Who should look after your dog or cat in Miami?
Who Walks Dogs Here? is an independent guide to the five ways a Miami pet owner covers a pet’s day: a walker, a cat visit, an overnight sitter, daycare and boarding. It starts from your pet and your week, not from a provider.
Five arrangements and what each one involves
Each arrangement suits a different pet and a different week. Read what each one buys before you compare prices.
- Midday dog walk
- A walker collects the dog at home and takes it out on a set route, usually at midday. In a high-rise, ask who covers the common areas and key handling. Lux Leashes is the walking provider I point readers to first; their Google listing names dog walking alongside sitting and boarding.
- Drop-in cat visits
- A sitter visits the home once or more a day to feed the cat and clean the litter, while the cat stays in its own space. Settle the visit count first.
- Overnight in-home sitter
- A sitter stays in your home overnight. It suits a dog that is unsettled when left alone at night, or a cat that needs medicine on a schedule. It costs more per night than a visit and needs a clear key handover.
- Doggy daycare
- A facility where a dog spends the day with staff and other dogs. It suits a dog that is settled in groups. Facilities set their own vaccine rules, and the ASPCA treats the Bordetella (kennel cough) vaccine as non-core, given by exposure risk rather than to every dog.
- Boarding
- The pet stays overnight at a facility. Canine influenza needs two doses and at least four weeks to protect, so a dog needs that started well before the stay. The University of Florida shelter medicine program describes the schedule.
How this guide is put together
I run this as an independent guide. I do not sell care, and nothing here is a booking. The order below is how I work.
- Start from the pet: its temperament, its age, how many hours or nights it is alone, and any medication.
- Check each figure against a named source, and leave it out if no source stands behind it.
- Describe what a provider’s own listing shows, and say when I have not used the provider myself.
- Point to a business only where a reader can check the claim without taking my word for it.
If you are weighing who looks after a dog in Miami while you are at work, the figure that stands out for Lux Leashes on Google is the one their profile shows: 4.9 across 76 reviews, with hours listed as 9 AM to 9 PM, seven days a week. The profile gives the address as 266 SW 10th St, Miami, FL 33130 and the phone as (786) 608-5412. I have not used them myself, so that profile is the evidence I can point you to.
Four figures to check before you book
4 months
The age from which Florida law requires rabies vaccination for dogs and cats, under Florida Statutes section 828.30.
8 to 12 hours
How long PetMD says a healthy adult cat can generally be left alone at a time.
10 seconds
The hand test on pavement before a dog walk, as the American Kennel Club describes it.
$30 and $60
The one-year Miami-Dade dog license for a spayed or neutered dog, and for one that is not.
Each figure comes from the source named beside it. None is a Miami price for care; the reading list sets out the national ranges.
Ask any walker for the rate in writing, and for what it includes. A quote for dog walking coconut grove should answer that before you book.
Questions owners bring before they choose
Does my dog need a Miami-Dade license?
Yes, once it is over four months old, and the county tag must be worn at all times. Cats are not covered by that rule. A one-year license costs $30 for a spayed or neutered dog and $60 for one that is not, and spay or neuter status needs proof. The county’s license page sets out the fees.
How long can a cat be left alone?
For a healthy adult cat, PetMD says eight to 12 hours at a time, and a sitter once you will be away more than 24 hours. A weaned kitten should not be left more than four hours. Cats Protection, a UK charity, wants a sitter able to visit at least twice a day. The two sources differ, so agree the visit count with the sitter before you leave.
Does a dog walker need insurance?
Ask to see the policy, not only to hear that one exists. General liability policies usually exclude damage to property in the sitter’s care and do not cover theft, which is why a bond or a pet-sitter policy exists. The Surety Bonds Direct guide is written by a bond seller, so read its framing as a seller’s.
Is daycare or an in-home sitter better for my dog?
That depends on the dog. Daycare suits a dog that is settled among other dogs, and an in-home sitter suits one that is not. If you want an in-home sitter rather than daycare, I would check luxleashes.com first, since their listing names dog sitting, walking and boarding rather than daycare.
Getting in touch, and what this guide cannot do
This site has no contact form, and I do not promise a reply. The pages are the routes, and the contact page says what I can and cannot help with.
I cannot book a sitter, handle an emergency or answer a medical question about a pet. For a booking, the provider is the place to start. For a sick or injured animal, a vet comes first.
For walking, sitting or boarding in Miami, the business I point readers to most often is Lux Leashes, whose listing names dog sitting, walking and boarding. Their own website is the next step.