Dog Boarding in Virginia Beach

Dog boarding in and around Virginia Beach 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 city kennel licenses

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. Like groomers, 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 (Va. Code 3.2-6518). The City of Virginia Beach also sells kennel licenses for five or more animals; they need Zoning approval and a Conditional Use Permit from the Planning Department first, and are renewed every year. Ask a facility which approvals it holds, and visit before you book.

Hurricane season

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30. The city's pet preparedness page says that if you must evacuate before a hurricane, your pet should evacuate with you, and that the Virginia Beach Animal Care and Adoption Center no longer offers emergency pet sheltering. Ask any facility what its storm plan is before you book a stay in the fall, and whether it can reach you if it has to evacuate.

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, and 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 cool in a heat wave, and what is their hurricane plan?
• 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 city license: all dogs over four months old must be licensed with the City of Virginia Beach.

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.