We could verify six Northamptonshire dog boarding centres: each has its own website, a Google Maps listing and a licence we could see, either a West Northamptonshire licence certificate published on the centre’s own site or a licence number on its site with the council named. Neither of Northamptonshire’s two councils publishes a boarding register we could read, so several well-reviewed kennels are further down as options we could not licence-verify. Two of the six are licensed home boarders. We haven’t visited any of them, so treat this as a shortlist to meet, and ask to see the licence before you book. 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
Harkers Barkers
★★★★★ 4.8 · 148 Google reviews
Corby (NN18)
Licence: its website shows licence number 19/00507/AWBK and says it was awarded a 5 star licence by North Northamptonshire Council licensing. We found no council boarding register for the Corby area to check it against, and the site shows no expiry date, so ask for the licence in date
Kennels
Website · View on Google Maps
Collaton Kennels
★★★★★ 4.7 · 101 Google reviews
West Haddon, near Northampton (NN6)
Licence: the licence certificate published on its website (a PDF, viewed 14 November 2026) is a West Northamptonshire Council animal welfare licence, number LN/200400036, for boarding facilities for dogs and cats, 5 star, in force from 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2027. Its site also says it is rated 5* by Daventry District Council, which was replaced by West Northamptonshire Council in 2021
Kennels. It boards dogs and cats, and we judged it on the dog boarding licence
Website · View on Google Maps
Wooden House Kennels
★★★★★ 4.8 · 79 Google reviews
Braybrooke, near Kettering (LE16)
Licence: its website shows “License No: 18/03353/AWBK”, “Issued by: Kettering Borough Council” and a five star rating, with no expiry date. Kettering Borough Council became part of North Northamptonshire Council in 2021 and we found no register covering it, so ask for the current licence and its expiry date
Kennels. Its website says new clients attend a viewing before bookings are taken
Website · View on Google Maps
Four Seasons Kennels
★★★★★ 4.8 · 30 Google reviews
Raunds, Wellingborough (NN9)
Licence: its website shows “ENDC Licence No. 18/03326/AWCB”. ENDC is East Northamptonshire District Council, which became part of North Northamptonshire Council in 2021. We didn’t find this number on North Northamptonshire’s East Northamptonshire licensing search, and the site shows no expiry date, so ask who issued it, when, and for the licence in date
Kennels. It boards dogs and cats, and we judged it on the licence statement on its site
Website · View on Google Maps
Swinden Doggy Care (home boarding)
★★★★★ 5.0 · 27 Google reviews
Wellingborough (NN8)
Licence: its website says “Licensed by North Northants Council: 25/01692/AWBH”, with no expiry date. We found no register to check it against, so ask for the licence in date
A home boarder, and its website describes 24 hour and overnight stays, so ask where your dog will sleep and who else will be in the house
Website · View on Google Maps
All Paws Home From Home Boarding (home boarding)
★★★★★ 5.0 · 10 Google reviews
Maidwell, near Northampton (NN6)
Licence: its website shows “Fully licensed: LN/2016000027” and a 5 star rating with West Northamptonshire Council, with no expiry date. The number looks like an older reference and isn’t on the West Northamptonshire register we could read, so ask when it was issued and for the licence in date
A home boarder, so ask where your dog will sleep and who else will be in the house. Only 10 reviews so far, so weigh that
Website · View on Google Maps
Ratings and review counts are from Google Maps on 14 November 2026 and come from the public. We haven’t checked them independently. None of the licences above shows an expiry date inside the next 30 days, but only Collaton’s shows one at all (31 December 2027), so always ask to see the licence in date. For home boarders we give the area only.
Listings we left out, and why
Chalkwell Kennels and Cattery (4.5 from 66), Woofstock Kennels (4.8 from 44), Country Kennels (4.7 from 25), Dennetts Boarding Kennels (4.8 from 23), Stonehouse Boarding Kennels (4.4 from 14), Dog Tails Boarding and Walking (5.0 from 21), JollyDogs (5.0 from 24), The Hop on Inn (5.0 from 10), Auntie Pam’s (4.9 from 15) and Fin’s Fat Furry Fluffers (5.0 from 14) show no website on Google Maps, so they don’t meet our own-website rule. Maddie’s Home from Home (4.8 from 13) shows only a Facebook page, although a name that says dog boarding appears on West Northamptonshire’s register (AWL0009, expiring 31 December 2027), and The Little Pooch House (5.0 from 10) was a Facebook-only listing when we checked its daycare entry. Happy Hounds Towcester (5.0 from 60) says its home boarding is for current customers only and shows no licence statement. Hunters Lodge (4.8 from 272) and Rosehill Farm (4.8 from 80) are in Buckinghamshire. Furever Pawfect Pet Care (5.0 from 114), Paragon Pet Care (5.0 from 153) and We Love Pets Wellingborough (5.0 from 15) are walkers and sitters whose sites don’t describe boarding, and Doggies Friend, Cloverleaf Canine Centre and Dog Days Inn show daycare licence numbers, which aren’t boarding evidence. Dennylini’s Dog Hotel, Tracy’s Happy Hounds Home from Home Boarding, Hound Dogs (listed as expiring 18 December 2026) and Bonnie Boarding and Walking Services appear on West Northamptonshire’s register by name, but we found no Google Maps listing with a website and reviews for them. We couldn’t read West Northamptonshire’s star rating file, and we found no boarding list for Kettering, Corby or Wellingborough, so other licensed centres and home boarders may exist. Rover hosts are home sitters rather than centres and we couldn’t search Rover for Northampton, 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 Northamptonshire 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, so we do not recommend them as verified. Ratings are from Google Maps on 14 November 2026. We have not visited them. Ask each for its licence, what it covers, who issued it and its expiry date before booking.
Low Farm
★★★★★ 4.7 · 111 Google reviews
Near Bozeat, Wellingborough (NN29). Its website says “In 2020 we were awarded the highest rating possible boarding license”, with no number or council, and it also mentions day care kennels
Website · View on Google Maps
The Hatch Kennels and Cattery
★★★★★ 4.6 · 104 Google reviews
Brackley (NN13). Its website shows no licence statement or number, and its page mentions a planned closure, so check its dates
Website · View on Google Maps
Denford Edge Boarding Kennels
★★★★★ 4.7 · 98 Google reviews
Thrapston, Kettering (NN14). Its website says “Licensed to board 74 dogs” and “5 star rating received from DEFRA 2019”, but shows no licence number or issuing council, and DEFRA is not a licensing council
Website · View on Google Maps
Hazel Tree Country Boarding Kennels
★★★★★ 4.9 · 84 Google reviews
Great Brington, near Northampton (NN7). Its website says “We are fully licensed and recommended by local vets”, with no number or council
Website · View on Google Maps
Tollgate Kennels and Cattery
★★★★★ 4.7 · 83 Google reviews
Towcester (NN12). Its website footer shows “LN/19940001” with no licence wording and no council named, and says it is rated 5 stars by the local authority, so ask who issued it and when
Website · View on Google Maps
The Settle Boarding Kennels
★★★★★ 4.8 · 76 Google reviews
Finedon, Wellingborough (NN9). Its website says it is “fully licensed and insured” and claims a top rating, but shows no number, council or dates
Website · View on Google Maps
Teddy’s Dog Care
★★★★★ 5.0 · 53 Google reviews
Northampton (NN4). Its website offers home from home boarding for small dogs, but its home page shows no licence number or council. West Northamptonshire’s register lists Teddy’s Dog Care Limited at AWL0045 without stating the activity, and shows it expiring on 25 November 2026, less than two weeks away, so ask which licence covers boarding and whether it has been renewed
Website · View on Google Maps
Brankley Farm Kennels and Cattery
★★★★★ 4.6 · 50 Google reviews
Haselbech, near Northampton (NN6). Its website says it is “accredited as a 5 star boarding establishment”, with no licence number or council
Website · View on Google Maps
Glassthorpe Luxury Dog Hotel
★★★★★ 4.7 · 49 Google reviews
Harpole, Northampton (NN7). Its website shows no licence statement or number
Website · View on Google Maps
Woodside Kennels and Cattery
★★★★★ 4.8 · 41 Google reviews
Clopton, Kettering (NN14). Its website blocks automated readers, so we couldn’t read what it says about licensing
Website · View on Google Maps
Headlands Holiday Home For Dogs
★★★★★ 4.8 · 29 Google reviews
Gayton, Northampton (NN7). Its website footer shows “LN/202300483” with no licence wording and no council named, so ask who issued it and when
Website · View on Google Maps
Furbee Ltd (home boarding)
★★★★★ 5.0 · 13 Google reviews
Weston Favell, Northampton (NN3). Its website describes home dog boarding and says “Fully council licensed”, with no number or council named, and we didn’t find it on West Northamptonshire’s register by name
Website · View on Google Maps
How to check a dog boarding licence in Northamptonshire
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 Northamptonshire there are two councils: West Northamptonshire Council (covering Northampton, Daventry and South Northamptonshire) and North Northamptonshire Council (covering Corby, East Northamptonshire, Kettering and Wellingborough). On 14 November 2026 we read West Northamptonshire’s legacy animal welfare licence register, which lists names, numbers and expiry dates for 21 licences but not the activity or star rating, and North Northamptonshire’s licensing search for the East Northamptonshire area, which showed no boarding licence records. West Northamptonshire says its star rating data will move to its main licensing register from December 2026, and we couldn’t read its current star rating file. We found no boarding list for Kettering, Corby or Wellingborough. For any centre, 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 register, go by the register and ask the centre 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 Northamptonshire: our Northamptonshire dog services hub, dog daycare in Northamptonshire for day visits, dog walkers in Northamptonshire, vets in Northamptonshire and dog trainers in Northamptonshire.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did you choose these Northamptonshire dog boarding kennels?
Each has its own website, a Google Maps listing with at least eight reviews and a licence we could see, either a West Northamptonshire licence certificate on its own site or a licence number on its site with the council named. We checked Google Maps and the council pages on 14 November 2026. We haven’t visited any of them, so meet any centre first.
Does a dog boarding kennel need a licence in Northamptonshire?
In England, boarding run as a business needs a council licence under the 2018 regulations, including home boarding. In Northamptonshire that is West Northamptonshire Council or North Northamptonshire 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 Northamptonshire kennels in a separate section?
We couldn’t read a boarding register for either Northamptonshire council, so a centre is verified only where its own site shows a licence with the council named. Those with a website but no such evidence are in the ‘Other options we could not licence-verify’ section instead.
Written by Georgiana & Figo, who prefers his holidays to be properly licensed.
