Dog Boarding in Richmond

Dog boarding in and around Richmond 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 cool in summer.

Virginia law and boarding

Virginia law defines a boarding establishment as a place where companion animals not owned by the proprietor are sheltered, fed and watered in exchange for a fee. Boarding establishments are responsible for giving each animal the care the law requires, and for emergency veterinary treatment if a pet is hurt or ill in their custody; they pay for treatment if the injury resulted from their own failure or actions, and the owner bears the reasonable and necessary cost otherwise (Va. Code 3.2-6518). Ask a facility which local approvals and inspections it holds, and visit before you book.

Parvovirus and canine flu

In August 2024, WWBT reported that a deadly virus among dogs was spreading across central Virginia, with the Petersburg Animal Shelter closing for two weeks to clean and treat a parvovirus outbreak. In August 2023, the Virginia Veterinary Medical Association said it highly recommends dogs be vaccinated against the virus as canine influenza spread, adding that shelters and boarding facilities are more susceptible to outbreaks because dogs share limited space. Ask any facility which vaccines it requires well before your trip, and how it separates a dog that starts coughing.

Vaccines

Most facilities ask for rabies, DHPP and Bordetella (kennel cough), and many ask for canine influenza, whose first course is two doses a few weeks apart. 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 cool in a heat wave?
• 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 license

Facilities fill up for summer, the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving and the winter holidays, so book early. Bring your dog's vaccination records and its license: the City of Richmond says all cats and dogs living in the city are required to be licensed and to have a current rabies vaccination, and that the license must be renewed every year. Virginia law requires every county and city to tax dog ownership by ordinance (Va. Code 3.2-6528), and a license tag cannot be issued without evidence of rabies vaccination (Va. Code 3.2-6526).

About these listings

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