Where can I find a pet boarding service/dogsitter on a short notice?

December 3, 2009 8:28 PM

I need to find a dogsitter / pet boarding on a relatively short notice in New York City.

Due to my dragging of my feet, most places are already booked. I'm looking for somebody or a place to take care of my doberman/hound mix from December 24th to 26th in the NYC area.

I've been asking friends and co-workers to no avail, so any suggestions?

posted by pakoothefakoo to Pets & Animals (9 answers total)

Craiglist! No, really. There are 8 zillion out of work actors who would be more than happy to take great care of your dog for cheaper than a boarder. If you want actual personal recommendations, I'm happy to give them. Just MeMail me (may not get to mail till tomorrow morning).
posted by Lutoslawski at 8:32 PM on December 3, 2009

I've boarded my dog at short notice (though not at the holidays) at Steinway Animal Hospital in Astoria. I do not recommend Astoria Animal Center.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 8:35 PM on December 3, 2009

No time to google but the only places I've trusted my dogs to have been Doggie Diva and Happy Paws. You'll pay well for it, but they're healthy and safe and as a bonus, happy.
posted by cestmoi15 at 8:42 PM on December 3, 2009

I normally do in home boarding as part of my business but unfortunately am away over the holidays. Have you tried the Dog Spa? They are the place I recommend to my clients when I can't cover and no-one's ever been unhappy with it.
posted by merocet at 8:47 PM on December 3, 2009 [1 favorite]

Dogwalker.com just launched last month and they show three dogwalker services in NYC
posted by FlamingBore at 10:18 PM on December 3, 2009

Ask you vet. That is how I found my home sitter.
posted by fluffycreature at 4:13 AM on December 4, 2009

Response by poster: Thank you for all the answers, I'll explore them all.
posted by pakoothefakoo at 6:31 AM on December 4, 2009

I used Peters Pets (I think based on an Ask Me recommendation). I didn't book them that far in advance, but I had them come to my home, which probably has different capacity issues than boarding.
posted by Mavri at 9:36 AM on December 4, 2009

This may be a bit far north for you, but Best Friends Pet Care did right by me, up in White Plains.

Wherever you go, make sure you have all your pet's paperwork, immunizations, etc. up to date - many professional boarders won't take a pet w/o them, or will charge you to re-administer them.
posted by GJSchaller at 12:21 PM on December 4, 2009