Dog Boarding in Ottawa

Dog boarding in Ottawa ranges from small kennels and in-home hosts to pet resorts and day care centres 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.

Kennel licences

The City of Ottawa licenses boarding kennels: its list of businesses regulated by the licensing by-law includes a Boarding Kennels schedule, as well as schedules for in-home breeding kennels and recreational kennels. Ask a facility whether it holds a City licence, and look at where the dogs stay before you book.

Your dog's registration

The City of Ottawa requires cat and dog owners to register their pets, and registrations must be renewed every year. You receive a numbered metal tag that must be worn on your pet's collar or harness, particularly outside your home, and you can register or renew online or in person at a client service centre. Groomers and boarding businesses will often ask for proof of rabies vaccination too.

Kennel cough and respiratory illness

In October 2021, CBC Ottawa reported that veterinarians were seeing more kennel cough, and an Ontario Veterinary College professor said he had heard of an outbreak in Ottawa in the past year. The Bordetella vaccine protects against only some causes, but it can lessen how severe the disease is. In December 2023, when a respiratory illness in dogs made headlines across North America, Global News reported that pet insurance claims for respiratory disease in Ontario were up about 25 per cent from the year before. Ask your vet which vaccines your dog needs before a stay, and ask the facility 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, Canada Day, Thanksgiving in October and the winter holidays, so book early, and bring your dog's vaccination records and municipal licence number.

About these listings

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