We found four Cumbria dog daycare centres we could verify: each has its own website, a Google Maps listing and a licence number we could see, quoted on its own site, and one is also on a Cumberland Council list. Cumbria is now covered by two councils, Cumberland and Westmorland and Furness, and we couldn’t cross-check most numbers against a council register. We haven’t visited any of them, 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
Allisons Kennels
★★★★★ 4.9 · 92 Google reviews
The Lodge, Brockham Wood, Crackenthorpe, near Appleby-in-Westmorland (CA16 6ED)
Licence: its website states a Day Care Licence, 003559/25, and a 5 star rating from Westmorland & Furness Council. We couldn’t check it against a council register
Day boarding 7am to 6pm, from £28 a day for one dog, per its website. Also a boarding kennel
View on Google Maps
Top Dog
★★★★★ 4.9 · 69 Google reviews
Willowholme Industrial Estate, Site 21, Willow Holme Road, Carlisle (CA2 5RT)
Licence: Cumberland Council’s Carlisle area animal boarding list (last updated 12 October 2026) lists Top Dog, CA2 5RT, as Boarding – Day Boarding (licence M 9108, 5 star, expires 2 August 2028). Its website states licence M:009108 and says it is licensed by Carlisle City Council
Daycare Monday to Friday, 8am to 5.30pm, from £17 a dog, per its website
View on Google Maps
Wagging Tails Home Dog Boarding
★★★★★ 5.0 · 39 Google reviews
Old Farmhouse, Murton, near Appleby-in-Westmorland (CA16 6ND)
Licence: its website states “Licence No: 003614/25” (it doesn’t name the council or a star rating). We couldn’t check it against a council register
Doggy day care, per its website, which gives no hours or prices. Also home boarding
View on Google Maps
Taylor Made Doggy Daycare
★★★★★ 5.0 · 21 Google reviews
The Meadow, Skelsmergh, near Kendal (LA8 9AS)
Licence: its website states “License from the SLDC (DDC044196)”. SLDC looks like South Lakeland District Council, which is now part of Westmorland and Furness Council, but the site doesn’t spell it out. We couldn’t check it against a council register
Daycare Monday to Friday, drop-off 9am to 10.30am and pick-up 4pm to 5pm, closed on bank holidays, per its 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. Apart from Top Dog, the licence lines show only what each centre’s website says, so ask the centre to show its licence and which council issued it.
Listings we left out, and why
Roanhead Kennels and Daycare near Barrow (4.8 from 34) shows no website on Google Maps, and South Lakes Kennels and Day Care near Ulverston (4.9 from 41) links only a Facebook page, so both miss our website test. Pawprints Pet Boarding in Harrington (4.8 from 133), Wuf Boarding Kennels near Workington (4.9 from 38) and Solway Dog Home Boarding and Daycare near Wigton (5.0 from 34) have websites that blocked or wouldn’t open for our tools, so we couldn’t see a licence or confirm daycare. Wuf appears on Cumberland Council’s Copeland area boarding list (3 star, expires 11 September 2027), but the list doesn’t say whether that covers day care. Woofs and Wags near Frizington (5.0 from 17) offers daycare per its website, which shows no licence on the page we read. Flatt Farm Boarding Kennels near Kendal (4.8 from 66) shows licence DDC040991 and a 5 star award, but the pages we read describe boarding and its A Doggy’s Day page is a boarding schedule. Lindeth Kennels near Ulverston (4.9 from 41) and The Whitehouse Boarding Kennels in Cleator (5.0 from 43) are licensed boarding kennels whose pages don’t clearly offer daycare. Fingland Pet Hotel near Wigton (4.8 from 52) shows an Allerdale Borough Council licence number, but it describes boarding only, and Allerdale Borough Council no longer exists. Cumbria Dog Services in Penrith (4.9 from 34) showed a suspension notice from its web host when we looked, and Utopia Boardings near Whitehaven (5.0 from 38) wouldn’t load for us. The Dog Room in Cockermouth (4.9 from 35) and Roundhills Bespoke Boarding Kennels near Ulverston (4.5 from 56) show no website, and Doggy Den Day Care in Kendal shows no rating or website. Dog walkers, groomers and other kennels came up in the same searches, but boarding alone is not daycare. Rover hosts are home sitters rather than centres, and the Rover pages wouldn’t load for our tools, 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
This Cumbria centre offers daycare and has its own website and a Google Maps listing, but we could not confirm a current licence, so we do not recommend it as verified. The rating is from Google Maps on 12 November 2026. We have not visited it. Ask it for its licence, who issued it and its expiry date before booking.
Grassgarth Boarding Kennels
★★★★★ 4.9 · 98 Google reviews
Grassgarth, Lyth, near Kendal (LA8 8DG). Its website lists Doggy Day Care and quotes “Cumbria County Council Animal Welfare Licence No. AB026” and a five star award, but Cumbria County Council was replaced by Cumberland and Westmorland and Furness in April 2023, so we couldn’t tell the licence is current. Daycare drop-off is 9am to 11am, with a second slot from 4pm to 6pm on most days, per its website
Website · View on Google Maps
How to check a daycare licence in Cumbria
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 must be displayed at the premises. Cumbria is split between two councils, so ask the one for the centre’s postcode. Cumberland Council covers Allerdale, Carlisle and Copeland. Its animal boarding page says day care for dogs needs a licence, and it publishes boarding lists as PDFs: the Carlisle area list (updated 12 October 2026) and the Copeland area list (updated 17 February 2026), both showing postcodes rather than addresses. The Copeland list doesn’t separate day care from boarding, and we found no Allerdale list, so for Allerdale ask Environmental Health at Allerdale House, Workington (CA14 3YJ). Westmorland and Furness Council covers Barrow-in-Furness, Eden and South Lakeland. Its boarding page says daytime accommodation for dogs needs a licence and lists the licensing teams: Barrow and South Lakeland on 0300 373 3300, and Eden on 01768 212491. It links online licensing registers for each of the three areas, but they are search forms our tools couldn’t use, so we haven’t checked any centre against them. Ask the centre to show its licence, 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 Cumbria: our Cumbria dog services hub, dog walkers in Cumbria if you only need a midday walk, vets in Cumbria, dog trainers in Cumbria and secure dog fields in Cumbria.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did you choose these Cumbria dog daycare centres?
Each has its own website, a Google Maps listing, daytime care and a licence number we could see on its site. One, Top Dog, is also on a Cumberland Council list. We couldn’t cross-check the others against a council register, and we haven’t visited, so meet any centre first.
Does dog daycare need a licence in Cumbria?
In England, daycare run as a business needs a council licence under the 2018 regulations. In Cumbria that is Cumberland Council (Allerdale, Carlisle and Copeland) or Westmorland and Furness Council (Barrow, Eden and South Lakeland). Ask to see the licence and which council issued it.
What should I ask a dog daycare centre?
Ask for the licence and its expiry date, 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 and that clearly offer daycare. Some are kennels whose pages mention only boarding, some link only a Facebook page, and some websites wouldn’t open for our tools. One with daycare and a website is in the ‘Other options we could not licence-verify’ section instead.
Written by Georgiana & Figo, who prefers his playdates to be properly licensed.
