The booking is confirmed, but the kennel still needs to accept your dog’s health records. Finding a missing date at the reception desk can turn a carefully planned holiday into a difficult last-minute call. Start with the paperwork while there is time for the boarding provider and your vet to answer questions.
Ask for the kennel’s written requirements
Requirements depend on the country, licensing system and establishment. For example, England’s statutory guidance for licensed dog kennels sets expectations for vaccination evidence and disease protection. It also addresses the timing of a primary course and circumstances in which titre evidence may be accepted. Those details should not be turned into a universal vaccination timetable for every dog.
Ask the provider what documents it accepts, which protection it requires, and whether it has a separate kennel-cough policy. Send the record early enough to receive a clear response. A receipt showing that you paid a veterinary bill may not contain the clinical information the kennel needs.
Let the vet resolve the medical questions
Check the record with the practice if a name, date or vaccine entry is unclear. Tell the vet where your dog will stay and provide the kennel’s requirements, including the arrival and collection dates. The vet can assess what is appropriate for your dog’s circumstances; a booking website cannot make that decision.
A small preparation folder can keep the handover straightforward:
- The dog’s identification and the current veterinary record.
- The kennel’s confirmation that the supplied evidence is acceptable.
- Contact details for your usual practice and an emergency contact.
- Any agreed arrangements for prescribed medicine or ongoing care.
Keep health documents private rather than placing them in a public travel folder. If your dog becomes unwell before the stay, contact the kennel and vet instead of relying on previously accepted paperwork. Records help establish eligibility, but they do not describe how a dog feels on the day of arrival.