Pet sitters and dog walkers in Raleigh
Kingston's is based in Raleigh, so this is the one city on the site we write about from the ground rather than from a map. It is also a city where pet care gets genuinely hard in July — nobody is walking a dog at 2pm on Hillsborough Street in August, which is why most Raleigh walkers book early mornings and after seven.
Pet care prices in Raleigh
Going rates across Raleigh, so you know what a fair quote looks like before you book.
| Service | Typical Raleigh rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 30-minute dog walk | $20–$30 | Rover's Raleigh average was $21 in September 2026; independent walkers sit at the top of that range. |
| 30-minute drop-in visit | $20–$25 | — |
| Boarding in a sitter's home | $35–$50 a night | Rover's Raleigh median was $45 in May 2026. |
| Overnight house sitting at your home | $50–$75 a night | — |
| Mobile grooming | $65–$100 | Around $75 for a full groom on an average-size dog. |
Providers set their own rates on Kingston’s, so what you pay is what they quote — there is no markup added at checkout.
Covering Raleigh and Wake County
Providers list the parts of Raleigh they actually travel to, which is usually a handful of neighbourhoods rather than the whole city. Between them the app covers North Hills (Midtown), Five Points, Hayes Barton, Cameron Village, Historic Oakwood, Mordecai, Boylan Heights, Glenwood South, Brier Creek, Wakefield, Bloomsbury and Roanoke Park, along with the rest of Wake County. Search your own address in the app and it will show who is genuinely close rather than who is merely listed.
Our Raleigh coverage right now
We are onboarding our first Raleigh providers, so coverage is filling in neighbourhood by neighbourhood rather than being complete everywhere. We would rather say that than show you a long list of names who cannot actually take your booking. Every provider verifies their ID with our team before they appear, and the app only shows people who are free for your dates.
If nobody is near you yet, it is worth checking back — Raleigh is our home market and the first one we are building out.
Booking takes about two minutes
- 1
Search your address
See the providers who actually cover your part of Raleigh, with their rates and reviews.
- 2
Send the details
Your dates, your pet, anything a sitter should know. Message them before you commit.
- 3
Book and pay in the app
Card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. Free for pet owners — there is no booking fee.
- 4
Get updates while you're away
Photos and messages from your provider, in the same chat.
Dog laws in Raleigh
The parts that catch people out, and where to check for yourself.
Raleigh does not require a city dog licence — unusual for a city this size, and the thing most new residents get wrong. What North Carolina law does require is rabies. Under G.S. 130A-185 every dog, cat and ferret must be vaccinated by four months old and kept current for life, indoor-only pets included. G.S. 130A-190 goes further: a dog must wear its rabies tag at all times. Inside the city limits, Raleigh City Code § 12-3011 makes it unlawful to let a dog run at large, with fines reaching $500, and the city has run extra patrols in parks over unleashed dogs. Off-leash is only legal inside the fenced dog parks, and even there dogs must be leashed going in and out. Raleigh's tethering ordinance also caps tethering at three hours in any 24-hour period, on a tether at least 10 feet long.
Source: raleighnc.gov/safety/services/dog-tethering-ordinance-and-leash-law and the NC Division of Public Health rabies pages. Checked 2026-10-11. Rules and fees change — confirm with the city or county before relying on this. More on pet ID tag laws.
Dog parks in Raleigh
All free, all fenced, and all leashed going in and out.
Oakwood Dog Park — 910 Brookside Drive
Separate runs for dogs under and over 30lb, shaded seating, and close enough to downtown to walk to. The one most often described as clean and well kept.
Millbrook Exchange Dog Park — 1905 Spring Forest Road
Three fenced areas — small or older dogs, large dogs, and a shared space — plus agility equipment and water fountains. The only city dog park with lights: open 7am to 10pm rather than dawn to dusk, which makes it the realistic option on a winter evening.
Carolina Pines Dog Park — 2305 Lake Wheeler Road
Two fenced areas split by size, with more room to actually run than most. Worth the drive if your dog needs distance rather than company.
Dorothea Dix Dog Park — 1800 Umstead Drive
On the Dix Park campus, so you can make a longer walk of it rather than just a park visit.
Jaycee Dog Run — 2405 Wade Avenue
No size split here — all dogs share one run — over wood chips, with mature shade trees and plenty of benches. Fine for a confident dog, less so for a nervous small one.
Buffaloe Road Dog Park — 5900 Buffaloe Road
Size-separated, and the usual choice for Northeast Raleigh.
Baileywick Park Dog Park — 9501 Baileywick Road
North Raleigh's local option, handy for North Hills and Falls of Neuse.
Lost a pet in Raleigh?
Save these numbers now, not on the day.
820 Beacon Lake Drive. The only facility that will always take an animal found in Wake County — so it is the first place to check, and the first place a finder is likely to hand your dog in.
Call this number if your pet is loose in the city, or if you have found one.
200 Petfinder Lane. A separate organisation from the county centre, with a different intake process — strays normally go to Wake County Animal Center, not here.
Work through the first hour properly — our step-by-step plan covers what to do before you start making calls. A QR ID tag skips most of this: whoever finds your pet scans the code with their phone and reaches you directly, without a shelter or a scanner in between.
Your other options in Raleigh
- ✓Rover and Wag — far more sitters than us, and if you need someone tonight they will probably have one. Their commission on new sitters is around 20%.
- ✓A boarding kennel — predictable and staffed overnight, but your dog is somewhere unfamiliar rather than at home.
- ✓A neighbour — free and trusted, until the week they are away too.
- ✓Kingston's — providers keep 87%, which is the only real difference worth claiming. Better-paid sitters stay, and a sitter who already knows your dog beats a cheaper stranger.
We are the newest of those options in Raleigh, and we would rather you knew that going in.
Want to earn as a pet sitter in Raleigh?
Set your own rates and your own days, keep 87% of what you charge, and get paid to your bank through Stripe.
See how it worksRaleigh pet care FAQ
Do I need a dog licence in Raleigh?+
No — Raleigh does not issue or require a city dog licence, which surprises people moving from cities that do. What North Carolina does require is a current rabies vaccination from four months of age, and under G.S. 130A-190 your dog must wear its rabies tag at all times. That tag proves vaccination; it carries no contact details, which is why most owners add a second ID tag alongside it.
What does a dog walker cost in Raleigh?+
Expect $20–$30 for a 30-minute walk. Rover's Raleigh average was about $21 in September 2026, and independent walkers with their own insurance tend to sit at the upper end. Boarding in a sitter's home runs $35–$50 a night, and mobile grooming around $75 for an average-size dog.
Which Raleigh dog parks separate small dogs from large ones?+
Oakwood, Millbrook Exchange, Buffaloe Road and Carolina Pines all split their space at the 30-pound line. Jaycee Dog Run on Wade Avenue does not — every dog shares one run there, which is fine for a confident dog and less comfortable for a nervous small one. All the city dog parks are free.
Is there a dog park in Raleigh open after dark?+
Millbrook Exchange on Spring Forest Road is the one. It runs 7am to 10pm and is lit, while every other city dog park closes at dusk. In winter that makes it the only realistic option for anyone who gets home after six.
My dog got out in Raleigh — who do I call first?+
Call Raleigh Animal Control on 919-831-6311, then Wake County Animal Center on 919-212-7387. The county centre at 820 Beacon Lake Drive is the only facility that always accepts animals found in Wake County, so it is where a finder is most likely to take your dog. Post in the local lost-pet Facebook groups at the same time — in practice neighbours find more dogs than shelters do.
Can I let my dog off the lead in a Raleigh park?+
Only inside a fenced dog park. Raleigh City Code § 12-3011 makes letting a dog run at large unlawful anywhere in the city, fines reach $500, and the city has increased patrols over it. Even at the dog parks, dogs must be leashed going in and out.
Do you have providers in my part of Raleigh?+
We are onboarding our first Raleigh providers now, so coverage is still filling in neighbourhood by neighbourhood. Open the app and search your address — it shows who is actually available near you rather than a list of names that cannot take the booking. If nobody is nearby yet, it is worth checking back; Raleigh is our home market and the one we are building out first.
How is Kingston's different from Rover in Raleigh?+
Providers keep 87% of what they charge. Rover's commission on new sitters is around 20%, so the same walk pays a Raleigh sitter noticeably more here — which matters to you because better-paid sitters stay, and a sitter who already knows your dog is worth more than a cheaper stranger. Booking is free for pet owners either way.
Book pet care in Raleigh
Everything happens in the app — search, chat, book and pay. Free for pet owners.
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