How much does pet sitting cost in Vancouver?

It depends on the service. On Rover, the median drop-in or overnight rate sits around 25 dollars CAD as of early 2026, though individual sitters set their own prices. A professional company like Best Friends Pet Care charges roughly 25 to 42 dollars CAD per in-home visit depending on length, and overnight boarding at a facility such as The Urban Puppy Shop runs about 64 dollars CAD a night. Always confirm current rates directly, since they shift with demand and season.

Is Rover or a local sitter better for an apartment?

Rover is cheaper and faster to book, and it is fine for a low-stakes drop-in. A named local company like Stay Pooched or Best Friends Pet Care costs more but is licensed, bonded, insured, and pet first aid trained, with consistent staff and clearer accountability if something goes wrong while you are away. For a longer trip or a pet with medical needs, the local company is usually worth the premium.

How do I let a pet sitter into my apartment building?

Whichever sitter you pick still has to clear your building's front door. Common options are a permanent lobby code, a lockbox if your building allows one, or forwarding the buzzer to your phone so you can answer live. If you are traveling and cannot answer, a tool like Lowkey can auto-buzz the sitter in on a schedule or with a 4-digit passcode so they reach your unit without you in the moment.

Blog / Best Pet Sitting Options in Vancouver for Apartments and Condos (2026)

Best Pet Sitting Options in Vancouver for Apartments and Condos (2026)

By Ty · 2026-05-19

Looking for a pet sitter in Vancouver? Whether you need daily dog walks, drop-in cat visits, or overnight care while you travel, the city has solid options at every price point, from the big booking apps to local companies that have been doing this for years. This guide compares the real choices, what each is best for, and roughly what they cost in Canadian dollars, so you can find the right fit for your pet and your budget. Prices move around, so treat every number as a ballpark and confirm directly.

Your options compared

Option	Best for	Typical cost (approx, CAD)	Notes
Rover	Flexible, budget drop-ins and overnights	~25/visit or night, median	Largest marketplace, background-checked sitters, easy booking. Quality varies by individual; you vet the person yourself.
Wag	On-demand walks and quick drop-ins	~20 to 30/walk	App-based, fast booking. Smaller sitter pool in Vancouver than Rover; consistency can vary.
Stay Pooched	Downtown condo dwellers wanting a pro	Contact for rates	Licensed, bonded, insured, pet first aid trained. Serves West End, Coal Harbour, Yaletown. Photo recaps after each visit. Pricier than a marketplace.
Best Friends Pet Care	West side cat and dog visits	~25 to 42/visit	Bonded, insured, pet first aid certified. Private walks and in-home cat sitting around Kitsilano, Point Grey, Yaletown. Limited downtown and North Shore coverage.
The Urban Puppy Shop	Dogs who do well with daycare and boarding	~44/full day, ~64/night	Award-winning daycare and boarding at West 6th Ave. Great for social dogs; you drop off and pick up, so no building access needed.
Jet Pet Resort	Longer boarding stays with amenities	Confirm; peak season adds ~10 to 20/night	Crate-free luxury suites and live pet cams in Olympic Village. Premium pricing, seasonal surcharges. Drop-off facility, not in-home.
Vet-clinic boarding	Pets with medical needs or seniors	Varies by clinic	Staff can handle meds and watch for health issues. Often kennel-style with less play space and limited hours; call your own clinic for rates.
Trusted neighbor or friend	Short trips, simple needs	Free	No cost, knows you, already nearby. No insurance or accountability, and you are leaning on a favor. Still needs a way into the building if they do not live there.

How to choose

Once you have a shortlist, a few things separate a safe choice from a stressful one.

Insured and bonded. For in-home care, this matters most. Companies like Stay Pooched and Best Friends Pet Care are explicit about being licensed, bonded, insured, and pet first aid trained. A random marketplace sitter may not carry any of that, so ask.
A meet and greet. Any good sitter will do a free intro visit before the booking. It is your chance to watch how they handle your pet and to walk through feeding, meds, and your building’s quirks.
How keys or building access are handled. Ask exactly how they get in, where your key lives between visits, and whether access is logged. Vague answers here are a red flag.
Daily photo updates. This is standard now. Stay Pooched sends photo recaps and report cards after each visit, and most marketplace sitters will text a photo. It is reassurance, and it is also proof the visit happened.

Getting your sitter into your building

Here is the honest catch. Whichever option above you pick, the sitter still has to get through your building’s front door while you are away. A drop-in visit only works if the person can actually reach your unit, and a buzzer that dials your phone does nothing useful when you are asleep in another time zone.

This is the narrow spot where Lowkey fits. It is a software app that forwards your building’s buzzer call to your phone, and it can auto-buzz your sitter into the building on a schedule or with a 4-digit passcode you give them. There is nothing to install. It opens the building’s front door so the sitter can come up to your unit, not the apartment door itself, and it works with any buzzer that dials out to a phone number, which covers most Vancouver apartment and condo systems. If you are boarding your dog at a drop-off facility like The Urban Puppy Shop or Jet Pet, you will not need it. If a sitter is coming to your unit while you travel, it solves the one door the rest of this list does not.

Last updated June 2026. Pricing and availability change, so confirm current rates directly with each provider.