Booking pet care for the holidays
Good sitters are full weeks before the date, and the small boarding places go first because they cap their numbers on purpose. For Thanksgiving the sensible deadline is about Oct 29 — roughly 10 days from now.
When to book for each holiday
Industry guidance, and it matches what providers report: the festive fortnight is the hardest stretch of the year to staff.
| Holiday | Date | Book at least | So, by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thanksgiving | Thursday, November 26 | 4–6 weeks ahead | Oct 29 |
| Christmas | Friday, December 25 | 6–8 weeks ahead | Nov 13 |
| New Year | Friday, January 1 | 6–8 weeks ahead | Nov 20 |
Summer travel needs more notice again — two to three months is normal for July and August.
Holiday rates in Raleigh, honestly
Most sitters charge more for working a holiday, and they should. Here is roughly what that looks like.
| Service | Usual Raleigh rate | Over the holidays |
|---|---|---|
| 30-minute drop-in visit | $20–$25 | $25–$38 |
| 30-minute dog walk | $20–$30 | $25–$45 |
| Boarding at a sitter's home, per night | $35–$50 | $44–$75 |
| Overnight house sitting, per night | ~$51 | $64–$77 |
Around 58% of professional sitters add a holiday surcharge — usually $10–$20 a visit or 25–50%, rising to 50–100% on Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve themselves. Many add a one-off booking fee of $10–$25 for the trip as well. Ask up front so it is not a surprise on the invoice.
Providers set their own rates on Kingston’s, holiday pricing included — what you see is what they chose, not a platform markup. Year-round Raleigh pricing is on the Raleigh page.
Boarding or a sitter at home?
There is no universally better option — there is only the one that suits your particular dog.
| If your dog is… | Usually better | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Confident, sociable, likes other dogs | Boarding | A dog that already enjoys daycare usually treats boarding as a week away rather than an ordeal. The company and structure suit them. |
| Anxious, noise-sensitive or elderly | In-home sitter | Familiar smells, familiar furniture, familiar routine. For a dog that finds new places hard, staying put removes most of the stress on its own. |
| On medication or with medical needs | In-home sitter | One person doing the same thing at the same time each day, in the place the medication already lives. Fewer handovers, fewer chances to get it wrong. |
| Short trip — one to three nights | In-home sitter | The disruption of moving somewhere new is barely worth it for two nights. Drop-in visits often cover it. |
| Longer trip — a week or more | Either, honestly | This is where boarding's structure and company can genuinely be better than a dog alone between visits. Depends more on the dog than the length. |
| Two or more dogs that live together | In-home sitter | Keeping them together at home is usually cheaper than two boarding places and much less unsettling for both. |
Sort these while there is still time
- 1
Book the dates first, meet afterwards
Availability is the scarce thing, not the meeting. Hold the dates, then arrange a meet-and-greet — trying to do both in the week before Christmas rarely works.
- 2
Agree the vet limit in writing
Which practice, how much they can spend without reaching you, and who decides if you are on a plane. Uncomfortable for a minute, invaluable if it happens.
- 3
Leave instructions on paper as well as in the chat
Feeding amounts, medication times, where everything lives. The paper copy is the one that still works when a phone is flat.
- 4
Check the collar before you leave
More pets go missing over the holidays than any other time — strange houses, open doors, fireworks at New Year. Make sure whatever is on the collar still has a number that reaches you.
What still works in December
- ✓Be flexible on service — drop-in visits have far more availability than overnight stays
- ✓Search one neighbourhood further out than you normally would; ten minutes of travel opens up a lot
- ✓Look at newer providers. They have open calendars precisely because they are new, and they are often the most eager to do a good job
- ✓Ask about partial cover — two visits a day plus a neighbour looking in is better than nothing, and plenty of dogs manage it fine
Holiday pet care FAQ
How far in advance should I book holiday pet care?+
Four to six weeks for Thanksgiving, six to eight for Christmas and New Year. Good sitters in a given neighbourhood are often full by early November for the whole festive period, and smaller boarding places fill fastest because they cap numbers deliberately. If you are reading this in October and travelling at Christmas, you are in the window now rather than later.
Do pet sitters charge more over the holidays?+
Most do — around 58% of professional sitters apply a holiday surcharge. It is usually either a flat $10–$20 extra per visit or a 25–50% uplift, and on the busiest days (Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve) surcharges of 50–100% are not unusual. Many sitters also add a one-off holiday booking fee of $10–$25 per trip. In practice a $30 drop-in becomes $40–$45 on Christmas Day. None of that is a markup by us — providers set their own rates, including what they charge for working a holiday.
Is it cheaper to board or to use an in-home sitter?+
Boarding usually looks cheaper per night, and for one dog it often is. For two dogs living together, in-home sitting frequently wins, because you are paying for one visit rather than two boarding places. Over the holidays the gap narrows anyway, since both carry surcharges. Choose on what suits the dog first and compare the cost second — the saving is rarely large enough to be the deciding factor.
What if I have left it too late?+
Ask anyway, and widen your search. Two things work in late season: being flexible about which service you book — drop-in visits have more availability than overnight stays — and looking one neighbourhood further out than you normally would. New providers also come onto the app through the autumn and have open calendars precisely because they are new. Searching your address in the app shows who genuinely has your dates free rather than a list you then have to ring round.
What should I leave for the sitter?+
Written feeding instructions with actual amounts rather than "a scoop", medication with doses and times, your vet's name and number, the spending limit you have agreed for an emergency, and a second contact who can make a decision if you are unreachable abroad. Put it on paper as well as in the app chat. Over the holidays, also say what you are happy for them to do if the weather turns — plenty of Raleigh Decembers include an ice morning where a long walk is a bad idea.
How much does holiday pet care cost in Raleigh?+
Expect $25–$38 for a 30-minute drop-in visit over the holidays against $20–$25 the rest of the year, and $44–$75 a night for boarding at a sitter's home against $35–$50. Add a possible $10–$25 booking fee on top. The full year-round Raleigh breakdown, including grooming and walks, is on our Raleigh page.
Can I meet the sitter before the holidays?+
You should, and now is the time — a meet-and-greet in the week before Christmas is hard to arrange because everyone is busy. Book the care first to hold the dates, then arrange the meeting. Our guide to choosing a sitter covers what to ask and what to watch for.
What if my travel plans change?+
Tell the provider as early as you can. Cancellation terms over the holidays are usually stricter than the rest of the year, because a sitter who holds Christmas week for you has turned other work away. Agree what happens if plans change at the time of booking rather than discovering it afterwards.
Not sure who to trust with the booking? Questions to ask and red flags to watch for
See who has your dates free
Search your address in the app and it shows the providers genuinely available — not a list you then have to ring round.
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