How to Share Vaccination Records with Boarding and Groomers
Most refused boarding check-ins are paperwork problems, not health problems. Here is what to send and when.
What They Actually Ask For
Requirements vary between facilities and provinces, and the only authoritative list is the one your specific facility publishes. There is, however, a common shape to it, and knowing that shape means you are rarely caught out.
Rabies is close to universal because it is legally regulated and produces a certificate. Beyond that, facilities generally want the core vaccines plus whatever is relevant to animals mixing indoors, which is why kennel cough comes up for dogs so often.
- Dogs: rabies, core vaccination (commonly DHPP or DA2PP), and frequently Bordetella
- Cats: rabies and core vaccination (FVRCP)
- A document showing the vaccine name, the date given, and the clinic
- Sometimes a recent negative parasite test, particularly for longer stays
Send It Before You Arrive
The single most common reason a booking falls apart is timing. Paperwork arrives at drop-off, something is missing or out of date, and there is no time to resolve it because the family is already leaving for the airport.
Send records when you book, not when you arrive. That gives the facility time to tell you something is missing while there is still time to book a vet appointment. Many will confirm in writing that your file is complete, which is worth asking for.
Watch the Dates, Not Just the Documents
Having a certificate is not the same as being current. A vaccine that expires during a stay is usually treated as expired for the whole stay, and a booster given the day before drop-off may not count either — some facilities require a minimum period between vaccination and arrival for it to be effective.
So check two things against your travel dates: that nothing lapses mid-stay, and that anything recently given falls outside whatever waiting period the facility specifies. Both are easy to verify in advance and unpleasant to discover at the door.
Share Proof, Not Everything
A groomer needs to know your cat's rabies vaccination is current. They do not need the bloodwork, the diagnosis history or the medication list, and sending a complete medical file is more information than the situation calls for.
Send the vaccination record specifically. Beyond being proportionate, it is also more useful: a single clear document gets checked and filed, while a thick file makes someone hunt for the one date they need.
Sharing a Link Rather Than an Attachment
Emailed photographs work, and they have a habit of going stale. The attachment sits in an old thread, it shows last year's status, and next year you take a fresh photo and send it again.
PetVitale lets you share a vet-ready summary as a link rather than a file, and those links expire — so a facility sees what it needs for as long as you allow rather than holding a copy indefinitely. Because it reads from the current record, the booster you had last week is reflected without you sending anything new.
Frequently asked questions
What vaccination records do boarding facilities require?
Commonly rabies plus core vaccines — DHPP or DA2PP for dogs, FVRCP for cats — and frequently Bordetella for dogs, since kennel cough spreads where animals mix. Requirements differ by facility, so confirm with yours.
When should I send vaccination records to a kennel?
When you book, not at drop-off. That leaves time to fix a gap while you can still get a vet appointment, which is the usual reason a check-in fails.
What if a vaccine expires during the stay?
Most facilities treat a vaccine that lapses mid-stay as expired for the whole booking. Check expiry dates against your travel dates and boost beforehand, allowing for any waiting period the facility requires.
Do I have to share my pet's full medical history?
No. A groomer or boarding facility needs proof of vaccination, not diagnoses, bloodwork or medication lists. Sending the vaccination record alone is both proportionate and easier for them to check.