Direct answer — short and practical
Keep only the personal data you need to provide safe care, meet licence or insurance conditions and run your business. Hold it securely while it’s needed and delete or anonymise it when it isn’t. Be able to show inspectors clear, relevant records quickly, and always comply with lawful requests for full records. For everyday readiness: collect dog ID, owner contact details and clear vet/emergency consent every time; store records in a locked cabinet or encrypted device; document why you keep something and when you will review or delete it.
What data you typically collect
Required triplets (the core you should always have)
- Dog ID: name, age, breed/description, microchip number (if available).
- Owner contact: full name, phone, address, preferred contact method and emergency contact.
- Vet/emergency consent: vet details, permission to seek emergency care, any vet visit authorisations and payment arrangements.
Useful extras (help you provide better care)
- Behaviour notes: triggers, recall, separation signs, socialisation with other dogs.
- Feeding and routine: dietary needs, favourite food, portion sizes, feeding schedule.
- Medication: name, dose, administration instructions and a signed medication consent.
- Photographs: for identification, but keep to a minimum and get consent.
- Meet & greet notes, daily logs and incident reports.
Law and licences — what’s statutory, what varies
Statutory data duties under UK data protection law require you to have a lawful basis for processing personal data, to keep data accurate and secure, and to respect individual rights such as subject access. Those are general legal duties. Specific record requirements for licences or insurance can vary between nations and local authorities and between insurers. That means: check your local authority licence conditions and your insurer’s wording for any precise retention or content requirements.
When choosing a lawful basis (contract, legal obligation, legitimate interests or consent are common choices), document and justify your choice. If you rely on legitimate interests, keep a short balancing test on file. For legal certainty consult the Information Commissioner’s Office guidance or a data protection adviser.
Practical storage and security
Keep things simple and low cost while being secure.
Paper records
- Use a lockable filing cabinet or locked drawer kept in a secure area of your home.
- Limit who has routine access and log when sensitive documents are removed or shown to someone.
- Scan important paper records to an encrypted digital file and store securely; consider securely shredding paper you no longer need.
Digital records
- Use unique strong passwords and a password manager. Enable two-factor authentication where available.
- Store files on a device that’s encrypted and regularly updated. Avoid saving unprotected spreadsheets with client data on shared devices.
- Keep a secure backup (encrypted cloud or offline) so you can recover records if a device fails.
- Limit access by user accounts and remove access promptly when someone leaves your business.
Anonymisation and minimisation
Where useful, keep anonymised logs for business analysis, training or advertising. Only keep identifiable personal data where you need it for care, legal reasons, or as required by licence/insurer.
Retention and deletion — practical guidance
Exact retention times depend on your nation, local authority, licence and insurer. Below are practical suggested minimums to consider and adapt to your circumstances. For every retention decision keep a short note: what you kept, why, lawful basis and a review date.
- Active client and dog files: keep while the dog is regularly using your service and for at least 3 years after the last placement — review and delete or archive at that point unless insurer or licence requires longer.
- Vaccination records: retain while the dog is using your service and for a sensible period after (many keep at least 1–3 years). Check your licence/insurer for exact required wording and retention.
- Medication administration logs: keep for at least 3 years after the last administration; longer if there was a significant incident.
- Incident reports and vet treatment records: keep longer — suggested minimum 6 years for serious incidents or where liability could arise; keep the retention justification on file.
- Financial records and invoices: follow HMRC guidance for business records but also check insurer/licence requirements; commonly retained for several years.
Always delete or anonymise records once retention justification ends. Keep a simple “retention tag” in each file: review date, reason to keep, lawful basis and deletion date.
What inspectors commonly look for — and how to respond
Inspectors typically want to see that you have the necessary information to care for dogs safely: vaccination evidence, consent forms, medication instructions, veterinary authorisation and incident logs. They will also want to know how you keep this data secure.
Always comply with lawful inspection requests for records. Ask the inspector what they need and whether they require originals or unredacted files — some authorities do. Where it’s lawful and practical, you can redact unrelated third-party personal data; do not withhold records you are required to provide.
Records, consent and data-retention checklist for UK home dog boarders
Use this checklist as a template you can copy into your files or digital system. Adapt times and fields to your licence, insurer and ICO guidance.
Essential records to keep (per dog/client)
- Booking form/contract: owner name, address, contact numbers, emergency contact, dates of stay, agreed fees. Retain: active + suggested 3 years after last booking.
- Meet & greet record: date, location, behavioural notes, owner signature confirming information is accurate. Retain: active + suggested 3 years.
- Vaccination evidence: vaccine type, date, vet name or documented exemption. Retain: while dog uses service and as required by licence/insurer; note exact licence wording.
- Medication log and consent form: drug name, dose, administration times, who administered, owner signature. Retain: suggested 3 years after last administration; longer for incidents.
- Daily care log: arrival/departure times, feeding, toileting, interactions, any concerns.
- Incident report: date/time, people involved, details, vet treatment if applicable, follow-up actions and owner notification record. Retain: suggested minimum 6 years for serious incidents.
- Invoices/receipts: amounts, dates, payment method. Retain as per business/HMRC guidance and insurer requirements.
Reusable record outline (fields to copy)
- Header: Dog name / Microchip (if known) / Client name / Booking ref / Dates in care
- Contacts: Owner primary phone / Secondary phone / Emergency contact name & phone / Vet name & phone
- Medical: Vaccination status (date & type) / Allergies / Ongoing conditions / Medication details & consent
- Behaviour & routine: Walks, feeding schedule, recall, dog-to-dog behaviour, triggers
- Daily log entry: Date/time / Staff on duty / Food given / Toileting / State of dog / Notes
- Incident form: Date/time / Description / Action taken / Vet called? / Owner notified (time & method) / Signatures
- Retention tag: Date file created / Lawful basis for processing / Review date / Planned deletion date / Who authorised
How to show inspectors and clients the records quickly
Create a single inspection folder (physical or encrypted digital) labelled “Inspection pack” that contains the most commonly requested documents: sample booking form, latest vaccination evidence, medication log template, an anonymised incident report example, and your retention policy summary. When an inspector arrives, ask what they need, offer the inspection pack and be ready to provide originals if requested. If you show documents on a device, be prepared to provide printed or original versions if required by the inspector.
Short script to explain your handling: “I keep each dog’s file with identification, vet contact and consent. Records are stored securely and reviewed after X years. I’ll show you the current file now — if you need originals or additional detail please tell me and I’ll supply them.”
Final reminder: Local licence conditions and inspection requirements vary. This is practical guidance not legal advice. For certainty consult ICO guidance, your local authority and your insurer, and keep a written record of the reasons for your retention decisions.