Best Pet Boarding Services Compared
This page is educational reference material for preparing questions. A licensed veterinarian examines the animal, makes the diagnosis, and sets the treatment.
Comparing Rover, Wag!, Camp Bow Wow, and traditional boarding facilities. Covers pricing, services, safety, and which is best for your pet.
Detailed Comparison
| Rover | Wag | Camp Bow Wow or a local kennel | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | A marketplace of people who board pets in their homes | A marketplace of caregivers for walks, sitting, and boarding | A facility. Camp Bow Wow is a daycare and boarding chain. A local kennel or veterinary hospital is a facility stay at a fixed address. |
| Use it for | A dog or cat who is calm in a house, after a meet-and-greet | The same home-care arrangement, with a written handover of medications | A dog who already does well in a play group, or an owner who wants a published vaccine policy and a street address |
| Check before you buy | Who is home during the day, and which vaccines the sitter requires | The same meet-and-greet, plus how medications are given | Whether someone is on the property overnight, and where the pet goes if it becomes ill |
A home sitter suits a pet who settles in a house. A facility suits a dog who already copes with daycare, or an owner who wants the pet at a fixed address. Visit once before the trip you cannot cancel.
Which option is the best value?
The cheaper sit is the one that matches the pet. Group play is a poor value for a dog who fights. A home sitter is a poor value for a dog who needs a midday medication and an empty house.
Can I switch later?
Book a different sitter or kennel for the next trip. For the current trip, the cancellation window is the host's. Read it before you pay.