We found fourteen Kent dog boarding centres we could verify: each has its own website, a Google Maps listing and a licence we could see, either on a council’s own list, quoted on the centre’s own site, or both. Home boarders are included where they hold a licence, and some centres also board cats, which we judged on their dog licence. We haven’t visited any of them, so treat this as a shortlist to meet. A daycare-only licence isn’t boarding evidence, so we’ve kept the two lists apart. Kent’s councils publish their lists in very different ways, and we say on each card exactly what we could see.
Boarding centres with a website, a licence we could see and a Google Maps listing
Coach Barn Kennels & Cattery
★★★★ 4.4 · 184 Google reviews
High Halstow, Rochester (ME3)
Type: kennel
Licence: Medway Council’s licensing register (read 13 November 2026) lists Coachbarn Kennels & Cattery as a kennel under 25/08633/AL00, 3 star, expiry 30 September 2027. We matched it by name and place. Its website links to licence documents but shows no number in the page text
Boards cats too, and we judged it on its dog licence
Website · View on Google Maps
The Nook Pet Hotel
★★★★ 4.5 · 129 Google reviews
Shorne, Gravesend (DA12)
Type: kennel
Licence: Gravesham Borough Council’s list of licensed animal establishments (read 13 November 2026) lists The Nook Pet Hotel – Kennels under 25/02178/ANIMAL, boarding kennel, 5 star, expiry 31 December 2028. Its website quotes 25/01279/ANIMAL without naming the council, which looks like an older reference, so ask which is current. The register number is 25/02178/ANIMAL
Website · View on Google Maps
Frandham Boarding Kennels & Rehoming Centre
★★★★ 4.6 · 123 Google reviews
Near Dover (CT15)
Type: kennel
Licence: Dover District Council’s animal activity register (read 13 November 2026) lists Frandham Farm Boarding Kennels for boarding dogs and cats, 3 star, expiry 21 November 2027. That register shows no licence numbers. We matched it by name and place, as Google lists it under a slightly different name. Its website shows “LN/000000109” without naming the council
Boards cats too, and we judged it on its dog licence
Website · View on Google Maps
Bowesfield Farm Boarding Kennels & Cattery
★★★★★ 4.7 · 109 Google reviews
Guston, Dover (CT15)
Type: kennel
Licence: Dover District Council’s animal activity register (read 13 November 2026) lists Bowesfield Kennel and Cattery for boarding dogs and cats, 3 star, expiry 28 November 2026. That expiry is only days away, so ask whether the licence has been renewed. The register shows no numbers, and we matched it by name and place. Its website shows “LN/000007188” without naming the council
Boards cats too, and we judged it on its dog licence
Website · View on Google Maps
The Pawfect Pad (home boarding)
★★★★★ 5.0 · 108 Google reviews
Tonbridge and Malling area
Type: home boarding
Licence: its website shows TM/ANIMAL/049 and names Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council. The council’s public register (read 12 November 2026 for our daycare guide) lists TM/ANIMAL/049 for home boarding, 5 star, expiry 28 September 2027
A home boarder, so ask where your dog will sleep and who else will be in the house. Its website also offers daycare, which we have not verified; see our Kent dog daycare guide
Website · View on Google Maps
Pet Lodge
★★★★ 4.6 · 105 Google reviews
Whitstable (CT5)
Type: kennel
Licence: Canterbury City Council’s list of licensed animal boarding businesses (read 13 November 2026) lists Pet Lodge Boarding Kennels as a kennel, 3 star, in the CT5 area. That list shows no licence numbers or expiry dates, and the website page we read shows no number. We matched it by name and place
Website · View on Google Maps
Two Gates Boarding Kennels
★★★★★ 4.8 · 56 Google reviews
Higham, Rochester (ME3)
Type: kennel
Licence: its website shows 25/02146/ANIMAL without naming the council. Gravesham Borough Council’s list (read 13 November 2026) lists Two Gates at Higham under the same number, boarding kennel, 5 star, expiry 31 December 2028
Website · View on Google Maps
Dominy’s Dog Boarding (home boarding)
★★★★★ 5.0 · 47 Google reviews
Sutton at Hone, Dartford (DA4)
Type: home boarding
Licence: its website shows DBC/HB/008/2021 and names Dartford Borough Council, with a 5 star rating. Dartford publishes no list we could read, so we haven’t matched the number to a council record or seen an expiry date. Ask when it expires
A home boarder, so ask where your dog will sleep and who else will be in the house. Its website also offers day care, which we have not verified; see our Kent dog daycare guide
Website · View on Google Maps
Red House Kennel
★★★★★ 4.9 · 45 Google reviews
Shorne, Gravesend (DA12)
Type: kennel
Licence: its website says it is “fully licenced by Gravesham Council” but shows no number. Gravesham Borough Council’s list (read 13 November 2026) lists Red House Kennel at Shorne under 25/02000/ANIMAL, boarding kennel, 3 star, expiry 31 December 2027
Website · View on Google Maps
Handy Pet Services (home boarding)
★★★★★ 4.9 · 35 Google reviews
Sturry, Canterbury (CT2)
Type: home boarding
Licence: its website shows ABOARD/26/00192 and names Canterbury City Council. Canterbury’s list (read 13 November 2026) shows Handy Pets Services under home boarding, 3 star, in the CT2 area, with no numbers or expiry dates
A home boarder, so ask where your dog will sleep and who else will be in the house. Its website also lists dog day care, which we have not verified; see our Kent dog daycare guide
Website · View on Google Maps
Charlie’s Angel Dog Boarding Service (home boarding)
★★★★★ 5.0 · 16 Google reviews
Medway area
Type: home boarding
Licence: Medway Council’s licensing register (read 13 November 2026) lists Charlie’s Angel as a home dog boarder under 26/04452/AL00, 4 star, expiry 17 May 2028. Its website quotes HBD000039 without naming the council, which looks like an older or different reference, so ask which is current. The register number is 26/04452/AL00
A home boarder, so ask where your dog will sleep and who else will be in the house
Website · View on Google Maps
Whitstable Dog Care (home boarding)
★★★★★ 5.0 · 15 Google reviews
Whitstable (CT5)
Type: home boarding
Licence: its website shows ABOARD/25/01133, names Canterbury City Council and calls it a 4-star licence. Canterbury’s list (read 13 November 2026) shows Whitstable Dog Care under home boarding, 4 star, in the CT5 area, with no numbers or expiry dates
A home boarder, so ask where your dog will sleep and who else will be in the house. Its website says boarding is primarily for its regular day-care dogs
Website · View on Google Maps
Dillywoof Retreat
★★★★★ 5.0 · 12 Google reviews
Rochester (ME3)
Type: kennel, per the register’s category
Licence: Medway Council’s licensing register (read 13 November 2026) lists Dillywoof Retreat as a kennel under 25/00522/AL00, 4 star, expiry 20 January 2027. We matched it by name and place, and its website shows no licence number. Its website describes two private boarding lodges. Ask to see the renewed licence when the expiry date comes round
Website · View on Google Maps
Hella’s Happy Hounds (home boarding)
★★★★★ 5.0 · 10 Google reviews
Deal
Type: home boarding
Licence: its website says it holds a 5 star licence from Dover District Council and quotes licence number 56055. Dover’s animal activity register (read 13 November 2026) lists Hella’s Happy Hounds for home boarding of dogs, 5 star, expiry 20 March 2028, but shows no numbers, so we couldn’t compare the number
A home boarder, so ask where your dog will sleep and who else will be in the house
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. Register details are as each council published them on the dates above, and a register star rating or expiry date isn’t proof of today’s standards, so always ask to see the licence in date. For home boarders we give the town or area only.
Listings we left out, and why
Orchard Kennels near Gillingham (4.7 from 194) is on Medway’s register, but its Google listing shows no website. Queensdown Boarding Kennels at Birchington (4.9 from 101), Highlands Dog Boarding Hotel near Maidstone (5.0 from 56) and Parsley and Pals (4.9 from 36) show no website we could use either. Hearts Delight Kennels (4.9 from 56) and Animal Inn (4.1 from 103) are on Dover’s register with expiry dates of 13 March 2026, which have passed, so we left them out, as we did Dover home boarders whose listed expiry dates have passed. Kylemore Boarding Kennels (4.5 from 15) is on Canterbury’s list, but its website address showed an unrelated gambling information site when we checked, so we couldn’t use it. K9 Kindergarten (4.1 from 36) is on Canterbury’s list as home boarding, but its website describes daycare, walks and training and doesn’t mention boarding. Pets Fayre (4.9 from 96) offers small animal boarding, and Pond Farm Kennels (4.5 from 97) is in Sidcup, which is Greater London rather than Kent. One 2 One in Medway (5.0 from 10) shows an expiry of 12 June 2026 on Medway’s register. A few home boarders have fewer than eight Google reviews, and Whitstable Pet Sitting has a Facebook page rather than a website. We left out PetStay and We Love Pets, which are franchises or carer networks, the licensed catteries, and daycare-only businesses such as Doggy Base. We didn’t examine every Kent boarding business, so this list isn’t exhaustive. Rover hosts are home sitters rather than centres, 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 Kent boarding businesses have their own websites and at least eight Google reviews, but we could not see a licence we could tie to them, so we do not recommend them as verified. Ratings are from Google Maps on 13 November 2026, and we have not visited them. Ask each for its licence, who issued it and its expiry date before booking. We did not need to move any verified centre here to stay within our cap.
Canada Farm Holidays for Dogs & Cats
★★★★★ 4.8 · 139 Google reviews
South Darenth, Dartford (DA4)
Its website shows 24/01378 without naming a council. Sevenoaks’ only list is dated April 2024 and has an older entry for Canada Farm Kennels under a different number, so we can’t match it
Website · View on Google Maps
Manston Kennels
★★★★ 4.5 · 131 Google reviews
Margate (CT9)
Its website shows no licence number or council, and we couldn’t read Thanet’s register
Website · View on Google Maps
Bed & Biscuits
★★★★★ 4.7 · 129 Google reviews
Crockenhill, near Swanley (BR8)
Its website says it is “fully licenced by SDC” and shows 22/00932/ANINSP/S and 22/01074/ANANSP/S. It doesn’t spell out SDC. Sevenoaks’ April 2024 list shows 22/00932 for kennels with an expiry of 24 April 2025, which has passed, and there is no current list, so ask who issued the licences and when they expire. It also offers daycare, which we cover in our Kent dog daycare guide
Website · View on Google Maps
Beaux Aires Boarding Kennels & Cattery
★★★★★ 4.9 · 120 Google reviews
Stockbury, near Sittingbourne (ME9)
Its Google website address redirects to kentkennels.co.uk, which shows no licence number. Swale publishes no list we could find
Website · View on Google Maps
East Dean Kennels & Cattery
★★★★★ 4.7 · 83 Google reviews
Headcorn, near Ashford (TN27)
Its website shows no licence number or council
Website · View on Google Maps
Quality Pet Care
★★★★★ 4.8 · 76 Google reviews
Gravesend (DA11), serving Gravesham, Medway and Dartford
Its website shows no licence number. Medway’s register lists a Quality Pet Care as a home dog boarder (4 star, expiry 10 February 2027), but Google puts the business in Gravesend, so we can’t tie that entry to it. Ask which council licensed the home where your dog would stay
Website · View on Google Maps
Ransley Kennels & Cattery
★★★★ 4.6 · 62 Google reviews
Mersham, Ashford (TN25)
Its website says it is “inspected and licensed by Ashford Borough Council” but shows no number, and we couldn’t read Ashford’s register
Website · View on Google Maps
Haven Boarding Kennels & Cattery
★★★★ 4.5 · 54 Google reviews
Ashford (TN25)
Its website shows no licence number or council, and we couldn’t read Ashford’s register
Website · View on Google Maps
How to check a dog boarding licence in Kent
In England, dog boarding run as a business needs a licence from the local council under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018, whether it’s kennels or home boarding. The licence holder’s name and number should appear on the business’s website, and a copy should be displayed at the premises. In Kent licensing sits with thirteen councils: Ashford, Canterbury, Dartford, Dover, Folkestone and Hythe, Gravesham, Maidstone, Medway, Sevenoaks, Swale, Thanet, Tonbridge and Malling, and Tunbridge Wells. On 13 November 2026 we read Canterbury’s list of licensed animal boarding businesses (activity, star rating and part postcode only), Gravesham’s list of licensed animal establishments, Dover’s animal activity register (no numbers) and Medway’s animal licensing register. We reused our 12 November reading of Tonbridge and Malling’s public register. Sevenoaks only publishes a star-rating list dated April 2024, which is out of date. We couldn’t read Thanet’s register (an empty sheet), Maidstone’s (no data came back), Tunbridge Wells’ (our tool is blocked from it), Folkestone and Hythe, Swale or Dartford (no list), and we didn’t retry Ashford’s. For a business in one of those areas, email the council’s licensing team and ask to see the licence. If the number on a website differs from the register, ask which is current.
What to ask before you book
Ask to see the licence, its number and its expiry date. Ask how many dogs are boarded at once, whether your dog will have their own kennel or room, who is on site overnight, how often dogs are walked or let out, and what happens if your dog is unwell, including which vet the centre uses. Check what vaccinations it asks for, which may include kennel cough, and read our guide to kennel cough in dogs. Ask for a visit first and whether your dog can have a trial stay. For home boarders, ask where your dog will sleep, who else lives there and whether other dogs stay at the same time.
A kennel stay can unsettle a sensitive dog. 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 Kent: our Kent dog services hub, dog daycare in Kent for day visits, dog walkers in Kent, vets in Kent, dog trainers in Kent and secure dog fields in Kent.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did you choose these Kent dog boarding kennels?
Each has its own website, a Google Maps listing and a licence we could see, either on a council’s list or quoted by number on its own site. We checked Google Maps and the council lists on 13 November 2026. We haven’t visited any of them, so meet any centre first.
Does a dog boarding kennel need a licence in Kent?
In England, boarding run as a business needs a council licence under the 2018 regulations, including home boarding. In Kent that is the district, borough or unitary council where the business is based. Ask to see the licence, its number and its expiry date.
What should I ask a boarding kennel before booking?
Ask for the licence, how many dogs stay at once, whether your dog has their own kennel, who is on site overnight, and what happens if a dog is unwell. Ask to visit first.
Why are some well-reviewed kennels missing?
We only list as verified the centres where we could see a licence and that have their own website. Some have no website, some licences have expired, and several Kent councils publish no register we could read. Eight centres with a website but no licence we could see are in the ‘Other options we could not licence-verify’ section.
Written by Georgiana & Figo, who prefers his holidays to be properly licensed.
