How we get the prices

Every number on this site comes from a real, published source, and we link to it. We don't run surveys or invent averages.

1. Find the local businesses

For each city we pull the kennels, boarding facilities, daycares, pet sitters and dog walkers listed on Google Maps, usually 75 to 100 of them.

2. Read their own price lists

We read each business's own website and keep only prices they publish themselves: per night, per day, per visit or per walk, copied exactly, with a link to the page. If a business doesn't publish prices, it's still listed in the directory, without a price.

3. Add the hourly sitter rate

For the hourly cost of a sitter coming to your home, we use Care.com's published rates for the city, the state, the US, and the nearby suburbs.

4. Keep it honest

• Nobody pays to be listed or to change a price.
• Ranges show what's really out there, including the cheapest and the most expensive. We also say what most places charge.
• Prices change. We show when each page was last checked; confirm with the business before you book.
• The Paw Brief is made by the team behind this site, and we say so on every page.

Found a wrong price, or want your business added or removed? Every page is checked again regularly.