We looked at every Belfast dog daycare listing we could find on Google Maps, and we could not verify a licence for any of them, so we are not listing a centre this time. We haven’t visited anywhere. The rules for daycare in Northern Ireland are also less clear than in England, so this page explains what we found and what to ask.
Daycare centres with a website, a licence we could see and a Google Maps listing
None met all four of our tests: its own website, a Google Maps listing, licence evidence we could see, and daytime care for other people’s dogs. Several have good public ratings, but a rating is not a licence, so we have set out below who we checked and what we could and couldn’t see.
Ratings and review counts quoted on this page are from Google Maps on 12 November 2026 and come from the public. We haven’t checked them independently.
Listings we left out, and why
Good Dog Academy NI (4.9 from 125 Google reviews, Flush Road) no longer shows a website on Google Maps and appears to be training, not confirmed as daycare. Nuptails (5.0 from 2 reviews) is a wedding dog-minding business, not daycare. The centres that do offer daycare and have a website but no licence we could see are in the next section, ‘Other options we could not licence-verify’.
The kennels and boarding services in the same search (for example Cranmore Pets Hotel and Whinney Hill Kennels) are boarding businesses, and we did not assess whether they offer daycare. A centre being left out doesn’t mean it is unlicensed. It means we couldn’t see proof, so ask it.
Other options we could not licence-verify
These Belfast centres offer daycare and have their own website and a Google Maps listing, but we could not see a licence number or an official record, so we do not recommend them as verified. Ratings are from Google Maps on 12 November 2026. We have not visited them. Ask each for its licence, who issued it and its expiry date before booking.
Loughview Animal Resort
★★★★★ 5.0 · 221 Google reviews
Its website says it is fully licensed and registered with DAERA, but gives no licence number
Website · View on Google Maps
Johnny’s Doggy Hotel
★★★★★ 5.0 · 105 Google reviews
Its website says it is fully licensed, but gives no licence number, and the site is on a free netlify.app address
Website · View on Google Maps
Dogzone NI
★★★★★ 4.8 · 75 Google reviews
Ballygowan Road. Its website says it is fully licensed, registered and insured, but gives no licence number
Website · View on Google Maps
Dog Days Belfast
★★★★★ 5.0 · 64 Google reviews
Factory Street. Supervised daycare at East Belfast and Newtownabbey, per its website. No licence statement
Website · View on Google Maps
K9ndergarten
★★★★★ 5.0 · 20 Google reviews
Balmoral Link. Daycare only, by appointment, per its website. No licence statement
Website · View on Google Maps
K9 Clubhouse
★★★★★ 5.0 · 20 Google reviews
Newtownabbey area. Offers daycare. No licence stated
Website · View on Google Maps
How to check a daycare licence in Belfast
Northern Ireland has its own rules, and the England daycare licensing regulations do not apply. DAERA’s own page says it licenses boarding kennels, and GOV.UK’s licence finder sends applicants for an animal boarding establishment licence to DAERA, describing it as a business that provides accommodation for other people’s dogs or cats. Neither page mentions day care, and we couldn’t find a public register of licensed centres, so we can’t tell you whether a day-only centre needs one. Belfast City Council’s dog pages that we read cover breeding and guard dog kennels, not boarding or daycare. Ask DAERA directly, and ask the centre what licence it holds, who issued it and when it expires. Also ask how many dogs it takes at once, how dogs are separated, and what happens if your dog needs a vet.
A first day at daycare can be a lot for 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 Belfast: our Belfast dog services hub, dog walkers in Belfast if you only need a midday walk, dog sitters in Belfast, vets in Belfast and dog trainers in Belfast.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did you choose which Belfast dog daycare centres to list?
A centre needs its own website, a Google Maps listing, licence evidence we can see and daytime care for other people’s dogs. None met all four this time, so we list none as verified. Centres that offer daycare and have a website but no licence we could see are in a separate section, ‘Other options we could not licence-verify’, and we do not recommend them as verified. We haven’t visited anywhere.
Does dog daycare need a licence in Belfast?
In Northern Ireland, DAERA licenses boarding kennels. The DAERA and GOV.UK pages we read don’t mention day care, so we can’t say whether day-only care needs a licence. Ask DAERA and the centre.
What should I ask a dog daycare centre?
Ask what licence it holds, who issued it and when it expires, how many dogs attend at once, how dogs are grouped, who is on site, and what happens if a dog is unwell.
Why are some well-reviewed centres missing?
We only list centres where we can see a licence. Some say they are licensed but give no number or licensing body, so we do not list them as verified. They appear in the ‘Other options we could not licence-verify’ section instead.
Written by Georgiana & Figo, who prefers his playdates to be properly licensed.
