We found six South Yorkshire dog daycare centres we could verify: each has its own website, a Google Maps listing and a licence we could see, either on a council register or quoted by number on the centre’s own site. We haven’t visited any of them. Daycare is a licensed activity, 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
dogs inc. Ltd, Sheffield
★★★★★ 4.8 · 164 Google reviews
Sheffield
Licence: its website shows AW_AB0012 and says “Awarded by Sheffield City Council”, with a five-star rating. Sheffield’s public system wasn’t usable, so ask for the expiry date
Monday to Friday 6.30am to 7pm and Saturday 7am to 6pm, per its website
View on Google Maps
Paws to Play, Sheffield
★★★★★ 4.7 · 127 Google reviews
Sheffield
Licence: its website says “Fully Licensed (Licence No AW_AB0058)” and “Rated 5 stars by Sheffield City Council”. Ask for the expiry date
Monday to Friday 7am to 7pm, per its website
View on Google Maps
Longmeadow Pet Hotel Limited
★★★★★ 4.9 · 90 Google reviews
Thorne, Doncaster (DN8)
Licence: its website shows LN/000004172 with no council named. Doncaster’s register is a spreadsheet we couldn’t read, so ask who issued it and when it expires
Day boarding Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm, per its website
View on Google Maps
Forest Dogs Land
★★★★★ 5.0 · 18 Google reviews
Sheffield
Licence: its website shows AW_AB0049 from Sheffield City Council for “Home Boarding and Day Care”. Ask for the expiry date. It is home-based, so we give the town only
View on Google Maps
Doggy Day Academy
★★★★★ 5.0 · 17 Google reviews
Barnsley area (S73)
Licence: its website shows licence 055036 from “Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council” with five stars, although Google Maps places it in the Barnsley area. Ask which council licenses this site and when it expires
View on Google Maps
The Social Dog Daycare, Kelham Island
★★★★★ 5.0 · 16 Google reviews
Kelham Island, Sheffield
Licence: its website shows AW_AB0091 and names Sheffield Council. Ask for the expiry date
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
Barnsley’s register lists two Home Boarding and Day Care entries (Bark Green Fetch and Stay, expiring 31 August 2027, and The Yard Lazy Bones, expiring 31 May 2027), but we couldn’t match either to a Google Maps listing with a website. Heno’s House has no website. Dogsville Daycare in the S63 area (5.0 from 16) shows no licence. Wilds About Dogs doesn’t show daycare. Klass Dog Services, Ready Freddy and Barnsley Pet Care are home boarders or have no usable site. Brinsworth Boarding Kennels is a kennel. Meadowbank Farm and Poppies K9 have too few reviews (6 and 4). Doggi Divas and Hannah’s Happy Hounds we couldn’t check further. Frenchie & Friends Daycare & Boarding is on Barnsley’s list as home boarding with a licence that expired on 31 May 2026. We didn’t assess Rover hosts. 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 South Yorkshire businesses offer daycare and have their own website and a Google Maps listing, but the licence we could see is a home-boarding or boarding licence, or none we could tie to daycare, 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, what it covers, who issued it and its expiry date before booking.
Chaiquinta Pet Hotel
★★★★★ 4.6 · 327 Google reviews
Thorne, Doncaster (DN7)
Its website says it is “fully licensed” but shows no number or council. Ask for the licence and what it covers
Website · View on Google Maps
Springvale Canine Creche Ltd
★★★★★ 4.5 · 59 Google reviews
Rotherham
Its website describes a five-star licence and links a licence document, which we didn’t read. Ask for the number and expiry date
Website · View on Google Maps
Jake’s Play & Stay
★★★★★ 4.9 · 28 Google reviews
Woodlands, Doncaster (DN6)
Its website says “Licensed and regulated by DMBC for home boarding, Daycare and Dog walking” with no number. Doncaster’s register is a spreadsheet we couldn’t read, so ask for the licence number and expiry date
Website · View on Google Maps
How to check a daycare licence in South Yorkshire
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. South Yorkshire has four licensing councils: Sheffield, Rotherham, Doncaster and Barnsley. Barnsley publishes an animal health licences page, which we read on 12 November 2026. We couldn’t read Sheffield’s, Rotherham’s or Doncaster’s registers, so most centres here rely on a number quoted on their own site. The stars are the council’s own optional rating. Ask each centre to show its licence, number and expiry date, or contact the council’s licensing team, 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 South Yorkshire: our South Yorkshire dog services hub, dog walkers in South Yorkshire if you only need a midday walk, vets in Yorkshire, secure dog fields in South Yorkshire and dog sitters in Sheffield.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did you choose these South Yorkshire dog daycare centres?
Each has its own website, a Google Maps listing and a licence we could see, either on a council register or quoted by number on its own site. We checked Google Maps on 12 November 2026 and read every council register we could open. We haven’t visited any of them, so meet any centre first.
Does dog daycare need a licence in South Yorkshire?
In England, daycare run as a business needs a council licence under the 2018 regulations. In South Yorkshire that is Sheffield, Rotherham, Doncaster or Barnsley council, depending on where the centre is. Ask to see the licence, its number and its expiry date.
What should I ask a dog daycare centre?
Ask for the licence, its number and 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 and that clearly offer daycare. Some have too few reviews, only a Facebook page or no website, and three of the four councils had no register we could read, so we relied on numbers quoted on the centres’ own sites. Businesses with only a home-boarding or kennel licence, or no licence we could see, are in the ‘Other options we could not licence-verify’ section instead.
Written by Georgiana & Figo, who prefers his playdates to be properly licensed.
