We found six County Durham dog daycare centres we could verify: each has its own website, a Google Maps listing and a licence number quoted on that website. We haven’t visited any of them, and Durham County Council doesn’t publish a register we could check the numbers against, so ask to see the licence before you book and treat this as a shortlist to meet.
Daycare centres with a website, a licence we could see and a Google Maps listing
Mighty Mutt House – Durham
★★★★★ 4.9 · 218 Google reviews
Unit 10a, Belmont Industrial Estate, Durham (DH1 1TN)
Licence: its website states licence number LC202504-67045 from Durham County Council, 5 stars, licensed for up to 24 dogs at a time and valid until 23 August 2029
Dog day care, with no hours or prices on the page we read
Website · View on Google Maps
Betty Kisses Day Care and Training Centre
★★★★★ 4.9 · 57 Google reviews
23-24 Nuns Close, South Church Enterprise Park, Bishop Auckland (DL14 6XD)
Licence: its website says “Licenced by Durham County Council” and shows licence number DCC/ADC/067171
Daycare Monday to Friday, 7am to 6pm, per its website. Also a training centre
Website · View on Google Maps
The Barkary – Boarding, Daycare & Grooming
★★★★★ 4.9 · 42 Google reviews
Haggerleazes Farm, Ramshaw, Bishop Auckland (DL14 9SN)
Licence: its website shows licence numbers DCC/ALA/084269 and DCC/DBK/084269 and calls itself a “5 star licensed site”, but doesn’t name the council, so ask which council issued them and what each covers
Doggy daycare is listed as a service, with no hours or prices on the page we read
Also a boarding kennel and groomer
Website · View on Google Maps
Day Care 4 Paws
★★★★★ 4.9 · 27 Google reviews
Unit 5, Derwentdale Industrial Estate, Blackhill, Consett (DH8 8PZ)
Licence: its website says “Licensed Dog Day Care by Durham County Council”, gives licence number DCC/ALA/083829 and states 5 stars
Daycare Monday to Friday, 7.30am to 6.30pm. Full day £25 and half day £15, per its website (prices updated February 2025)
Website · View on Google Maps
Doggy Digs Durham
★★★★★ 5.0 · 12 Google reviews
2 Stargate Close, Langley Park, Durham (DH7 9FW)
Licence: its website says “We are fully licensed with Durham County Council” and gives licence number DCC/DHB/125433. The DHB looks like home boarding, so ask whether the licence covers daycare
Day care or boarding in a family home, 7am to 7pm unless agreed, with day care from £10 for up to four hours and £25 for eight hours or more, per its website
Website · View on Google Maps
Dogs Day Home Limited
★★★★★ 5.0 · 3 Google reviews
Brockwell Court, Willington, Crook (DL15 0UT)
Licence: its website says “We are fully certified by Durham County Council” and gives licence number DCC/DDC/124802
Dog day care on weekdays, 7.30am to 5.30pm, per its website
Only three reviews so far, so weigh that
Website · View on Google Maps
Ratings and review counts 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
Stark Treks in Newton Aycliffe (5.0 from 44), Hounds at home (5.0 from 25), Active Canines (4.9 from 16) and Stonecellar Doggy Daycare and Hotel near Consett (4.6 from 19) are listed as daycare or boarding on Google Maps, but we saw no website for any of them. Best Friends Day Care in Lanchester (4.9 from 14) has no website on Google Maps and its reviews describe an enclosed field rather than daycare. Poppy’s Perfect Pups in Durham (5.0 from 29) has a website listed, but it wouldn’t load for us. Paws ‘N’ The Paddock (5.0 from 7) and Day Care of Dogs (one review) are too thinly reviewed to take further. Skyecroft, Mahon House, Shincliffe Mill, Tendercare, Lanchester Pet Resort and Big Paws K9 appeared in the same searches as boarding kennels, and we didn’t check whether they take day visits. Rover’s County Durham daycare page shows 20 sitter profiles, with the highest at 229 reviews, but it states no licence for any of them and we didn’t open the profiles, 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 County Durham centres offer daycare and have their own website and a Google Maps listing, but we could not see a licence number on their site 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.
Greencroft Dog Day Care
★★★★★ 4.9 · 87 Google reviews
Units 5-7, Willow Way Industrial Estate, Greencroft Industrial Park, Annfield Plain, Stanley (DH9 7DT). Daycare Monday to Friday 7.45am to 6pm and Saturday to 4pm, per its website, which claims “5* Star, Award Winning” but shows no licence number or council. A Consett Magazine report from 5 December 2025 says it was awarded another 5 Star Animal Welfare Licence, but that is a news report, not a council record
Website · View on Google Maps
K9 Pursuits Ltd
★★★★☆ 4.5 · 55 Google reviews
Unit 1 Whitworth Avenue, Newton Aycliffe (DL5 6YN). Its website calls it “a licenced day care and training centre for dogs” but gives no licence number or council
Website · View on Google Maps
Cooper’s Crèche
★★★★★ 4.9 · 36 Google reviews
Unit 32, Enterprise City, Meadowfield Avenue, Spennymoor (DL16 6JF). Lists dog daycare, with price on request, per its website. We found no licence wording on its home, about or services pages
Website · View on Google Maps
Happy Houndzzz
★★★★★ 4.9 · 18 Google reviews
Unit S2, Tursdale Business Park, Tursdale, Durham (DH6 5PG). Describes itself as a family-run doggy daycare and activity centre. The home page we read shows no licence statement
Website · View on Google Maps
How to check a daycare licence in County Durham
In England, dog daycare run as a business needs a licence from the local council under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018. The licence holder’s name and number must appear on the business’s website, and a copy should be displayed at the premises. Here that means Durham County Council, so Darlington and Hartlepool, which have their own councils, aren’t covered. The council’s page on kennels, catteries, dog day care and home boarding licences (checked 12 November 2026) lists a dog day care licence, says each business gets a star rating from one to five that sets how long the licence lasts, and gives Community Protection contact details of ehcp@durham.gov.uk and 03000 261 016. We found no public register or list of licensed premises on it, so we couldn’t check any number against a council record. Ask the centre to show its licence, who issued it and when it expires, or ask the council. Then 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 County Durham: our County Durham dog services hub, dog walkers in County Durham if you only need a midday walk, vets in Durham, dog trainers in County Durham and secure dog fields in County Durham.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did you choose these County Durham dog daycare centres?
Each has its own website, a Google Maps listing and a licence number quoted on that website. Durham County Council doesn’t publish a register we could check, so we couldn’t confirm the numbers. We haven’t visited them, so meet any centre first.
Does dog daycare need a licence in County Durham?
In England, daycare run as a business needs a council licence under the 2018 regulations, and Durham County Council issues them. Ask to see the licence and when it expires.
What should I ask a dog daycare centre?
Ask for the licence, 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 as verified the centres where we could see a licence number on their own website. Some have no website of their own, or say they are licensed without a number, so we left them out. A few with daycare and a website are in the ‘Other options we could not licence-verify’ section instead.
Written by Georgiana & Figo, who prefers his playdates to be properly licensed.
