Three layers, and only one is about dogs
A daycare or boarding website answers to animal welfare licensing, which in most countries applies to your activity and often expects the licence to be displayed. Then to consumer law, which matters more here than for a groomer because you take deposits and cancellation fees for stays booked months ahead. Then to the ordinary web layer: privacy for the owner records and vaccination certificates your platform holds, marketing consent for reminders, company details and accessibility.
This is orientation, not legal advice. Your licensing authority and a local adviser are the authorities.
United Kingdom
Licensing. In England the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) Regulations 2018 license dog boarding in kennels, home boarding and day care for dogs. The local authority issues a licence with a one to five star rating, and licence holders are generally required to display the licence and to include the licence number in advertising, which includes the website. Scotland and Wales run their own schemes. Home boarding hosts are licensed too, often individually.
Consumer law. The Consumer Rights Act on services and the Consumer Contracts Regulations on information and cancellation rights for services booked online. Deposits and cancellation charges must be a genuine reflection of your loss, and unfair terms in your boarding conditions are unenforceable. Prices stated inclusive of VAT, with no drip pricing at checkout for peak surcharges.
Privacy. UK GDPR and PECR. Vaccination certificates and vet details are personal data about the owner; the privacy notice covers what the booking platform holds. ICO registration for most.
Company details and accessibility. Registered name, number and office for a limited company. Equality Act, WCAG 2.1 AA.
United States
Licensing. State, county or city, and it varies enormously. Kennel and boarding licences exist nearly everywhere; some jurisdictions require the licence number in advertising, many do not. Federal USDA licensing under the Animal Welfare Act applies mainly to breeders, dealers and exhibitors, not a typical daycare. Zoning and occupancy limits often bite harder than licensing and can constrain what you advertise capacity-wise.
Consumer law. The FTC on deceptive advertising, including the 2024 rule on hidden fees in some sectors and long-standing expectations that the total price is clear. State consumer protection acts on deposits and cancellation terms.
Privacy and marketing. State privacy laws such as California's for businesses over the threshold. No federal cookie consent. The TCPA governs marketing texts, which matters because kennel reminders and package expiry nudges often go by SMS; get express written consent at registration.
Accessibility. ADA applied to websites through litigation; WCAG 2.1 AA as the working standard.
Canada
Licensing. Usually municipal kennel licensing with provincial animal care standards. Display requirements vary by municipality, so ask yours.
Consumer law. Provincial consumer protection acts, with Quebec's the strictest on advertised prices and contracts. Misleading advertising under the Competition Act. A site serving Quebec needs French.
Privacy and marketing. PIPEDA, and Quebec's Law 25 with its consent and policy duties. CASL requires consent for commercial email and text, including booking reminders that carry any promotional content.
Accessibility. AODA in Ontario, the Accessible Canada Act federally.
Australia
Licensing. State and territory codes of practice for boarding establishments, with registration through the local council. Victoria and New South Wales both publish codes covering space, staffing and record keeping, and your website's stated dog numbers should match what you are registered for.
Consumer law. The Australian Consumer Law on misleading conduct, consumer guarantees and unfair contract terms, which reaches directly into boarding terms and non-refundable deposits for peak periods.
Privacy and marketing. The Privacy Act for businesses over the threshold, and a privacy policy expected regardless once your forms collect personal data. The Spam Act for email and text.
Accessibility. Disability Discrimination Act, WCAG 2.1 AA.
European Union
Licensing. National. Germany requires a permit under its animal welfare law for commercial boarding, commonly displayed. Other member states register boarding and daycare in their own ways, and several require registration numbers on commercial communications.
Consumer law. The Consumer Rights Directive on information duties and the withdrawal right for services booked online, with the usual exception where a date-specific service has been agreed, which is how most boarding deposits are structured. The Unfair Commercial Practices Directive on claims. Prices inclusive of VAT.
Company details. The e-commerce information duties, strictest in the German and Austrian Impressum tradition: legal name, address, contact, registration and VAT numbers.
Privacy. GDPR and ePrivacy consent, with vaccination records treated as personal data about the owner.
Accessibility. The European Accessibility Act from June 2025 for many digital services above the micro-enterprise threshold.
What is the same everywhere
- Display the licence, registration and inspection rating where owners look, and link the public register entry if one exists.
- Never show a rating, licence or accreditation you do not hold.
- State prices including tax, with peak rates and part-day charging visible before booking, not at checkout.
- Put deposit and cancellation terms at the point of booking, and keep them proportionate.
- Publish company details, insurance and a privacy notice covering what the booking platform holds.
- Take proper consent for marketing texts and emails, including package expiry nudges.
- Build to WCAG 2.1 AA.
Where this sits
Every dog daycare and boarding website we build runs a country checklist at the content stage covering licence display, price and cancellation statements, company details, privacy, marketing consent and accessibility. Boarding sits at the more regulated end of the pet business spectrum, and the two rules that catch people out are the licence number in advertising and the deposit terms for a stay booked eight months ahead.