Pet vaccination rules for boarding & grooming in British Columbia

British Columbia rules we’ve verified

Industry standard. The BC SPCA's AnimalKind accreditation — voluntary, but the standard many BC dog daycares, boarders, groomers and walkers work to — requires proof of up-to-date vaccination before admission: for dogs DA2PP (distemper, adenovirus-2, parainfluenza, parvovirus) and CIRDC (kennel cough complex), for cats FVRCP, plus up-to-date parasite control as a local veterinarian recommends, and a health history taken before care begins. [BC SPCA AnimalKind Companion Animal Services Standards — verified September 2, 2026]

We found no provincial law in British Columbia requiring rabies vaccination of dogs or cats, and no provincial licence for grooming, daycare or boarding businesses. Licensing and animal-control rules are municipal — check with your municipality.

Vancouver. Dogs must be licensed with the City under the Animal Control By-law. [City of Vancouver Animal Control By-law No. 9150]

Citations checked against primary sources on September 2, 2026. Laws change — verify anything you rely on with the authority itself.

What facilities in British Columbia commonly require

Separately from any law, most grooming salons, daycares and boarding kennels set their own admission policy — usually stricter than any legal minimum, because one sick dog can close a playroom for a week. Typical policies ask for:

Dogs: current rabies, DA2PP/DHPP (distemper–parvo combination), and bordetella (kennel cough) — with bordetella most strictly enforced by boarding and daycare, where dogs share air. Some ask for leptospirosis or canine influenza after local outbreaks. Cats: current rabies and FVRCP.

Bring the certificate your veterinarian issued — the facility needs the re-immunization dateprinted on it, not just proof a shot happened. Whether a facility accepts a titer (antibody test) instead of a booster is that facility’s call, and many don’t for rabies.

Running a pet-care business in British Columbia?

Whatever your policy is, the hard part is keeping proof of it current for every pet without chasing paper.VaxCheck gives you a QR code for the counter: owners type their own dates and photograph the certificate, your staff checks once, owners get automatic reminders before anything expires, and check-in becomes a red / amber / green list. Set the exact vaccines and intervals your policy requires and it flags any pet missing one. Canadian shops get the Canada edition: Canadian terms and privacy notice, prices in Canadian dollars where offered, taxes at checkout.

Pet owner in British Columbia?

Keep every certificate in one place, get told before anything expires, and hand a copy to any groomer, daycare, kennel or sitter who asks — including one that has never heard of VaxCheck. They open a link, print what they need, and create nothing. Free, and there is no password to lose.

What a shop will ask you for, and how to have it ready · See your pet’s records