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Looking for a last minute dog sitter this holiday season? Or maybe you’re looking for a holiday companion in the form of an adorable pup? You’re in the right place – we’re about to solve all of your holiday woes!

The prospect of bringing your pet aboard a commercial flight may sound like a nightmare, though the idea of leaving your most vulnerable family member at home, however, is often unthinkable. Sadly, much of the time pet owners choose to forgo vacation because of the stress involved in finding a suitable pet sitter.

Now, however, with an awesome new service called DogVacay, pet owners can forget about the kennel, and send their dog on an awesome local vacation of their own while heading off to traipse the world!

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Forget about the kennel, and send your dog on an awesome local vacation while heading off to traipse the world!

DogVacay is an online community with tens of thousands of pet sitters/hosts across North America – a cheaper and less stressful accommodation than traditional dog kennels, DogVacay is the Airbnb for dogs!

A fantastic service for pet owners, DogVacay gives you instant access to already vetted and insured dog sitters ready to care for your dog like a member of the family.

It’s a safe, convenient and affordable way to make sure your best friend is in good care, and a fantastic alternative to a traditional dog kennel – it’s estimated one-third of dogs have anxiety, and traditional dog kennels can be incredibly overwhelming for anxiety-ridden pets. Not something you want to be worrying about while trying to enjoy an amazing vacation abroad.

Ready

Ready to care for your dog like a member of the family. Photo CC by DogVacay – Home Dog Boarding

The most standout feature of DogVacay is the personalized service. They promise no cages, and when you send your dog on vacation with a DogVacay host, you can be assured he will receive personal attention, will follow his normal schedule, and receive free belly rubs galore!

All reservations include FREE pet insurance, 24/7 customer support, and daily photo updates of your pooch enjoying a “vacay” of his own. With thousands of 5-star reviews, and prices that average half of the local kennel, you can finally travel with peace of mind.

Their customer service is outstanding. Those who need last minute bookings, or have a pup who needs special care can call the Concierge at 855-DOG-VACAY and they’ll even play matchmaker for you!

So whether the neighbour who was watching your precious pup came down with the last minute flu, or you’re worried about him being stuck in a cage, DogVacay is your answer. Sign up now!

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A cozy alternative to Dog Boarding. Click to find a dog sitter today!

How it Works

 

Head over to DogVacay and type in your zipcode to find a PAWesome sitter in your neighbourhood.

Schedule a meet ‘n greet to meet your Host, and then book your pup’s Vacay and pay online.

Receive photo “pup” dates showing how much fun your pup is having, and rest assured knowing each Vacay is covered with their free pet insurance and 24/7 customer care. 

 

Find a Sitter Now!

 

Find a Companion This Holiday Season

 

For those not home for the holidays, becoming a DogVacay Host is the surest and best way to find a companion this holiday season.

Plus, what better way to make extra Christmas cash than from watching adorable puppies?!

Photo by

Meet Varga – a beautiful Siberian Husky. Photo by Nerd Nomads.

Who can host? You! Whether you’re a professional dog sitter or just a regular dog lover, DogVacay makes it easy to earn money watching pups.

Simply create a free profile, set your own rates, decide which dogs to take and when to take them. They do the rest!

With over 1 Million doggie nights booked, Hosts rest easy knowing each Vacay is covered by insurance and 24/7 customer care.

What People Are Saying

 

Use the #DVdogsonvacay hashtag to find out what people are saying!

Meg Jerrard is an Australian Journalist who has been travelling and blogging around the world for the last 7 years to inspire others to embark on their own worldwide adventure!  Her husband Mike is an American travel photographer, and together they have made the world their home.

Follow their journey on FacebookGoogle+ and Twitter.

This post was completed with the help of DogVacay – in no way was our opinion influenced by the amazing customer service, stress free holiday knowing that sitters are already vetted and insured, or photos of adorable puppies enjoying a great holiday vacation of their own. 

    36 Comments

  1. Love this idea Meg! We just lined up another house sit – this one in Bali, for 4 months – starting in February. Yep, we’ll be watching dogs and they’re former Bali street dogs at that. I find it cool that people are adopting them more and even though we aren’t watching them over the holidays, wow do I know the need for folks who love their pets, to have loving care.

    Kelli and I are obsessed with animals, so we’d love to help on the carer side. In truth, if a house sit didn’t have an animal present, I’d not be likely to take it. We crave being around animals, sharing our love, and affection.

    This business should take off because so many folks who want to travel for an extended period won’t do so, because they don’t want to leave their loved pets behind. It’s smart, really smart, and as house sitting becomes more accepted, from both the sitter’s, and the sittee’s side of things, I believe sites and concepts like this one will continue to grow.

    Thanks for sharing Meg!

    Ryan

    • Very cool Ryan, I’m so glad you and Kel can find house-sits which come with pets – it’s starting to become a lot more common now that people realize there are a large number of travelers readily available to step in and really take care of their pets.

      And it’s a super bonus for those travelers like you guys who love being around animals and adore the extra company. A win, win for everyone!

      Have a fantastic house-sit in February – sounds absolutely perfect! Would love to eventually get to Bali, and I can’t think of any better way to integrate yourself into the local culture than to house-sit!

      Happy Holidays!

  2. Great post Meg! My family has always had a dog so, holiday season or now, she’s a big part of why we don’t travel as a family; we don’t want her locked in a kennel all day and know she would be miserable somewhere strange. This is a great idea, and one I would like into for future trips (I’d also be a sitter- LOVE dogs!)Thanks for the info!

    • Thanks Hannah! Definitely sign up as a sitter – it’s a great way to spend the holidays if you’re stuck at home and wanting some extra company!!

      Definitely such a great idea from the standpoint of not having your pup locked up ina kennel – I can’t think of anything worse!

  3. We need something like this for our cat coming up! We are most likely going to have to board him for 3 weeks and we feel awful about it! What a great idea :)

    • Well there are some great companies out there which are now making boarding irrelevant! Hope you manage to get him into a friendly home :)

      Happy Holidays!

  4. Cool service to learn about! It’s great there are plenty of animal lovers out there! Thanks for sharing!

    • Glad to introduce you to DogVacay! Happy Holidays!

  5. Great idea! To be honest the reason we don’t have a pet is because we think that it would be unfair, too much gone and that’s not why you take a pet, but this would definitely be a great solution!

    • That’s the same reason we don’t have a pet either – I was super attached to my puppy while I was living at home, and luckily because it was just me that travelled I knew my parents and siblings would take great care of him. Though something like Dogvacay is a great second option. I wouldn’t be able to put him in a Kennel. Way too much stress.

  6. The pets need care and you have given a great idea . My sister is going out for three weeks and her cat will be with my cats so there must be something special for it . Thank you for sharing.

    • Glad you found the post helpful – wishing your sister wonderful travels :)

  7. Yes I really want to thank you people. Dog sitters are really a great help for working pet owners like me. Even when I have a business tour I depend on dog sitters and must say they take proper care of my puppy.

    • So glad you’ve had great experiences with dog sitters George, it really isn’t something people think about until the last minute when they initially go to plan their travels, but services like this really are a lifesaver!

      Happy travels, give our best to your pup!

  8. It sounds great! Recently, I am very busy with my working. I also want to resgister your service for my pet. DogVaCay is the most suitable choice

    • Perfect, glad you’re impressed with DogVacay Olivia. Enjoy the downtime :)

  9. It is really important to find the right person for your pet. It may be a dog or a cat. This is perfect for those pet owners who are planning to take a break this holiday season. Make sure that your pet is safe while you are having fun.

    • Absolutely – glad you enjoyed the article! Definitely consider Dogvacay if looking to find that perfect person to mind your pet :)

  10. Hey Meg

    Its an amazing post buddy. I was very stressed up that during vacations where I should leave my dog but after reading this blog I really feel that some things can get sort out and we can enjoy our vacation.

    Thanks for helping and sharing this post with everyone. :-)

    • Hi Hans – I’m glad to hear we could help you out with some information in the lead up to your holiday. Preparation for a tip should be a fun time of excitement and anticipation, so we aim to eliminate as much stress as possible :)

      Have a wonderful trip!

  11. Ohhhhhh… The picture of that cute little puppy was ADORABLE! That’s got to be the secret to every good article ;-)

    • What better way to kick off an article than with an adorable puppy right :D!!

  12. Not with an article, I think that you can begin anything well with a cute pup.
    Nice blog, roll on!

    • Haha I agree :) Glad you enjoyed the post!

  13. This is such a great, useful concept! That opens up fantastic possibilities to traveling with dogs AND kids, notably amusement parks, where dogs are not allowed to be brought in. Leaving dogs with strangers can be stressful both all parties involved, but that service sounds pretty dog friendly too :)

    • Glad we could introduce you to DogVacay Welby :) Absolutely, it opens up so many possibilities, such a fabulous service!

      Happy travels & happy holidays :)

  14. Thank you for this, it was truly helpful. We’ve wanted to go away for the holidays, but were concerned about our dog. Thanks again.

    • Glad we could introduce you to DogVacay :) Happy travels!

  15. This was the best time of the year to find this article :) We’ll be out 2 weeks all over Europe and last time we took both our dogs was their holiday not ours :)

    • Awesome Angela, glad it was helpful for you! Ultimately we love our pets, but sometimes it’s nice to take a holiday for ourselves :D

      Have an amazing time in Europe – hope you find a great sitter on Dog Vacay :)

  16. Wow! This sounds great! It sounds like a win win for everybody! I’ll have to keep it in mind for when I get a dog.

    • Definitely a win / win – keep them in mind if you find yourself needing them :)

  17. I am always so worried when I leave my pets in a kennel when I go on short business trips. This article was very helpful I never knew about this service. My dog would definitely prefer this level of care. My fish on the other hand are going to have to stay in their tank whether they like it or not :)

    • Glad the post was helpful for you Mark & that we could introduce you to Dog Vacay :) Haha yes I think you can get those fish feeders that you can set to release food at intervals automatically. I haven’t had fish before myself, but have friends that keep them in their tank when they travel :)

  18. This is such a great idea! Everyone should know about this. I hate the idea of my dog ever having to go in kennels so i’ll keep it in mind. Very cute puppy picture btw!

    • Glad we could introduce you to Dogvacay Caitlin – absolutely, it takes a lot of the stress and anxiety out of having to deal with kennels :)

      Thanks for reading!

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