We understand that leaving your pet with us is a big decision and you are likely to have questions to ask us.
We have created a list of FAQs but feel free to contact us if you have a question that we have not covered below.
How much does it cost for dogs to board per day?
We offer two levels of boarding kennels – standard and premium.
Both are comfortable for your dog/s but our premium kennel block has been newly built and offers larger kennel spaces.
Standard
Our daily rate is £28 per dog in our standard single / sharer. This includes heating. Two dogs sharing receive 10% discount.
Premium
Our daily rate is £32 per dog in our premium single / sharer. This includes heating. Two dogs sharing receive 10% discount.
Please note that we also have a £15 per pet per bank holiday supplement.
Bank Holidays include:
- Good Friday (open for drop off/collections 9am until 11am only)
- Easter Monday (open for drop off/collections 9am until 11am only)
- Early May Bank Holiday Monday (ppen for drop off/collections 9am until 11am only)
- Spring Bank Holiday Monday (open for drop off/collections 9am until 11am only)
- Summer Bank Holiday Monday (open for drop off/collections 9am until 11am only)
- Christmas Day (CLOSED to the PUBLIC for drop offs/collections/viewings)
- Boxing Day (CLOSED to the PUBLIC for drop offs/collections/viewings)
- New Years Day (CLOSED to the PUBLIC for drop offs/collections/viewings)
How much does it cost for cats to board per day?
Our daily rate is £17.00 per cat. This includes heating. Two cats sharing receive 10% discount.
Please note that we also have a £15 per pet per bank holiday supplement.
Bank Holidays include:
- Good Friday (open for drop off/collections 9am until 11am only)
- Easter Monday (open for drop off/collections 9am until 11am only)
- Early May Bank Holiday Monday (open for drop off/collections 9am until 11am only)
- Spring Bank Holiday Monday (open for drop off/collections 9am until 11am only)
- Summer Bank Holiday Monday (open for drop off/collections 9am until 11am only)
- Christmas Day (CLOSED to the PUBLIC for drop offs/collections/viewings)
- Boxing Day (CLOSED to the PUBLIC for drop offs/collections/viewings)
- New Years Day (CLOSED to the PUBLIC for drop offs/collections/viewings)
Can i pay by card?
Yes you can! We have a card machine so can accept payment by card but can also accept cash if you prefer.
What vaccinations are required for dogs?
For the safety of all our guests, dogs must be fully up to date with their annual booster vaccination and kennel cough vaccination before their boarding date.
Kennel cough timing requirements:
- Oral: at least 4 weeks before boarding
- Nasal: at least 2 weeks before boarding
- Injection: at least 4 weeks before boarding
We cannot accept your dog/s if either of these vaccinations expire before or during their stay with us.
Important:
Please bring your dog’s up-to-date vaccination records with you on their boarding date. Failing to bring their up-to-date vaccination records will mean we cannot accept your dog/s and you will not receive a refund of your deposit.
What vaccinations are required for cats?
Cats must be fully up to date with their annual booster vaccination before their boarding date and this must remain valid for the duration of their stay.
If your kitten has needed a restart vaccination or is having kitten vaccinations, please be aware the full course of vaccinations would need to have been administered by a vet within the normal time restrictions. They must have had both vaccinations a minimum of two weeks prior to staying with us.
Important:
Please bring you cat/s vaccination records on their boarding day – failure to do so will mean that we cannot accept them and you will not receive a refund of your deposit.
What do you provide, and what can I bring?
Bedding & Toys
You’re welcome to bring one blanket and one favourite toy per pet to help them feel at home. Please note we can’t be responsible for items if they become lost or damaged.
For Cats: Food and Supplies:
We provide bedding, bowls and litter trays. We provide chicken and rice dry food and Felix wet/jelly pouches. You are welcome to bring your pets own food, toys and bedding.
For Dogs: Food and Supplies:
We provide our own dry food (chicken and rice biscuits). We no longer supply wet/tinned food. If your dog/s has a mix of dry and wet, we can mix our dry with your provided tinned/wet food.
You are welcome to bring your dogs own wet/dry/raw food if your dog has a more sensitive stomach or is very fussy. We require that if you do bring your pets own dry food, it is bagged up (such as in plastic sandwich bags, etc) into set meals for each day.
We cannot accept your dogs food if it is brought in its original sack/pack as it creates a higher risk of attracting pests having open sacks, and this is also to control your pets weight while they board with us.
If you bring your dogs food in the original sack, and no food has been portioned, we cannot take your dogs food, they can either be on our own food we provide instead or we cannot accept your dog. You can bring any tinned cans/pouches as they are.
We can store raw food – please portion this also in tupperware for each meal if the food isn’t already portioned.
Can you give my pet medication?
Yes we can but we need you to state on paper what the medication is for and how often it is required per day. Additionally, if your pet struggles to take medication, please provide food such as cheese/ham/squeezy cheese, etc for them to take it with the medication for ease.
Please note that we do not accept pets who require insulin.
Recent surgery must be discussed with a member of staff to see if we are happy to have them / new medication must be discussed with kennels etc before boarding.
What are your opening hours?
Our normal opening hours are as listed below but feel free to call us on 01622 730 535 if you want to double check or have a question.
Monday – Saturday
9:00am – 11am and 1.00pm – 4.30pm
Sunday
10:00am – 2:00pm
Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day
Open to boarders, closed to the public
Christmas Eve, Good Friday, Easter Sunday and bank holidays
9:00am – 11:00am
What is your cancellation policy?
We understand plans can change. Our cancellation policy is as follows:
If you cancel with more than 7 days’ notice to the start date of the booking, we keep £25 as a cancellation fee (kennel or cattery) and the remaining money can be refunded or applied to credit. The £25 fee is non transferrable to another booking.
If cancelling with less than a weeks’ notice, you will lose all of your deposit and this is non transferrable to a new booking as we are no longer able to let out the kennel or cattery at short notice.
If, when dropping off your cat or dog, their vaccinations are not up to date, you will lose all of your deposit, as we are no longer able to let out the kennel or cattery at short notice. Same goes for if, on drop off, you dog/cat is not “fit enough” for boarding. For example: recent surgery which has not been discussed with a member of staff to see if we are happy to have them / new medication that has not been discussed with kennels etc.
If your pet has passed away, you are entitled to a full refund for this particular pet only. If you have more than one pet due to board at the same time when one passes away, and you wish to cancel for all your pets, the cancellation policy above will still apply to the other dogs/cats.
Can i pick my pet up earlier than orginally booked?
Yes you can but you will still be required to pay the original balance. If you shorten the stay within 7 days to the start date of your booking, you will still be charged the original amount due to us not being able to book the left over days at short notice.
Do new customers with dog/s need a viewing or trial stay?
Yes – we do require that new customers bring their dog/s here before their boarding date.
This is so the staff can meet them, so we can give you a viewing of the kennels and so we can provide you with paperwork to fill in.
You do not need to book this – just pop along during our visiting hours which are between 9am until 10am or between 1pm until 3pm Monday to Saturday.
This is a requirement, and we cannot accept your dog/s on their boarding date if we do not have this meeting beforehand.
Please note that we are not open for viewings on bank holidays or Sundays.
Visiting us sooner rather than last minute is advised, in case there is a reason we cannot accept your dog to board, so you have time to make other arrangements.
Unfortunantly we do not accept aggressive or reactive dogs.
We require a trial overnight stay for all new dogs before we can accept longer/future stays.
Any overnight stay whether its a trial or a normal overnight stay full payment must be paid within 7 days of booking being made. No deposits for overnight stays.
Do new customers with cat/s need a viewing or trial stay?
No – we don’t require that new customers to bring their cat/s here before their boarding date but you are more than welcome to view the cattery – just pop along during our visiting hours which are between 9am until 10am or between 1pm until 3pm Monday to Saturday.
Please note that we are not open for viewings on bank holidays or Sundays.
Do you accept imported dogs?
Yes, we welcome imported dogs but they must have proof of a negative Brucellosis / Brucella Canis blood test and need to have been in the UK for more than 3 months.
This applies to any dog that is imported from any country other than England/Ireland/Scotland/Wales. Only applies to imported dogs not imported cats and still applies if dog/s is not an import but has boarded in a foreign kennels) – Year of import doesn’t matter any dog imported from 2006 onwards rule applies.
This is because Brucellosis is a highly contagious bacterial infection which is more commonly found in foreign animals/imported breeds. Canine Brucellosis is also a zoonotic, meaning it can cause illness in humans.
Due to the environment of being in a kennel, animals boarding with us would be more at risk of catching such a disease, and therefore, we take precautions for our boarders’ safety.
Usually, owners will have a passport for their imported dogs, if you have the passport for your dog, please can you inform us if the brucellosis test has been done.
We require that it is written by name to be classed as proof that the test has been done, and that it was found NEGATIVE. We cannot accept your dog without proof of this.
If you cannot find proof in their passport, you are able to have your dog receive a blood test for Brucellosis at your current vet, however, the charge can vary or be expensive so we would suggest getting a quote for the cost before confirming with your vets to have this done.
If you have proof of the test being done and found NEGATIVE, we require a physical copy for our records and your dog will be permitted to board with us.
If you cannot find evidence by name of the test being given, and would prefer not to have your dog tested at your current vets, then unfortunately, we will be unable to accept your dog to board.
There have been rising cases of Brucellosis in the UK during 2023, and we are determined to keep our kennel environment safe for all our boarders.
We have many regular boarders who are also Romanian/imported rescues and will happily accommodate for these animals, as long as we have proof of the negative test results for Brucella Canis.
There has recently been an increase in the number of dogs being diagnosed with B. canis in the UK with 3 diagnoses pre-2020 and 97 diagnoses in 2023 (to June 2023). Most cases have been in dogs imported into the UK from Eastern Europe, or linked to imported dogs from Eastern Europe.
All UK cases have been in dogs that have either been imported, have mated with an imported dog, have had contact with the birthing products of an imported dog, or are the offspring (puppy) of an imported dog.
Brucella Canis is common in Eastern Europe, South America, parts of North America, the Middle East and Asia. Dogs can be infected but appear well and not have any obvious clinical signs. B. Canis often affects the reproductive system in dogs and can cause infertility and miscarriages.
Dogs can also have other signs, such as:
- tiredness
- swelling of lymph nodes in the neck, armpit, or groin (lymphadenopathy)
- back and/or joint problems (including lameness)
I have made a provisional booking - now what?
Pay a deposit
If you’ve made a provisional booking then we are really pleased to welcome your pet very soon but before we do, we need a deposit of 50% of the total bill which needs to be paid within 7 days of the booking.
Failure to do this will mean that we unfortunately have to cancel your booking.
Payment can be made by bank transfer – you will be sent these details via email or you can contact us on 01622 730535.
Once the deposit is paid
As soon as your deposit is paid, you booking is secure and we will sent you a confirmation email. The remainder of the balance is payable on drop off/collection by cash or card.
Our Location
Beaux Aires House
Bimbury Lane,
Stockbury,
Sittingbourne,
Kent
ME9 7QX