Sunrise Boarding Kennels

About our Boarding Kennel

John opened Sunrise with his late wife Denise in 2013. John has his own gundogs which he trains and takes out to work but is a lover of dogs of all shapes and sizes. He enjoys walking, training and working his dog, Megan.

Rebecca began working at Sunrise as a part time summer worker in 2015 and began managing the kennels full time in 2017. As well as helping with day to day care, she oversees bookings, enquiries and admin. She has two working black Labradors called Izzy & Molly and also enjoys clay shooting and baking (not at the same time though).

John's granddaughter, Katherine, began helping out in the kennels on Saturdays and school holidays in March 2022. She has a deep interest in all animals but particularly dogs. She hopes one day to work with rescue animals and has a wide variety of pets at home.

Rachael & Ollie joined part time in September 2022 while studying alongside their work here. Rachael was reading Criminology and Criminal Justice at university and has an affinity with nervous rescue dogs, having owned several herself. Ollie is doing his A Levels and helps out on a Saturday morning - his family's two spaniels, Tilly & Oscar, are regular guests.

Sophie & Stacey joined us part time in October 2022. Sophie had previously completed several months of work experience with us in 2019/20 while studying for her Level 3 Animal Management diploma, and returned to us after working at another kennels for a while. She is currently on maternity leave, and we can't wait to have her back! Stacey works two days per week alongside studying Level 4 Animal Management and has grown a lot in her role, having not previously owned a dog.

Alex has worked with us on and off since August 2019, while she was studying for her Level 3 diploma in Animal Management, and then her Bachelor's degree in Animal Welfare. She returned to us full time in October 2023 after graduating and now runs the kennels on a day-to-day basis alongside Rebecca.

Jess is currently studying Level 2 Animal Care and completed work experience with us in winter 2023/24. She enjoyed her work with us and we were pleased with her progress, and so in March 2024 she began working with us part time, giving us a much needed boost at weekends and in school holidays.

We are licensed by Bedford Borough Council and insured through NFU Mutual. License holder name : John Holdaway Licence number: LIC/2/20/10

CUSTOMERS: If you have used our service, we'd be extremely grateful if you could leave us a review, to help us in trying to offer the best boarding service around, and to help other potential customers to make an informed choice.

Accommodation:

We have 23 kennels, five of which are extra large units for giant breeds, pairs of larger dogs (e.g. two Dobermans or German Shepherds), and groups of dogs from the same family.

The kennels are constructed of uPVC, aluminium and galvanised steel, with resin flooring in the sleeping areas and power floated concrete in the runs - these materials are both durable and easy to clean, ensuring high levels of hygiene and allowing more time to be spent with the dogs.

The kennels are constructed so that dogs cannot see other, unfamiliar dogs in their kennels, just a view out onto our lovely, grassy field, meaning no risk of intimidation between dogs from different households and full privacy for your pooch.

The sleeping compartments are fully insulated and contain a sleeping bench, onto which we place cosy vet bedding, alongside heaters to keep out the chill in winter.

Dogs have access to an individual covered outer run during the day. Kennels are alarmed and secured at night with regular patrols from a local security firm, and there is a responsible adult on the premises 24/7.

Exercise:

Dogs are individually walked on our own, private four acre field at least three times a day, on a lead for security.

We will NEVER cut corners by exercising dogs from different households all together, or leaving dogs unattended in fenced areas - we would prefer to put dog welfare and safety first, rather than trying to save time/cut staffing costs.

We pride ourselves on being 100% transparent and honest about the quality and quantity of the exercise your dog will receive.

Walks are tailored to the weather and season - during summer, walks are first thing in the morning (from 7am), early afternoon (walk may be moved or reduced in hot weather, and compensated for by lengthening morning or evening walks), and late evening, whereas in winter walks are at sunrise, midday and sunset.

We will try to avoid walking during rain or snow if possible, by adjusting walk times to avoid showers, but if necessary will take dogs out and towel them off on their return.

Walk times are reduced for dogs with relevant health conditions.

There is also the option to book extra walks at an additional cost. These walks last 30 minutes each, and like the usual walks are individual and on a lead, ensuring your dog's safety. We walk your dog to the River Great Ouse. How far they go is dictated by their pace - if they prefer to amble along and sniff then that's okay, but we're happy to speed up for the energetic dog that wants to burn a lot of energy! Customers can book as few or as many walks as they like, but please give advance notice to allow us to make the necessary staffing arrangements.

As well as their walks, dogs have access to a fully covered outer run from 7am to 9pm every day (except in exceptionally cold weather), measuring 3.75m2 in standard units or 7.5m2 in extra large units.

Health & Hygiene:

All dogs must have a current vaccination certificate to be presented in arrival. Protection against Kennel Cough is also required at least 10 days prior to their stay. Dogs must be protected against fleas and ticks and we keep records of your dog's vaccinations and parasite treatments. We would always try to use your dogs own vet if required, but our own vet is on call 24 hours a day.

We do not charge to administer medication and are always happy to meet your dog's health needs.

Boarding Kennel Prices

2024 rates (inclusive of VAT) are:

£27.00 per day for a single dog
£42.00 per day for two dogs sharing
£57.00 per day for three dogs sharing
£69.00 per day for four dogs sharing

£18.00 per day for a single cat
£28.50 per day for two cats sharing
£40.50 per day for three cats sharing
£51.00 per day for four cats sharing

Dog day care: £24.00 per dog

We charge either a half or full day for drop off and pick up day, depending on drop off and pick up times.

River walks are £13.50 per walk, unless your dog(s) require two members of staff to walk them, in which case there is an additional £6.00 charge per walk. This is at owner's/manager's discretion - occasionally there may be a single dog which, if very powerful, requires two members of staff for safety, sometimes with pairs of dogs, and always with families of three or four dogs.

We accept payment on or before arrival of the dog by cash, card, cheque or BACS.

Boarding Facility Images

Our kennels, surrounded by green space for your dog's three daily walks. We have plenty of our own space for walking the dogs. Our extra large units allow us to accommodate the bigger breeds that some others can't. Smaller guests are welcome too - cuddles come free! Dogs are comfy and cosy with their high quality merino wool bedding - look at that happy face! Walk time = fun time! The kennels get plenty of natural daylight. An extra large sleeping area, ready and waiting for guests.

Reviews from Our Guests