Dog Boarding in Chicago

Dog boarding in Chicago ranges from small kennels to pet resorts and day care centers with overnight stays. Visit before you book: a good facility will happily show you where dogs sleep, play and eat, and how it keeps them warm in a cold snap and cool in a heat wave.

City and state licenses

A Chicago business that boards dogs or runs a day care needs a City of Chicago Animal Care license, and Chicago Animal Care and Control inspects the premises before it is issued. The Illinois Department of Agriculture also licenses and inspects kennel operators and day care operators under the state's Animal Welfare Act. Ask a facility which licenses it holds.

What a Chicago kennel must check

Under the city code, a kennel must get proof that your dog is vaccinated against rabies, distemper, parvovirus and Bordetella (kennel cough); a vet's titer certificate from the past 12 months can stand in for the distemper and parvovirus shots. A kennel must also see a current city dog license for any dog owned by a Chicago resident, and may not board a dog until it has checked that the dog is microchipped. Register your dog through the City Clerk before you book.

Canine flu and leptospirosis

In spring 2015, more than 1,000 cases of canine flu were reported in the Chicago area, and PetSmart closed its Lincoln Park PetsHotel to disinfect it (NBC Chicago). In September 2025, Cook County urged owners to vaccinate dogs against leptospirosis as cases rose in Chicago; the bacteria spread through the urine of infected animals, most commonly rats. Ask your vet about both vaccines before a stay: the first canine flu course is two doses a few weeks apart. Ask the facility, too, how it separates a dog that starts coughing.

What to ask

• Where do dogs sleep, and is someone on site overnight?
• Is play time in groups or one dog at a time, and how are groups matched?
• How do they keep dogs warm in winter and cool in summer?
• Which vet do they use in an emergency?
• Can you bring your dog's own food, bedding or medication?

Busy dates

Facilities fill up for summer, the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving and the winter holidays, so book early, and bring your dog's vaccination records, city registration and microchip number.

About these listings

Many listings here were added from public business data and have not been claimed by the business yet. Check hours, prices and availability with the business directly. If you run one of these businesses, you can claim or correct your listing from its page.