Dog Sitting and Boarding Rates in Tampa (2026): What Local Sitters Actually Charge
Short answer: in Tampa, a pet sitter who comes to your home costs about $16 to $21 an hour. Overnight kennel boarding runs $27 to $80 a night (most charge $52 to $60), and a sleepover in a sitter's own home is about $80 to $100 a night for one dog. Daycare is $20 to $51 a day, and a 30-minute drop-in visit or walk is $22 to $33. We checked the published price lists of 27 Tampa Bay businesses, plus Care.com, in October 2026.
Leaving your dog? Hand your sitter one page with everything they need.
$17The price is the easy part. Your dog has 47 little rules. Your sitter probably knows 4. That gap is where trips go wrong, and it's why we built The Paw Brief (more below).
Tampa dog care prices at a glance
| Type of care | Typical Tampa price | Where the number comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Pet sitter in your home | $16.08 to $20.94 an hour | Care.com Tampa rates, October 2026 |
| Kennel boarding, one dog | $52 to $60 a night | Tampa Bay Canine Retreat, Hounds Town Westchase, Puppy Manor, Camp Bow Wow Tampa Airport, The Wagging Club, The Bark Station |
| Boarding, budget kennels | $27 to $48 a night | Rivers Edge Pet Resort (by dog size), DoggyDay Inn, Benjamin Biscuit |
| Boarding, premium suites | $63 to $80 a night | Bravo K9 Tampa, Dogtopia of Westchase, Hounds Town, The Wagging Club |
| Boarding, extra dog in the same room | $35 to $50 a night | Puppy Manor, The Bark Station, Hounds Town, The Wagging Club |
| Sleepover in a sitter's home | $80 to $100 a night | Calling All Dogs and Cats, Jen The Pet Sitter |
| Sitter stays overnight at your home | $75 to $120 a night | PetZazu, Four Paws Sake, Furry Ventures, Wags and Wiggles |
| Doggy daycare, full day | $20 to $51 a day (most $34 to $42) | The Wagging Club, Camp Bow Wow, And a Leash, Furkids, Dogtopia, Bravo K9 |
| Drop-in visit or walk, 30 minutes | $22 to $33 | Pet Care Plus, PetZazu, High Speed Paws, Unleashed Tampa Bay, V.I.C. Pet Care, Calling All Dogs and Cats |
| Short check-in, 15 minutes | $18 to $22 | PetZazu, High Speed Paws, Calling All Dogs and Cats |
Tampa sits a little under the Florida average ($16.61 to $22.25 an hour) and the national average of $16.68 to $22.55, according to Care.com.
Rates in the suburbs
Across the bay and out in the suburbs, the going rate moves more than you might expect:
| Area | Starting rate | Top rate |
|---|---|---|
| Riverview | $18.08/hr | $22.57/hr |
| Apollo Beach | $18.40/hr | $20.50/hr |
| Dunedin | $19.43/hr | $20.43/hr |
| Valrico | $15.00/hr | $20.38/hr |
| Zephyrhills | $14.94/hr | $17.56/hr |
| Oldsmar | $14.11/hr | $28.67/hr |
Source: Care.com, October 2026.
What pushes the price up in Tampa
- Big dogs. Many Tampa kennels price by size. Rivers Edge goes from $27 a day for a dog up to 20 lbs to $45 for 81 lbs and up, Bravo K9 charges $66 under 25 lbs and $74 over, and PAW-B&B runs $55 for a small dog up to $130 for an extra-large one.
- More than one dog. A second dog in the same room is usually $35 to $50 extra (Camp Bow Wow Tampa Airport charges $103 for two dogs instead of $55 for one). Sitters who come to you charge much less per extra pet, often $3 to $12 a visit.
- Holidays and busy weeks. Bay Paws adds $10 a night per pet from 3 days before to 3 days after a holiday, PAW-B&B adds $15 a night and Bravo K9 adds $20. Home sitters add $5 to $20 a visit and up to $30 a night for overnights. Some sitters treat spring break as a holiday, and High Speed Paws closes for the Gasparilla Pirate Festival in January, so book those weeks early.
- Late pick-up. Most kennels charge a day of daycare if you collect after checkout: $25 at Puppy Manor and Benjamin Biscuit, $29 at Hounds Town, $35 at Dogtopia.
- High-rises and keys. Downtown, Channelside and Harbour Island condos cost a little more: Unleashed Tampa Bay adds $10 for buildings that need a concierge, and a key or fob hand-off is $32.
- Extras. Exit baths ($25 to $45 at The Wagging Club, required for stays over two nights), house food ($4 to $6 a day) and insulin shots ($4 to $5) are often add-ons.
Sitter at home, sitter's home, or kennel?
| Option | Tampa price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Sitter in your home | $16 to $21 an hour, $22 to $33 a visit, or $75 to $120 a night | Dogs who are anxious away from home, older dogs, homes with other pets |
| Boarding in a sitter's home | About $80 to $100 a night | Social dogs who like a quiet house and one person |
| Kennel or pet resort | $27 to $80 a night | Dogs who love other dogs and a busy day of play |
Tampa weather matters too. From June to September a sitter has to walk your dog early or late, before the pavement gets too hot for paws, and hurricane season runs June through November. Whoever you pick needs to know your dog's limits and what to do if a storm closes the roads.
The part no price covers
The walk is rarely what goes wrong. It's the text at 9pm.
"How much food again?" "Is the white pill the morning one?" "Who's your vet?"
You're paying $22 to $80 a day for someone to look after your dog. Then you hand them the most important information out loud, at the door, in a rush, and hope it sticks. Or you write a 10-page Word document they skim once.
Whether it's a friend, a $21-an-hour pro or an $80-a-night resort, they all need the same things from you, and most owners forget at least one:
- Exactly how much your dog eats, and when (not "morning-ish")
- Every medication, the dose, and how to give it
- The quirks: the gate that doesn't latch, the bolt at the front door, the toy that can't be left out
- When to call you, and when to skip you and go straight to the emergency vet
- Your vet, the nearest 24-hour clinic, and a backup contact who isn't you
The Paw Brief: one handbook your sitter can scan in seconds
The Paw Brief asks you the questions you'd forget, then turns your answers into one clear care guide. Fill it in once, update it before each trip, and hand it to whoever is watching your dog: a sitter, a boarding kennel, or your neighbor.
What's inside:
- Who is who: photos and markings for each pet, so meds and food never get mixed up
- Precise times: real times for meals, walks and meds, not "evening"
- Little rituals: the bedtime toy, the water-bowl trick, the things only you know
- Behavior, honestly: checkboxes for reactivity, separation anxiety and resource guarding, so your sitter isn't surprised
- Emergency thresholds: exactly when to call you and when to go straight to the vet
- House details: alarm, fuse box, spare key, and neighbor boundaries
What you get: a fillable PDF that works on any device, plus an editable Canva version. Instant download, no subscription.
The math is easy. One night of Tampa boarding costs $27 to $80. The Paw Brief costs $17, once, and you reuse it for every trip after this one.
No risk: if it doesn't help, you get your money back within 30 days.
The Paw Brief is made by the team behind this guide. The prices and local listings above are researched separately and nobody paid to be included.
Tampa dog sitters, kennels and daycares
Real local options with their Google rating. Where a business publishes its prices, we list them with a link so you can check.
Boarding and kennels
- Camp Bow Wow Tampa South Shore, Riverview · 4.9★ (823 Google reviews) · Website · Their prices: Full Day daycare: $35.00 per day; Half Day daycare: $24.00 per half day; 5 Full Days: $170.00 5-day package
- Canine Cabana, Riverview · 4.8★ (752 Google reviews) · Website
- Paws 'n' Rec - Pearl, South Tampa · 4.7★ (628 Google reviews) · Website
- Bay Paws Pet Resort - Ybor City, Ybor City · 4.6★ (712 Google reviews) · Website · Their prices: Holiday rate add-on: $10 per night per pet
- Pet Paradise Wesley Chapel, Wesley Chapel · 4.4★ (617 Google reviews) · Website · Their prices: Dog boarding, 1st dog (by suite): $41 to $67 per day; Dog boarding, 2nd dog (by suite): $29 to $42 per day; Add Day Camp to a stay: +$22 per day
- Dogtopia of Westchase, Westchase · 4.8★ (259 Google reviews) · Website · Their prices: Standard boarding, non-enrolled: $70 per night; Suite boarding, non-enrolled: $80 per night; Daycare Full Day: $51 per day
- PetSuites Carrollwood, Carrollwood · 4.6★ (270 Google reviews) · Website
- Puppy Manor, South Tampa · 4.8★ (227 Google reviews) · Website · Their prices: Boarding, social dogs, 1st dog (1 to 7 nights): $55 per night; Boarding, social dogs, 2nd dog: $45 per night; Daycare single day: $40 per day
- Hounds Town - Westchase, Westchase · 4.9★ (204 Google reviews) · Website · Their prices: Townhome boarding: $53 per night; Luxury Suite boarding: $63 per night; Daycare, Monday to Friday: $35 per day
- The Bark Station Resort and Spa, North Tampa · 4.7★ (165 Google reviews) · Website · Their prices: Boarding: $60 per night; Boarding, each additional pup: $50 per night
- Busch Gardens Pet Kennel, North Tampa · 4.6★ (164 Google reviews)
- DoggyDay Inn Resort, Daycare & Grooming, Carrollwood · 4.6★ (149 Google reviews) · Website · Their prices: Villas (daycare included): start at $40 per night; Daycare Full Day: $20 per day; Daycare Half Day: $10 per half day
Daycare
- BarkSuds, South Tampa · 4.7★ (479 Google reviews) · Website
- Lauri's Pet Sitting Service, Seminole Heights · 4.6★ (168 Google reviews)
- And a Leash Specialty Petcare, South Tampa · 4.8★ (137 Google reviews) · Website · Their prices: Daycare, a la carte: $42 per day; Daycare 5 Pack: $200 5-day pack; Daycare 10 Pack: $350 10-day pack
- Barks to Riches, Westshore · 4.6★ (118 Google reviews) · Website
- Lovely Grooming Hotel, Citrus Park · 5★ (59 Google reviews)
- Furkids Inc., Downtown Tampa · 4.9★ (27 Google reviews) · Website · Their prices: Daycare (starts from): $45 per day; 1/2 Daycare (starting at): $30 per half day
- Doggy Daycare Inn, Downtown Tampa · New on Google
Sitters and walkers (they come to you)
- Professional Pets Florida LLC, Brandon · 5★ (289 Google reviews) · Website
- FairyTail Pet Care, Tampa · 5★ (215 Google reviews) · Website
- Furry Ventures Pet Care, Tampa · 5★ (168 Google reviews) · Website · Their prices: 30 Minute Visit: $30 per visit; In-Home Pet Sitting Overnight: $90 per night; Almost Overnight: $70 per night
- Doublemint Sitting, Tampa · 4.8★ (173 Google reviews) · Website
- SoHo Sitters, Tampa · 4.8★ (152 Google reviews) · Website
- High Speed Paws, Tampa · 5★ (144 Google reviews) · Website · Their prices: Pet sitting visit, 30 minutes: $28 per visit; Pet sitting visit, 15 minutes: $20 per visit; Bed and Breakfast "Almost Overnight": $120 per night
- V.I.C. Pet Care Inc., Tampa · 5★ (124 Google reviews) · Website · Their prices: 30 minute visit: $30.00 per visit; 45 minute visit: $36.00 per visit; 60 minute visit: $42.00 per visit
- Unleashed Tampa Bay, South Tampa · 4.9★ (94 Google reviews) · Website · Their prices: Occasional Dog Walk (up to 2 pets): $30 per walk; Occasional Potty Break: $28 per visit; Vacation visit: $34 per visit
- South Tampa Dog Walking & Pet Sitting, South Tampa · 5★ (76 Google reviews) · Website
- Paws to Plants, Brandon · 5★ (58 Google reviews) · Website
- Paws to Stalls Pet Sitting, Tampa · 5★ (54 Google reviews) · Website
- Puppy Sitters of South Tampa, Tampa · 5★ (43 Google reviews)
Listings come from Google Maps and each business's own website, checked October 2026. Nobody paid to be listed. Prices change, so confirm before you book. Own one of these businesses? Ask us about a featured spot.
Frequently asked questions
How much should I pay a dog sitter in Tampa?
Most Tampa pet sitters charge about $16 to $21 an hour, or $22 to $33 for a 30-minute visit. For a friend or neighbor, many owners pay close to the same hourly rate or a flat amount per day, plus a thank-you.
How much is dog boarding in Tampa per night?
Kennel boarding is $27 to $80 a night; most Tampa kennels charge $52 to $60 for one dog. A sleepover in a sitter's own home is about $80 to $100 a night.
Is it cheaper to board my dog or have a sitter come over?
For a full day, a kennel night ($27 to $80) is often cheaper than paying a sitter by the hour or an overnight sitter ($75 to $120). For a few short visits a day, an in-home sitter can cost less and keeps your dog in its own routine.
Do Tampa sitters charge more on holidays?
Often, yes. Expect $10 to $20 a night extra at kennels and $5 to $30 extra per visit or overnight with home sitters, and book early for holidays, spring break and Gasparilla in January.
What should I leave for my dog sitter?
Feeding amounts and times, medications with doses, your vet and the nearest emergency clinic, a backup contact, and house rules. The Paw Brief walks you through all of it and turns it into one guide your sitter can scan in seconds.