Reading List: the sources to check before you hire a pet carer

Which sources to read, and how to judge them

This page is for a Miami owner who has already decided a walker, sitter, daycare or boarding is needed, and wants the rules and prices checked before the first call. It names only sources from the research behind this site, and for each one it says the single thing that source settles.

Judge every source by three questions: does it state a rule or only an opinion, does it carry a date, and who gains if you believe it? A county or state page sets the rule. A trade or consumer guide gives a range. A seller’s page has a stake in what it says.

Where readers usually get stuck

Price guides do not agree

Petful puts standard kennel boarding at $25 to $85 a night in 2026, and Care.com gives a US average of $40 to $60. Both are national figures, so neither is a Miami quote.

Vaccine advice is not one list

The ASPCA treats the Bordetella vaccine as non-core, given by exposure risk. Canine influenza needs two doses and at least four weeks, so its timing matters more than any list.

Cat advice gives two answers

PetMD says arrange a sitter once you are away more than 24 hours, while Cats Protection, a UK charity, says a visit at least twice a day. Neither is a legal rule, so settle the visits with the sitter.

Insurance pages can sell something

Surety Bonds Direct sells bonds, so its account of what general liability leaves out is a seller’s framing. Use it to know what to ask for: the policy, its exclusions and a certificate.

A woman walking three dogs on leashes along a city street

A long-haired brown Chihuahua puppy chewing a white plush toy on a striped blanket — A puppy’s vaccine schedule is the part of a boarding plan that needs the earliest start, so read the canine influenza entry before you pick a date.

Reading in order before the first call

Start with the rules that apply whatever you choose. Florida Statutes section 828.30 requires rabies vaccination for dogs, cats and ferrets from four months of age, with a booster 12 months after the first shot. For a dog, the Miami-Dade license page sets the county tag that must be worn at all times.

Then read the provider’s paperwork: a current local business tax receipt where the town requires one, and a liability policy whose exclusions you have read, not only its name. The Town of Cutler Bay receipt page shows that a receipt runs from October 1 to September 30.

Last, compare the price. A walk, a visit and a night are three different units, so compare like with like and ask what each quote includes before you accept it.

Prices to compare, labelled by source

These are national ranges from the sources named, and none of them is a Miami price. The county’s leash rules are left out as well, because the only copy of the county code available was an archive last checked in 2012.

$25 to $85 a night: Standard kennel boarding in the US, 2026, per Petful’s boarding guide. The same guide says big cities and coastal metros run 30 to 60 percent higher.
$40 to $60 a night: The US average for traditional dog boarding, updated August 2026, per Care.com.
About $40 a day: The US average for a full day of doggy daycare, updated January 2026, per Hepper.
$15 to $30 for a 30-minute walk: What most professional walkers charged in 2026, per Petful’s walking guide, which also lists key-handling and building-access fees as price movers.
$20 to $40 per cat visit: A single drop-in of about 30 to 45 minutes nationally in 2026, per Petful’s cat sitting guide.

One long guide to read in full

How to Find and Choose a Pet Sitter at the American Kennel Club — a practical checklist of what to ask a sitter, from insurance and bonding to references and a written agreement, and why a one-day trial run is worth doing.