and its number
Website
View on Google Maps
Little Moor Farm Boarding Kennels & Cattery
★★★★★ 4.9 · 40 Google reviews
Ramshaw, near Bishop Auckland (DL14)
Type: Kennel
Licence: its website says its kennels are fully licensed but shows no licence number or council, so ask to see the licence
Website
View on Google Maps
Fondley Sett Boarding Kennels and Cattery
★★★★★ 4.2 · 38 Google reviews
Dipton, near Stanley (DH9)
Type: Kennel
Licence: its website shows no licence wording on the pages we read, so ask to see the licence and when it expires
Website
View on Google Maps
Wagtails Farm Stay Kennels
★★★★★ 4.4 · 28 Google reviews
Near Stanley (DH9)
Type: Boarding (type not stated)
Licence: its website shows no licence wording on the pages we read, so ask to see the licence and when it expires
Website
View on Google Maps
Hunwick Boarding Kennels & Cattery
★★★★★ 4.3 · 22 Google reviews
Hunwick, near Crook (DL15)
Type: Kennel
Licence: its website shows no licence wording, and its footer is dated 2009, so ask to see a current licence and when it expires
Website
View on Google Maps
Dog House Boarding Kennels
★★★★★ 4.8 · 18 Google reviews
Wolsingham (DL13)
Type: Kennel
Licence: its website calls it “5 Star Boarding Kennels” but shows no licence number, council or source for the rating, so ask to see the licence
Website
View on Google Maps
Whitton Moor Farm Kennels
★★★★★ 5.0 · 14 Google reviews
Stillington (TS21)
Type: Kennel
Licence: its website shows no licence wording on the page we read, so ask to see the licence and when it expires
Website
View on Google Maps
How to check a dog boarding licence in County Durham
In England, providing boarding for dogs as a business, in kennels or in someone’s home, needs a licence from the local council under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018. The government’s guidance says the licence holder’s name and number must be shown on any website used for the business, and a copy of the licence should be displayed at the premises. Day care that doesn’t keep dogs overnight is a separate matter. Here that means Durham County Council, so Darlington and Hartlepool, which have their own councils, aren’t covered. The council’s page on kennels, catteries, dog day care and home boarding licences (checked 13 November 2026) lists a dog boarding (kennels) licence and a dog home boarding licence, says each business gets a star rating from one to five, and says that rating sets how long the licence lasts, from one to three years. It gives Community Protection contact details of ehcp@durham.gov.uk and 03000 261 016. We found no public register or list of licensed premises, so we couldn’t check any number against a council record. Ask the centre to show its licence, its number and when it expires, or ask the council.
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 County Durham: our County Durham dog services hub, dog daycare in County Durham if your dog only needs the day, dog walkers in County Durham for a midday walk, vets in Durham and dog trainers in County Durham.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did you choose these County Durham dog boarding centres?
Each has its own website, a Google Maps listing and a licence number quoted on that website, with Durham County Council named. We checked Google Maps on 13 November 2026. Durham County Council doesn’t publish a register we could check the numbers against, and we haven’t visited either centre, so meet any centre first.
Does dog boarding need a licence in County Durham?
In England, providing boarding for dogs as a business, in kennels or in someone’s home, needs a council licence under the 2018 regulations. In County Durham that is Durham County Council, while Darlington and Hartlepool have their own councils. 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 are some kennels missing?
We only list centres where we could see a licence number tied to Durham County Council on the centre’s own site, plus a website, a Google Maps listing and a clear offer of overnight boarding. Many County Durham kennels say they are licensed, or show a number without naming the council, so they are in the ‘Other options we could not licence-verify’ section instead. Some licensed businesses have no website of their own and are left out.
Written by Georgiana & Figo, who prefers his holidays to be properly licensed.
