Dog boarding and daycare in Singapore: the owner guide

By UrbanDogOwner Editorial . Last reviewed 2026-09-17

Boarding is the bit of dog ownership that tests your trust in a stranger. You are handing over an animal that cannot tell you how the stay went, so the checks you make beforehand carry all the weight. Singapore makes the first check easy, because boarding a dog for a fee is licensed by the Animal and Veterinary Service, and an unlicensed setup is not an option worth considering. Beyond the licence, the difference between a good stay and a bad one comes down to a few honest questions and a walk-through with your own eyes.

What are your options: boarding, daycare, home boarding or a pet hotel?

The right choice starts with the kind of care your dog actually needs, and the four formats suit different situations. A licensed kennel is the classic overnight facility, purpose-built with runs and supervised group time, with arrangements that vary by operator. Daycare is supervised day care with no overnight stay, the option for a sociable dog whose owners work long hours and would rather not leave it home alone all day. A pet hotel is boarding dressed up with private rooms, webcams and add-ons, for owners who want the reassurance of a suite. Home boarding describes a home-style care setting rather than a conventional kennel, but the setting alone does not establish suitability. Verify licensing and premises permission rather than assuming an ordinary home can operate as a boarding business.

None is automatically better. A confident, social dog can have a great time in a busy kennel or daycare; a shy one may find the noise and the other dogs stressful and do far better in a quiet home setup. Match the format to the dog in front of you rather than to the nicest photos. If the trip is short and the real problem is the working day, daycare plus a dog walker may beat a full boarding stay entirely, and our boarding while you travel guide walks through the booking-order decision in detail.

How do you check a boarding facility is licensed and safe?

Start with the licence, because it is a legal requirement, not a nice-to-have. Under Singapore's Animal and Veterinary Service, any premises that boards dogs for a fee must hold a pet-boarding licence, which means it has met baseline standards on housing, hygiene, ventilation and disease control. A licensed facility will show you its licence without fuss; one that dodges the question has answered it. This page filters records marked licensed in our directory. Reconfirm the current licence against the operator name and address; an old listing or a category label is not fresh verification.

Past the licence, safety is about the things a photo cannot show. Ask about the staff-to-dog ratio and whether anyone is on site overnight, how dogs are grouped by size and temperament so a small dog is not run ragged by a boisterous big one, and what the vet plan is if your dog falls ill or hurts itself at 2am. Ask for a written emergency procedure, the receiving veterinary clinic, transport arrangements and how spending approval will be handled if you cannot be reached. If your dog has a health condition, line it up with a Singapore vet before you travel so the facility has clear instructions.

Compare AVS-licensed boarders side by side

A quick scan of category, rate band, dog-size acceptance, licence status and rating before you open individual listings. Every row links through to the full profile.

Red flags: what an unlicensed operator risks

Confirm the licence against the actual operator and premises before paying. If details are missing or inconsistent, ask AVS to clarify them and resolve the uncertainty before booking. A licence does not guarantee a trouble-free stay, and an unverified listing cannot establish legal liability. Use these warning signs to ask for evidence:

• No licence shown on request. A legitimate operator produces it without hesitation; hedging, "it's with our vet," or a licence number that does not match the facility's registered name are all refusals in disguise.
• Refuses a walk-through. Reputable kennels want you to see the space. A "we're fully booked for visits" line used every time you ask is a pattern, not a coincidence.
• Vague on vaccination requirements. A facility that will take an unvaccinated dog, or does not ask at all, is not managing disease risk for the dogs already in its care.
• No named vet or emergency plan. If staff cannot describe what happens if a dog falls ill at 2am, there likely is no plan.
• Overcrowded or unclean on sight. Trust what you see over what you are told; a good operator's space looks and smells the part.

Compare a complete quote

Ask each operator to quote for the same dates, collection time and care requirements. A low advertised rate can cover a different service from the one your dog needs. Do not assume a pet hotel is always more expensive or that home boarding is automatically cheaper.

• Care: overnight accommodation or day-only supervision, rest periods, exercise and individual or group arrangements.
• Your dog: size acceptance, diet, medicine administration and any additional support.
• Logistics: transport, arrival and collection times, late fees and peak-date charges.
• Changes: deposits, cancellation, shortened stays and emergency veterinary costs.

Keep the written scope with the booking. Where a directory price or size policy is missing, ask the operator. Missing information is not a zero-dollar price or confirmation that your dog is refused.

What should you ask before you book?

A short list of questions separates a facility that has thought about welfare from one that is simply minding animals for money. Run through these before you commit:

• Can I see your AVS pet-boarding licence? The non-negotiable first question.
• What vaccinations and health proof do you require? Most want core vaccines plus kennel cough, and will ask for a recent record.
• What is the staff-to-dog ratio, and is someone on site overnight? You want eyes on the dogs, not an empty building after 7pm.
• How are dogs grouped and exercised? By size and temperament, with real rest between play, not a free-for-all.
• What happens if my dog gets sick or injured? A named vet, a clear procedure, and how they will reach you.
• Can I do a walk-through first? A yes is a good sign; a no is your answer.

Then use your own eyes. Are the current dogs calm and clean, is the smell what you would expect of a well-run kennel rather than a neglected one, and do the staff handle the animals with easy confidence? A facility that asks you plenty of questions in return, about your dog's health, diet, temperament and routine, is one that pays attention, and that is exactly what you are paying for.

What does it cost, and how do you prepare your dog?

Confirm availability and the full quote before arranging travel around the stay. Ask about any busy-date surcharge, deposit and cancellation terms. There is no single price band that reliably describes every dog, room and level of care.

Preparation makes the stay easier for everyone. Get vaccinations and any health check done with time to spare, since some vaccines need a lead time. Pack your dog's usual food to avoid an upset stomach on top of the stress of a new place, add a familiar blanket or toy, and write down the feeding routine, medication and vet details. For a first stay, a trial day or single night before the real trip lets both of you find out how it goes while the stakes are low. Our boarding while you travel guide covers the full pre-trip checklist, including travel insurance and the cross-border option.

The licensed directory, by region

This view contains 51 directory entries marked AVS-licensed. Reconfirm the current licence and service details with the operator. Here is how they fall across the island. Each region link opens the full directory filtered to that area, where you can see rates, the sizes of dog accepted, and contact details.

• Central 43 licensed
• North-East 4 licensed
• East 2 licensed
• West 2 licensed

By type: Licensed kennel (45), Pet hotel (3), Day care (2), Grooming + boarding (1).

Browse the full, filterable list on the Singapore dog boarding directory, where you can narrow by region, care type and the size of dog accepted before you shortlist and call.

Frequently asked questions