Opened in 1997 by HRH Prince Michael of Kent, Kent Kennels is home to the hundreds of dogs and cats ready for rehoming.  There are four floors and eight kennel blocks (two blocks on each floor) containing 164 individual kennels.  The ground floor is a dedicated kennel area for dogs recuperating from operations and is not open to the general public.

Each kennel block is named after famous areas of London.  We even have our own Piccadilly Circus, which is the busy area on the ground floor where people wait to see a rehomer about a potential dog or cat.  On the third floor we have a long dog run called Green park and the clinic area is called Harley Street.

Each individual kennel has a run at the back, heated beds and a special flushing system for cleaning the kennel.

Tealby was named after the founder of the Home, Mary Tealby, and contains 126 kennels for lost dogs.  Stray dogs are held here for the first seven days of their stay at the Home, giving their owners a chance to come forward and claim them.

If you are looking for your lost dog, this is the building to visit.  The reception is situated on the ground floor dealing with people who are looking for their lost dog, and for owners giving their dog or cat to us when they are unable to care for it any  more.

We can house up to 150 cats at any one time and have three areas dedicated to our feline friends although shortly we will be starting work on a new cattery to house all our cats in one building.

Our cats up for rehoming are housed in the Kent Kennels on the second floor in an area named Feline Street.  There are 48 pens for cats, some with outside runs, and all with heated beds.

Cats that have just come into the Home, are on hold for new owners or are receiving veterinary care, stay here until they are ready to be rehomed.

We have four individual rooms away from the hustle and bustle of the main cattery that are dedicated to cats that are not coping in the busy cattery environment.  These rooms have been made as homely as possible with furniture, TVs and radios, and lots of cat toys.  Very scared or unapproachable cats stay here while staff and volunteers work on them until they are ready for rehoming.

Built in 1906 as the original cattery to a design by Clough Williams-Ellis, the Lodge stands at the centre of the Home.  These days it is used as offices and a socialisation room for dogs.

Unfortunately, a large number of dogs get kennel cough whilst at the Home due to the large quantity of dogs we have at any one time (approximately 400).  The Treatment Kennels house all small to medium-sized breeds that have kennel cough and are waiting for their behaviour assessment.  The dogs are cared for in the Treatment Kennels until they are fit and well again.

Also known as the nursery, The Puppy House contains puppies up to four months old.  The nursery is bright and colourful and full of toys, just what puppies need.

The Toy Shed is a wooden shed for miniature dogs.  Here they have their own little kingdom with no disturbance from the bigger and bouncier dogs.

Unders is directly under the railway bridge and Overs is on the other side of the railway line.  Both have been used since the early 1900s as kennels and as an exercise area respectively.  Both provide temporary accommodation for large breed dogs with kennel cough therefore not up for rehoming yet but that have been at the Home for over seven days and have not been reclaimed.  Larger kennels have been built here for breeds like Great Danes and Bull Mastiffs as some of these breeds need more room than our standard kennels.

This is the newest piece of land which we use to exercise our dogs (although we have been using it for over 10 years). We are currently redeveloping and landscaping the area to include 10 covered exercise pens with floodlights. 

Nearest bus: 344, 44 (stop right outside)

Unfortunately, there is no car parking available at Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, although you may be able to park in the surrounding residential streets.

Nearest train stations:
Battersea Park (from Victoria or Clapham Junction) - three minutes walk
Queenstown Road (from Waterloo) - six minutes walk

Nearest tube: Vauxhall on the Victoria Line - 20 minutes walk along Nine Elms Lane

Congestion Charging: The Home is outside the Congestion Charging Zone. For further information and to help you plan your route to us, check the TFL Congestion Charge website.