Pet Hotel Registration with Poland’s Veterinary Inspectorate in 2026: What You Need to Know

If you run a boarding facility for dogs or cats in Poland, you may have recently heard that the business needs to be reported to the Veterinary Inspectorate. The subject has raised plenty of questions among pet care business owners, particularly since the Chief Veterinary Inspectorate published new guidance in 2026.

What does this mean in practice? Does every pet hotel need to register? What does the process involve, and how can you prepare for a possible inspection? This guide explains the key points in plain language.

Why are pet hotel owners talking about registration now?

On 30 March 2026, Poland's Chief Veterinary Officer published guidance on the registration of animal shelters and other establishments that keep dogs and cats. The activities listed in the guidance include boarding facilities for dogs and cats.

This was not an entirely new issue for many businesses, but the guidance brought the requirements together and drew attention to the obligation to report relevant activities to the local District Veterinary Officer.

If you operate a pet hotel in Poland, check whether your business has been registered correctly and whether you meet the record-keeping requirements that apply to your operation.

Who does the guidance cover?

The guidance covers several types of establishments that keep dogs and cats, including:

• boarding facilities for dogs and cats,
• dog and cat breeders,
• animal shelters,
• temporary holding points for captured animals before they are transferred to a shelter,
• other organized establishments that keep dogs and cats.

It does not apply to ordinary pet owners or people who occasionally care for animals in a private capacity.

What should a pet hotel owner do in practice?

Contact the District Veterinary Inspectorate responsible for the location where you operate and confirm which formalities apply to your business. Local inspectorates may use their own forms or ask for specific information as part of the registration process.

You will usually need to provide:

• the business owner's details,
• the operating address and contact details,
• information about the type of activity,
• basic information about the animals kept at the facility.

What does the registration process look like?

The details may vary by district, but the process generally follows these steps:

1. Identify the right inspectorate. Contact the District Veterinary Inspectorate responsible for your business location.
2. Prepare the documents. Gather the information and documents requested by the authority.
3. Submit the notification. You can usually submit it in person, by post, or through another method accepted by the local inspectorate.
4. Wait for further instructions. The authority may provide additional guidance after receiving your notification.

How should you prepare for a possible inspection?

Whatever the size of your facility, keep the most important information organized and easy to retrieve. In practice, that means maintaining records such as:

• an animal register,
• stay history,
• owner details,
• vaccination information,
• animal care records,
• payment and booking history.

Good records do more than help you prepare for an inspection. They also make the facility easier to run every day.

How does AnimalAdmin help you prepare for an inspection?

As record-keeping requirements grow, more pet hotel owners want one place for all their operational data. AnimalAdmin helps pet care businesses manage animals, clients, bookings, and documentation without juggling multiple spreadsheets, paper stay cards, and separate notes.

Detailed reports take only a few seconds to generate. Depending on what you need, a report can include:

• animal stay history,
• client lists and an animal register,
• payment and overdue payment reports,
• occupancy statistics,
• daycare reports,
• revenue summaries and operational data.

Reports can cover the current or previous month, a quarter, a year, or any custom date range. You can also export the data to Excel or CSV files.

This keeps the information you need in one place and makes it much easier to prepare documents or find a specific record quickly.

Frequently asked questions

Should every pet hotel check its registration status? Yes. The guidance lists dog and cat boarding facilities among the activities that should verify whether registration or approval is required.

Is the procedure identical throughout Poland? The general principles are similar, but individual District Veterinary Inspectorates may use their own forms and procedures.

Is record keeping worthwhile for a small facility? Absolutely. The sooner you organize animal, client, and stay data, the easier it becomes to run the business and prepare any information an authority requests.

Can AnimalAdmin replace Excel spreadsheets? Yes. The system keeps your operational information in one place and generates reports without manual spreadsheet work.

Summary

The Veterinary Inspectorate guidance published in 2026 has made pet hotel registration an important issue for businesses caring for dogs and cats in Poland. If you run such a business, verify your position with the appropriate District Veterinary Inspectorate and keep your records in order.

Whether you operate a small home-based pet hotel or a larger facility, well-organized data helps with both possible inspections and day-to-day management. AnimalAdmin is designed to make that work simpler, faster, and less stressful.

Sources

• Polish Chief Veterinary Inspectorate – guidance on the registration of animal shelters and other establishments keeping dogs and cats
• Provincial Veterinary Inspectorate in Poznań – notice about the guidance
• Polish Chief Veterinary Inspectorate