Dog Home Boarding & Day Care Licence Starter Kit (England)

Getting ready for your dog home boarding or dog day care licence inspection in England? This starter kit helps you show the inspector which of your documents covers each licence condition, and keep the daily records they ask to see.

WHAT'S INCLUDED

1. Licence Conditions Cross-Reference Matrix (PDF and spreadsheet). Over 40 conditions from the 2018 Animal Welfare Licensing Regulations and the DEFRA guidance, in plain English. Each row says whether it is law or guidance, whether it applies to home boarding, day care or both, and what evidence is typical. You fill in your own document and page, and mark it Ready.
2. Daily Care and Exercise Log (PDF and spreadsheet). One row per dog per day: food, water, toileting, exercise, health and behaviour check, medicines and action taken. 31 rows per month, drop-down menus, DD/MM/YYYY dates.
3. Starter Guide to Your Licence Paperwork (PDF and Word). What the law asks for, what is guidance, how to use the matrix and log, and a pre-inspection checklist.

The spreadsheet opens in Excel, Google Sheets or LibreOffice.

WHAT IT IS NOT

This is a starter kit. It does not include a procedures manual, booking or consent forms, or an emergency plan. It is not legal advice. It is not affiliated with DEFRA or any council, and it does not guarantee a licence, a star rating or any inspection outcome. Your preventative healthcare plan must be agreed with your own vet. Councils interpret the conditions differently, so check your council's own checklist too.

Sources: legislation.gov.uk and gov.uk, used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Last checked 18/10/2026.

AI tools helped write this kit, working from the official sources above.

Digital download. No physical item will be sent.

Written and designed by Plainfiles with the help of AI tools, then checked against the official legislation and guidance listed in the sources.

This kit is an independent template to help you organise your paperwork. It is not legal, tax or financial advice, is not issued or endorsed by any government body, regulator or council, and does not guarantee a licence, rating or any other outcome. Check the official guidance for your own situation and keep your documents up to date.