Derbyshire has nine licensing councils, and four of them publish a list we could read. We took fifteen centres that appear on one of those lists as a dog boarding licence, or quote a licence number on their own website that names the council, and that have a Google Maps listing with at least eight reviews. One of the fifteen is a licensed home boarder. We haven’t visited any of them. Check the licence yourself, because a register entry is a snapshot and not a promise, and where our evidence is thinner the card says so. Seven more options we couldn’t licence-verify sit below the cards.
Boarding centres with a licence record or licence number, a website and a Google Maps listing
Dunston Lodge Boarding Kennels
★★★★ 4.3 · 223 Google reviews
Dunston Lane, Chesterfield (S41 9RJ)
Type: Kennel
Licence: Chesterfield Borough Council’s licensed establishments list (page dated 13 November 2026) shows Dunston Lodge Kennels, Dunston Lane, as cattery/kennels, 5 star, with no number or expiry. Its website shows licence number LC202012-449 from Chesterfield Borough Council for boarding in kennels for dogs, but the licence dates it shows ended on 31 December 2025, so ask to see the current licence
Website
View on Google Maps
DogLand (Rose Cottage)
★★★★★ 4.8 · 183 Google reviews
Rose Cottage, Crow Lane, Chesterfield (S41 7UE)
Type: Kennel
Licence: Chesterfield Borough Council’s list (page dated 13 November 2026) shows Dogland Ltd @ Rose Cottage at the same address as cattery/kennels, 5 star, with no number or expiry. Its website shows “Council License Number LC202012-434” without naming the council, so we couldn’t match the number to the list
Also offers daycare: see our dog daycare guide for Derbyshire
Website
View on Google Maps
Buddy’s Boarding Kennels
★★★★★ 4.9 · 171 Google reviews
Catton, near Swadlincote (DE12 8LW)
Type: Kennel
Licence: South Derbyshire District Council’s public register (PDF dated 12 November 2026) lists Buddy’s, Catton, under dog boarding in kennels, 5 star, expires 12 December 2027. We matched it by name and place, because the register gives the village only and shows no licence number. Its website shows no licence statement, so ask to see the licence
Website
View on Google Maps
Castlefield Kennels
★★★★★ 4.7 · 170 Google reviews
High Lane East, West Hallam, near Ilkeston (DE7 6HZ)
Type: Kennel
Licence: Erewash Borough Council’s list of licensed premises (read 13 November 2026) shows Castlefield Kennels Limited, West Hallam, licence 50755, dogs in kennels, 3 star, with no expiry shown. Its website footer quotes “Licence Ref 50755/22” from Erewash Borough Council. The business also boards cats, and we have only described the dog boarding
Website
View on Google Maps
Broomhill Farm Luxury Dog Hotel
★★★★★ 4.8 · 139 Google reviews
Broomhill Road, Old Whittington, Chesterfield (S41 9EA)
Type: Kennel
Licence: Chesterfield Borough Council’s list (page dated 13 November 2026) shows Broomhill Farm, Broomhill Road, as cattery and kennels, 5 star, with no number or expiry. Its website says it has a 5 star rating from Chesterfield Borough Council’s licensing team but shows no licence number, so ask to see the licence. The business also runs a cattery, and we have only described the dog boarding
Website
View on Google Maps
End Cottage Kennels
★★★★★ 5.0 · 103 Google reviews
Field Lane, Derby (DE24 0GW)
Type: Kennel
Licence: its website states “Licensed by Derby City Council” under the 2018 regulations and shows licence number 098872, with no star rating or expiry. Derby City’s public register is an Excel file our tools couldn’t read, so we couldn’t check the number against it. Ask to see the licence
Website
View on Google Maps
Brookside Boarding Kennels
★★★★★ 4.6 · 93 Google reviews
Hopwell Road, Draycott, near Derby (DE72 3PE)
Type: Kennel
Licence: Erewash Borough Council’s list (read 13 November 2026) shows Brookside Kennels, Draycott, licence 51002, dogs in kennels, 3 star, with no expiry shown. Its website states “Erewash Borough Council Registration Number 51002/23”. The business also boards cats, and we have only described the dog boarding
Website
View on Google Maps
Longcroft Boarding Kennels
★★★★ 4.2 · 88 Google reviews
Staker Lane, Mickleover, Derby (DE3 0DJ)
Type: Kennel
Licence: South Derbyshire District Council’s public register (PDF dated 12 November 2026) lists Longcroft Boarding Kennels and Cattery, Staker Lane, Mickleover, for cat and dog boarding, 3 star, expires 31 December 2028. The register shows no licence number. Its website shows “AW/BOARD/007” and says it is inspected by the local authority without naming the council. The business also boards cats, and we have only described the dog boarding
Website
View on Google Maps
Westmead Kennels
★★★★★ 4.6 · 75 Google reviews
Willington Road, Etwall, near Derby (DE65 6NR)
Type: Kennel
Licence: South Derbyshire District Council’s public register (PDF dated 12 November 2026) lists Westmead Kennels and Cattery, Willington Road, Etwall, for cat and dog boarding, 3 star, expires 31 December 2026, so ask to see the renewed licence. Its website shows “AWA/Board/015” without naming the council. The business also boards cats, and we have only described the dog boarding
Website
View on Google Maps
Seale Pastures Farm and Boarding Kennels
★★★★★ 4.9 · 60 Google reviews
Burton Road, Acresford, near Swadlincote (DE12 8AP)
Type: Kennel
Licence: South Derbyshire District Council’s public register (PDF dated 12 November 2026) lists Seale Pastures Farm Kennels and Cattery, Burton Road, Acresford, for cat and dog boarding, 5 star, expires 12 December 2029. Its website footer says “Licensed With SDDC: AWA/BOARD/023”, using the abbreviation only. The business also boards cats, and we have only described the dog boarding
Website
View on Google Maps
Homefields Kennels
★★★★★ 4.9 · 60 Google reviews
Swarkestone Road, Barrow upon Trent, near Derby (DE73 7HF)
Type: Kennel
Licence: South Derbyshire District Council’s public register (PDF dated 12 November 2026) lists Homefields Kennels and Cattery, Swarkestone Road, Barrow on Trent, for cat and dog boarding, 3 star, expires 31 December 2026, so ask to see the renewed licence. Its website footer quotes “South Derbyshire District Council Boarding License: AWA/0004”. The business also boards cats, and we have only described the dog boarding
Website
View on Google Maps
Hillway Kennels
★★★★ 4.2 · 39 Google reviews
Victoria Avenue, Ockbrook, near Derby (DE72 3RL)
Type: Kennel
Licence: Erewash Borough Council’s list (read 13 November 2026) shows Hillway Kennels, Ockbrook, licence 50768, dogs in kennels, 5 star, with no expiry shown. Google Maps lists it simply as “Hillway”. Its website blocks our reading tools, so we haven’t read it and rely on the council list. The business also boards cats, and we have only described the dog boarding
Website
View on Google Maps
Higher Brookhouse Kennels
★★★★★ 4.9 · 35 Google reviews
Fairfield Road, Buxton (SK17 7HW)
Type: Kennel
Licence: High Peak Borough Council’s public register (updated 30 October 2026) lists Higher Brookhouse Kennels, Fairfield, licence HPK/ABO017, animal boarding establishment, 5 star, with no expiry date. We matched it by name and place. Its website shows no licence statement, so ask to see the licence
Website
View on Google Maps
Waggy Stays Hilton
★★★★★ 4.7 · 27 Google reviews
Hilton, near Derby (DE65)
Type: Home boarding
Licence: South Derbyshire District Council’s public register (PDF dated 12 November 2026) lists Waggy Stays, Hilton, under home boarding for dogs, 5 star, expires 25 April 2029. Its website shows licence number AWA/HBOARD/016 in the holder’s name and names no council. We give the village and outward postcode only because it is a home boarding licence
Also named in our dog daycare guide for Derbyshire, where we could not see a daycare licence
Website
View on Google Maps
Dogs-R-Us
★★★★★ 4.5 · 26 Google reviews
Spondon Road, Dale Abbey, near Ilkeston (DE7 4PQ)
Type: Kennel
Licence: Erewash Borough Council’s list (read 13 November 2026) shows Dogs R Us, Dale Abbey, licence 52570, dogs in kennels, 5 star, with no expiry shown. Its website says the kennels are licensed by Erewash Council and quotes reference 52570/19 and a 5 star rating
Website
View on Google Maps
Ratings and review counts are from Google Maps on 13 November 2026 and come from the public, so we haven’t checked them independently. Register entries are as read on that date and can change, so it is worth checking again before you book. Star ratings are the councils’ own figures and we have not ranked by them. We listed this guide’s fifteen centres, three more than our usual dozen, because Derbyshire is split between nine councils and each of the fifteen has a council record or a number that names its council.
Listings we left out, and why
Heartland at Shardlow (4.8 from 127) is on South Derbyshire’s register but Google Maps shows no website for it. The same goes for Royston Fields Boarding (4.8 from 27, register expiry 18 December 2026), Crowfoot Kennels (4.9 from 37, register expiry 31 December 2026), Julie’s Furballs home boarding (5.0 from 33), Barkingham Palace (4.9 from 36) and Colombine Kennels (5.0 from 28), both on Erewash’s list, and High Farm Boarding Kennels (4.8 from 40) on Chesterfield’s list. Daisy Brook Boarding Kennels (4.7 from 89) is on South Derbyshire’s register, but the website Google Maps gives it is a Facebook page. Dolly Lane Dog Boarding and Daycare in Buxworth is on High Peak’s register as home boarding, but has 7 Google reviews and no website. Woodend Farm Complex (4.8 from 314) is in Huthwaite, Nottinghamshire, so it sits outside the county. Ash Farm Boarding Kennels (4.5 from 83) near Ingleby we couldn’t tie to a register entry, and we didn’t check its website. We left out catteries, franchises and carer networks, and matching platforms. We didn’t have time to check every business on the registers: most of the home boarders on the Chesterfield, High Peak, South Derbyshire and Erewash lists, and kennels such as Clare Kennels, Cosy Kennels and Mount View Kennels in High Peak and Willow Lodge Farm and ADK9 in Chesterfield, weren’t checked, so absence from this guide doesn’t mean absence from the registers. A centre being left out doesn’t mean it is unlicensed. It means we couldn’t tick every box, so ask it.
Other options we could not licence-verify
These seven board dogs, have their own website and a Google Maps listing with at least eight reviews, but we could not see a licence number that names its council or a council record for them. Ratings are from Google Maps on 13 November 2026. We haven’t visited them. Ask each to show its licence, who issued it and when it expires.
C Four Paws – Dog Transport and Dog Boarding Pet Hotel
★★★★★ 4.6 · 345 Google reviews
Deepsick Lane, Chesterfield (S44 5DN)
Type: Kennel
Licence: its website lists kennel opening hours and mentions DEFRA-certified vehicles, but shows no licence number, and it isn’t on Chesterfield’s list because it sits in a neighbouring council area. Ask who licenses it
Website
View on Google Maps
Birchwood Boarding Kennels
★★★★★ 4.9 · 133 Google reviews
Birchwood Lane, Somercotes, near Alfreton (DE55 4NE)
Type: Kennel
Licence: its website says “fully licensed by the local authority, AVBC” but shows no number, and we couldn’t find an Amber Valley register to check it against. Ask for the licence number and expiry
Website
View on Google Maps
Reservoir Doggy Resort and Spa
★★★★★ 5.0 · 76 Google reviews
Asher Lane, Pentrich, near Ripley (DE5 3RD)
Type: Kennel
Licence: its website blocked our reading tools on 13 November 2026, so we couldn’t read a licence statement for boarding, and we found no Amber Valley register. Our daycare guide recorded a licence reference quoted on its site on 12 November, so ask which licence covers boarding
Also offers daycare: see our dog daycare guide for Derbyshire
Website
View on Google Maps
Upperwood Boarding Kennels
★★★★★ 5.0 · 70 Google reviews
Back Lane, Two Dales, near Matlock (DE4 5LP)
Type: Kennel
Licence: its website shows “Licence Number – LN/660” but names no council, and Derbyshire Dales publishes no register we could find. Ask which council issued it and when it expires
Website
View on Google Maps
Fiveacre Boarding Kennels
★★★★★ 4.8 · 62 Google reviews
Chesterfield Road, Duckmanton, near Chesterfield (S44 5HT)
Type: Kennel
Licence: its website shows “Licence Reference Number: 18/14900/ANIMAL” and says the council inspects it every year, but names no council. It isn’t on Chesterfield’s list. Ask which council issued it and when it expires
Website
View on Google Maps
Dog and Spoon
★★★★★ 4.9 · 53 Google reviews
Westhouses, near Alfreton (DE55 5AG)
Type: Kennel
Licence: its website calls it a 5 star dog hotel and links a Bolsover council PDF dated December 2019, but shows no licence number and doesn’t name its licensing council. Ask for the current licence
Website
View on Google Maps
Oaksedge Farm Dog Hotel
★★★★★ 5.0 · 41 Google reviews
Foxholes Lane, Tansley, near Matlock (DE4 5FQ)
Type: Kennel
Licence: its website blocks our reading tools, and Derbyshire Dales publishes no register we could find, so we saw no licence evidence either way. Ask to see the licence
Website
View on Google Maps
How to check a dog boarding licence in Derbyshire
In England, dog boarding run as a business, in kennels or in a home, needs a licence from the local council under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018. The licence holder’s name and number must appear on the business’s website, and a copy must be displayed at the premises. In Derbyshire there is no single council: licensing sits with Amber Valley, Bolsover, Chesterfield, Derbyshire Dales, Erewash, High Peak, North East Derbyshire and South Derbyshire councils, and with Derby City Council for the city. On 13 November 2026 we read Chesterfield’s licensed establishments list, High Peak’s public register, South Derbyshire’s public register and Erewash’s list of licensed premises. The Derby City register is an Excel file our tools couldn’t read, Amber Valley’s licensing registers page has no animal register, we found none for Derbyshire Dales or North East Derbyshire, and we didn’t read Bolsover’s. For anything we couldn’t settle, ask the relevant council’s licensing team. Then ask the centre to show its licence, its number and when it expires, and if the star rating or number differs from the council’s record, ask which is current.
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 Derbyshire: our Derbyshire dog services hub, dog daycare in Derbyshire if your dog only needs the day, dog walkers in Derbyshire for a midday walk, vets in Derbyshire and dog trainers in Derbyshire.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did you choose these Derbyshire dog boarding centres?
We listed centres that appear on a council licence record for dog boarding, or quote a licence number on their own website that names the council, and that have a Google Maps listing with at least eight reviews. We checked on 13 November 2026 and haven’t visited anywhere.
Does dog boarding need a licence in Derbyshire?
In England, boarding dogs as a business, in kennels or in a home, needs a council licence under the 2018 regulations. In Derbyshire that is the district or borough council for the area, or Derby City Council for the city. 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 Derbyshire kennels missing?
We only list centres with a licence record or a number that names its council, their own website and a Google Maps listing with at least eight reviews. Some have good reviews but no website or only a Facebook page, some show no licence evidence we could see, and we didn’t check every business on the registers, so ask any centre directly.
Written by Georgiana & Figo, who prefers his holidays to be properly licensed.
