Dog Boarding in Raleigh

Dog boarding in and around Raleigh 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 winter and cool in summer.

State licenses and inspections

North Carolina requires a state boarding kennel license from the Animal Welfare Section, and the department says the requirement also applies to in-home boarding, including boarding found through online pet-service companies. The department inspects a new kennel before it opens, licenses are renewed every year, and it posts boarding kennel inspection reports on its Animal Welfare page. Ask a facility whether it is licensed, then read its latest report before you book.

Canine flu

In April 2023, the state agriculture department reported cases of canine flu (the H3N2 virus) in North Carolina, all in dogs that had been boarding or at day care within the past two weeks. In October 2023, Wake County closed its animal center for at least 35 days after canine flu deaths and an unusually high number of respiratory infections, noting that vets were seeing many dogs pick up the illness after stays at boarding or day care facilities. Ask your vet whether the canine flu vaccine makes sense for your dog, and ask a facility how it separates a dog that starts coughing. The first canine flu course is two doses a few weeks apart, so plan ahead.

Vaccines

Most facilities ask for rabies, DHPP and Bordetella (kennel cough), and many ask for canine influenza. Ask which vaccines a facility requires well before your trip.

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 and your dog's records

Facilities fill up for summer, the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving and the winter holidays, so book early. Raleigh has no city dog license, but bring your dog's vaccination records and its current rabies certificate. On hot days, remember the Wake County Animal Center's advice to treat heatstroke as an emergency.

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.