We found two Derry and Strabane dog boarding centres we could verify: Greenacres Kennels & Cattery near Strabane and Ballypaw Kennels & Cattery near Dunnamanagh. Each has its own website, a Google Maps listing and a named entry on DAERA’s list of licensed boarding establishments. We haven’t visited either. Two more sit under “Other options” because we could not confirm a licence, so ask each one to show it. Boarding is a licensed activity, so ask to see the licence before you book. The centres below also board other animals, but we have said only what concerns dogs.
Dog boarding centres with a website, a licence we could see and a Google Maps listing
Greenacres Kennels & Cattery
★★★★★ 4.7 · 61 Google reviews
Near Strabane (BT82)
Type: Kennel
Licence: DAERA’s list of licensed boarding establishments (released under a freedom of information request, response dated 30 June 2026) includes Greenacres Kennels and Cattery with a licence expiry of 5 January 2027. That list shows only the business name and the expiry date, so we matched it by name and place. Its website shows no licence wording or number, so ask to see the licence, and ask to see the renewed one if you book after that date
Website
View on Google Maps
Ballypaw Kennels & Cattery
★★★★★ 4.9 · 49 Google reviews
Near Dunnamanagh, Strabane (BT82)
Type: Kennel
Licence: its website says “Licensed by DAERA and fully insured” and shows no licence number. DAERA’s list (response dated 30 June 2026) includes Ballypaw Kennels and Cattery with a licence expiry of 19 May 2027, which we matched by name and place. Ask to see the licence and its number
Also offers daycare: see our dog daycare guide for Derry and Strabane
Website
View on Google Maps
The ratings and review counts 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
Sheskin Kennels & Cattery (4.9 from 46 reviews) shows a Derry-area address on Google Maps, but its postcode, BT47 3EL, is in Causeway Coast and Glens on a postcode lookup, outside this area, and we could not find it on DAERA’s list under that name. Furbabies (5.0 from 39) is listed on Google Maps as a day care centre, its website blocks our tools, and we could not find it on DAERA’s list or confirm overnight boarding, so it appears in our dog daycare guide for Derry and Strabane instead. Kee Kennels & Cattery (4.8 from 26) shows no website on Google Maps and we found none. Mullabuoy Kennels (4.9 from 25) is shown as temporarily closed. Peatlands Boarding Kennels is on DAERA’s list with an expiry of 26 May 2027, but it has only 5 Google reviews, under our eight-review minimum. Tatty Paws (12 reviews) and Premier Paws (11) are daycare businesses without a usable website of their own, and Pup In & Play (5 reviews), Furry Tails Dog home boarding (3) and Big L’s Pet sitting (1) are under our eight-review minimum. Riverview ni Kennels (Magherafelt), Drumard Doggy Day Care (Draperstown), Elite Pets Omagh, Doggie Digs (Ballynahinch) and Swillyvalley (in the Republic of Ireland) are outside this area. Rover has no Derry or Strabane dog boarding page we could open, so we did not assess it, and we haven’t listed matching platforms or carer networks. 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 two have a website and a Google Maps listing with at least eight reviews, 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.
Top Dog NI Boarding Kennels and Grooming services
★★★★★ 4.8 · 47 Google reviews
Donemana, Strabane (BT82)
Type: Boarding (type not stated)
Licence: its website offers luxury boarding for dogs and shows no licence wording or number. We could not find Top Dog 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
Website
View on Google Maps
For The Love Of Dawgs
★★★★★ 4.6 · 30 Google reviews
Home boarding, Eglinton area, Londonderry (BT47)
Type: Home boarding (per its website)
Licence: its website describes one-to-one home boarding and shows no licence wording or number. We could not find For The Love Of Dawgs 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 Derry and Strabane
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 Derry and Strabane
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 Derry City and Strabane District Council. 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 establishments that had applied for a new or renewal licence, so we could match by name and place only. A centre missing from it isn’t proven unlicensed. Greenacres shows an expiry of 5 January 2027, so ask to see its renewed licence if you book after that date. 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 Derry and Strabane: our Derry and Strabane dog services hub, dog daycare in Derry and Strabane if your dog only needs the day, dog walkers in Derry and Strabane for a midday walk, vets in Derry and Strabane and dog trainers in Derry and Strabane.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did you choose these Derry and Strabane dog boarding centres?
Each has its own website, a Google Maps listing with at least eight reviews 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 by name and place. We checked Google Maps on 13 November 2026. We haven’t visited, so meet any centre first.
Does dog boarding need a licence in Derry and Strabane?
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 are only two Derry and Strabane centres 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 and place only. Two centres sit under other options because we could not find them on the list, 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.
