We could verify three Merseyside dog boarding centres: each has its own website, a Google Maps listing and a licence we could see, either on Liverpool City Council’s published list or quoted on the centre’s own site with the council named. Merseyside has five licensing councils, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral, as in our Merseyside daycare guide, and only Liverpool publishes a list we could read, so many well-reviewed kennels appear further down as options we could not licence-verify. 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.
Boarding centres with a website, a licence we could see and a Google Maps listing
Ivy Boarding Kennels and Cattery
★★★★★ 4.7 · 239 Google reviews
Storeton, Wirral (CH63)
Licence: its website shows “Licenced by Wirral Council #361294”. Wirral doesn’t publish a list of animal activity licences, so we couldn’t cross-check it. Ask when it expires
Boards dogs and cats, and we judged it on the licence statement on its site
Website · View on Google Maps
Never Lonely Dog Boarding (home boarding)
★★★★★ 5.0 · 33 Google reviews
Liverpool (L27)
Licence: Liverpool City Council’s licensed operators list (undated, no expiry dates) shows Never Lonely at L27 as a dog home boarder under LCC/AAL52, 5 star. We matched it by name and postcode area. Its website blocks automated readers, so we couldn’t read what it says about licensing
A home boarder, so ask where your dog will sleep and who else will be in the house
Website · View on Google Maps
Parkside Dog Retreat (home boarding)
★★★★★ 5.0 · 14 Google reviews
Liverpool (L12)
Licence: Liverpool City Council’s licensed operators list (undated, no expiry dates) shows Parkside Dog Retreat as a dog home boarder under LCC/AAL61, 5 star, with the postcode L11, while Google places it at L12. This is a name-only match, so ask the business to confirm the licence covers its address. Its website blocks automated readers, so we couldn’t read what it says about licensing
A home boarder, so ask where your dog will sleep and who else will be in the house. Only 14 reviews so far, so weigh that
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. Liverpool’s list is undated and has no expiry dates, and a star rating or number isn’t proof of today’s standards, so always ask to see the licence in date. For home boarders we give the area only.
Listings we left out, and why
Brookhouse Farmhouse Dog Boarding Kennels in Bootle (4.6 from 139), Posh Dogz Luxury Dog Hotel (4.9 from 99), Tatlock Farm Dog Hotel in Formby (4.9 from 33) and Kate’s Doggy Boutique (4.7 from 15) show no website on Google, so we left them out. Several well-reviewed kennels that come up in Merseyside searches are over the boundary: Clock Face Boarding Kennels (Widnes), Rose Tree Farm (Warrington), Carr Moss Kennels and Cattery (Halsall) and Meresands Kennels and Cattery (Rufford) are outside the five boroughs, as are Glenbrittle Kennels and Wynnestay Kennels in Neston and Birchwood Kennels at Sealand. Birkenhead Kennels is a rescue charity’s site, and the website Google lists for Scamps Kennels is a livery yard’s page that doesn’t mention dogs or a licence. The Pawfect Retreat in Hightown holds a daycare and day boarding licence rather than anything we could confirm for overnight stays. Happy Doggy Home Boarding has only three Google reviews, and we didn’t assess Canine Lodge Wirral, Dynamic Dog Walking and Boarding, The Warren, or the many home boarders on Liverpool’s list that came up with no website. We couldn’t read a Wirral, Sefton, St Helens or Knowsley register, and our Rover pages didn’t load, so this list is not exhaustive. 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 Merseyside boarding centres have their own website and a Google Maps listing, but we could not see a licence number with the issuing council named, or an official record that clearly covers dog boarding at that address, so we do not recommend them as verified. Ratings are from Google Maps on 13 November 2026. We have not visited them. Ask each for its licence, what it covers, who issued it and its expiry date before booking.
Greenfields Kennels, Cattery and Pet Shop
★★★★★ 4.8 · 216 Google reviews
Meols, Wirral (CH47). Its website footer shows “License number: 361295” without naming a council, and Wirral publishes no list to check it against
Website · View on Google Maps
Love Ur Dog
★★★★★ 4.7 · 200 Google reviews
Prenton, Wirral (CH43). Its website offers hotel stays with a furnished room for each dog but shows no licence number or council
Website · View on Google Maps
Park Cottage Boarding Kennels
★★★★★ 4.9 · 124 Google reviews
St Helens (WA9). Its website shows “Licence Number – AB072” without naming the council, and we found no St Helens register to check it against
Website · View on Google Maps
Lord Sefton Dog Boarding Kennels
★★★★★ 4.7 · 122 Google reviews
Formby (L37). Its website shows no licence number or council, and we couldn’t read Sefton’s register
Website · View on Google Maps
Keepers Cottage Boarding Kennels
★★★★★ 5.0 · 106 Google reviews
Knowsley, Prescot (L34). Its website shows an animal activity licence reference, 24/10925/ANBOAR, without naming the council, and we found no Knowsley register
Website · View on Google Maps
Fernilea Boarding Kennels
★★★★★ 4.9 · 82 Google reviews
Formby (L37). Its website says “5 star licensed kennels” but shows no number or council, and we couldn’t read Sefton’s register
Website · View on Google Maps
Nursery Farm Kennels
★★★★★ 4.9 · 75 Google reviews
Knowsley, Prescot (L34). Its website says it was awarded five stars by the local authority but names no authority or number, and we found no Knowsley register
Website · View on Google Maps
Formby Boarding Kennels and Cattery
★★★★★ 4.8 · 53 Google reviews
Formby (L37). Its website doesn’t mention dogs or licensing in the text we could read, and we couldn’t read Sefton’s register
Website · View on Google Maps
The Doghouse Dog Day Care Liverpool
★★★★★ 4.9 · 39 Google reviews
Speke, Liverpool (L24). Liverpool’s list shows a business called The Dog House at L25 under kennel boarding and dog day care (LCC/AAL71, 4 star), but the postcode differs from Google’s, and its website shows no number, so we couldn’t confirm it is the same business
Website · View on Google Maps
Windlegrey Top Dog Boarding Kennels
★★★★ 4.6 · 32 Google reviews
St Helens (WA10). Its website offers boarding but shows no licence number or council, and Google’s website address redirects to a different domain
Website · View on Google Maps
How to check a dog boarding licence in Merseyside
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 Merseyside licensing sits with five councils: Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral. On 13 November 2026 we read Liverpool City Council’s licensed operators list, which shows numbers and star ratings but is undated and has no expiry dates. Wirral publishes no list, and we found no public register for Sefton, St Helens or Knowsley, so for a centre in those areas, ask the council’s licensing team to confirm the licence, or ask the centre to show you the licence and its expiry date. If a number on a website differs from a council list, 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 day. 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 Merseyside: our Merseyside dog services hub, dog daycare in Merseyside for day visits, dog walkers in Merseyside, vets in Merseyside, dog trainers in Merseyside and secure dog fields in Merseyside.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did you choose these Merseyside dog boarding kennels?
Each has its own website, a Google Maps listing with at least eight reviews and a licence we could see, either on Liverpool City Council’s list or quoted on its own site with the council named. We checked Google Maps and the council list 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 Merseyside?
In England, boarding run as a business needs a council licence under the 2018 regulations, including home boarding. In Merseyside that is Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens or Wirral council. 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. Only Liverpool publishes a list we could read, and several kennels show no licence number with a council named. Those with a website are in the ‘Other options we could not licence-verify’ section instead.
Written by Georgiana & Figo, who prefers his holidays to be properly licensed.
