Dog Boarding in Bluffton, SC: Kennels and Pet Resorts
Who boards dogs in Bluffton, where each kennel is, what each posts per night, and what to know about vaccines and holiday deposits before you book.
For dog boarding in Bluffton, The Bark Shack on Ulmer Road is the least expensive at $51 a night. Brooke’s Bed & Biscuit charges $67, May River Pet Resort starts at $50 for a small-dog cabin, and A Place to Paws charges $110 to $140 for its suites. All four ask for rabies, a distemper combination shot and Bordetella. Holiday weeks fill early, so book when you book the trip.
Updated
Bluffton Facts for Dog Boarding
- What it costs
- A night for one dog runs from $51 at The Bark Shack to $67 at Brooke’s Bed & Biscuit and $110 to $140 at A Place to Paws. May River Pet Resort ranges from $50 for a small-dog cabin to $110 for its largest rooms (as of October 2026).
- Where the boarders are
- The Bark Shack is by Old Town. Brooke’s Bed & Biscuit is near Belfair Towne Village. A Place to Paws is at Buckwalter Place. May River Pet Resort is farther west on Gibbet Road, past Sun City.
- Pick-up times
- The Bark Shack is open 7 to 7 every day. May River Pet Resort ends weekday pick-up at 2 p.m. and charges $20 a pet after that. Brooke’s has two weekend windows, 6:30 to 9 a.m. and 4 to 6:30 p.m.
- Holiday weeks
- May River Pet Resort takes a $100-per-room deposit around Memorial Day, July 4, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and December 15 to January 3. Brooke’s adds a nightly peak-season charge, and A Place to Paws adds $10 a night.
- Vaccines
- All four ask for rabies and Bordetella and a distemper combination shot. A Place to Paws also lists leptospirosis, and May River Pet Resort also asks for fecal and heartworm tests.
- The Hilton Head drive
- The Bark Shack lists Hilton Head Island in its service area and is 3.0 mi from the Hilton Head bridges.
Dog Boarding in Bluffton, SC
How we chose these: dog boarders with a facility in Bluffton, a long record of customer reviews and their own posted rates. Each card lists the facts you can check, including where it is; the stars open a summary of what customers say.
33 Ulmer Rd, Bluffton, SC 29910
Phone: (843) 757-0888
A family-run kennel in business since 2012, open 7 to 7 every day of the year, with open, social-by-day and private boarding. It also boards cats and small pets.
Why it’s listed: Owners say their dogs run in the door, including a rescue that used to crawl into the kennel in fear and now waits at the gate. The staff are patient with difficult and anxious dogs, and new dogs get a temperament test so they are grouped with similar playmates.
- Where:
- Ulmer Rd, 0.5 mi from Old Town, 2.7 mi from Belfair Towne Village and 3.0 mi from Moss Creek and the Hilton Head bridges
- Price:
- $51 a night for open boarding; $55 for a private room at night with social days; $59 for private boarding; a few dollars off each pet for more than one
- Pick-up:
- Boarders go home by 2 p.m.; later pick-up, up to 7 p.m., adds a daycare fee
- Needs:
- Rabies, DHLPP and Bordetella; open boarding needs a sociability check, or the dog boards privately
- Cancel:
- 24 hours’ notice, or the first night is charged
- Serves:
- Bluffton, Hilton Head Island and Ridgeland
25 Buck Island Rd, Bluffton, SC 29910
Phone: (843) 757-7387
Home-style dog boarding on Buck Island Road, with daycare, grooming, a swimming pool and pocket-pet boarding.
Why it’s listed: Owners of nervous dogs, including one with serious separation anxiety after a move, say the staff take their time and the dogs settle in and make friends. It also boards older dogs with health problems, and the staff call with updates on how a pet is doing.
- Where:
- Buck Island Rd, 1.0 mi from Belfair Towne Village, 2.9 mi from Old Town and 4.1 mi from Moss Creek and the Hilton Head bridges
- Price:
- $67 a night standard; $116.50 for a suite; $17 for a pocket pet; a peak-season charge applies on holidays and school breaks
- Hours:
- Weekdays 6:30 to 6:30; weekends 6:30 to 9 a.m. and 4 to 6:30 p.m.
- Needs:
- Distemper/parvo, rabies and Bordetella; group play needs a dog over 6 months to be spayed or neutered, and a first-day daycare evaluation
499 Buckwalter Place Blvd, Bluffton, SC 29910
Phone: (843) 905-7800
A spa-style boarding center at the PAWS Center on Buckwalter Place Boulevard, with open play, tiled suites and a vet’s office upstairs.
Why it’s listed: The new center is attached to Buckwalter Veterinary Clinic, and owners like having both in one building. Dogs play open-style from drop-off to pick-up instead of being crated, and the staff send text updates with photos. Owners call it clean and say their dogs come home happy and tired.
- Where:
- Buckwalter Place Blvd, 0.2 mi from Buckwalter Place, 2.2 mi from Sun City and 4.3 mi from Old Town; Buckwalter Veterinary Clinic is upstairs
- Price:
- $110 a night for the Classic Suite, $130 for the Signature Suite, $140 for the Elite Spa Suite; $50 more for an additional dog in the suite; $10 more a night on holidays
- Includes:
- Meals, play, medication, a daily photo update, webcam access and, for stays of two nights or more, a bath and nail trim
- Needs:
- DHP, Bordetella, rabies and leptospirosis
245 Gibbet Rd, Bluffton, SC 29910
Phone: (843) 757-6738
A boarding resort on Gibbet Road with six room types, from a small-dog cabin to double-size quarters with a private patio. It also boards cats and does daycare and grooming.
Why it’s listed: Owners drive half an hour past closer options and say their dogs are excited every time. The staff greet pets by name, the owner is often on site, and the drop-off and pick-up system keeps dogs from meeting in the lobby.
- Where:
- Gibbet Rd, 1.2 mi from New Riverside Barn Park, 2.9 mi from Sun City and 6.2 mi from Old Town; Lowcountry Vets at May River is next door
- Price:
- $50 for a small-dog cabin; $60 for a resort room; $70 for a comfort cottage; $80 for a cabana and $110 for the largest quarters (two-night minimum on those two)
- Pick-up:
- Weekdays 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., weekends 9 to 4 with no fees; $20 a pet for a late pick-up
- Needs:
- Rabies, DHPP and Bordetella, fecal parasite and heartworm tests, and flea, tick and heartworm preventatives
- Holidays:
- $100-per-room deposit, refundable with 72 hours’ notice (summer holidays) or 7 days’ notice (Thanksgiving and December)
Where to Board a Dog in Bluffton: Old Town, Belfair and Buckwalter
Bluffton is long and thin, and the boarders are spread along it. Old Town and the Hilton Head bridges are at the east end, Belfair and Buck Island Road are in the middle, and Buckwalter Place and Sun City are to the west. The Bark Shack is the one near Old Town, Brooke’s is 1.0 mi from Belfair Towne Village, A Place to Paws is at Buckwalter Place and May River Pet Resort is the farthest west. The Bluffton map shows the roads between them: US 278 across the north, Bluffton Parkway parallel to it and Buckwalter Parkway linking the two.
Kennels in Bluffton Near Buckwalter and Moss Creek
For a kennel in Buckwalter, A Place to Paws is at Buckwalter Place Boulevard, 0.2 mi from the Buckwalter Place shopping center, and May River Pet Resort is 3.2 mi away. Both are a short drive from Sun City. For a kennel near Moss Creek, by the Hilton Head bridges, The Bark Shack is 3.0 mi away and Brooke’s Bed & Biscuit is 4.1 mi. Residents of the gated communities near Old Town, such as Palmetto Bluff, are closest to The Bark Shack.
How Much Does Dog Boarding Cost in Bluffton?
All four Bluffton boarders post a nightly rate. The Bark Shack is the least expensive at $51 for open boarding, $55 for a private room at night with social days and $59 for private boarding. May River Pet Resort starts at $50 for a small-dog cabin and $60 for a standard resort room. Brooke’s charges $67 a night and $116.50 for a suite. A Place to Paws charges $110, $130 or $140 a night for its three suites, with meals, a daily photo update, webcam access and a bath and nail trim on stays of two nights or more all included. Ask each what the rate covers, and whether a second dog sharing the room is cheaper.
Across the bridge, Hilton Head dog boarding is fewer and harder to compare: Southpaw Pet Resort posts $95 a night and the other island boarders quote by phone.
Holiday and Summer Dog Boarding in Bluffton
Book as soon as you book the trip. May River Pet Resort asks for a $100 deposit per room around Memorial Day, the July 4 week, Labor Day, Thanksgiving week and December 15 to January 3, refundable if you cancel with 72 hours’ notice for the summer holidays and 7 days’ notice for Thanksgiving and December. Brooke’s adds a nightly peak-season charge on holidays and school breaks, so call for the dates. A Place to Paws charges $10 more a night on holidays, and The Bark Shack charges the first night if you cancel inside 24 hours.
What Vaccines Does a Boarding Dog Need in Bluffton?
Rabies, a distemper combination shot (DHPP, DHLPP or DHP) and Bordetella are on every list. A Place to Paws also asks for leptospirosis. May River Pet Resort also asks for negative fecal parasite and heartworm tests and for flea, tick and heartworm preventatives, and encourages the canine influenza shots. Brooke’s asks a dog that wants group play to be spayed or neutered after 6 months old and to pass a first-day daycare evaluation. The Bark Shack lets a dog with a medical reason for skipping vaccines board privately. Email the records to the front desk before your first visit.
Ask your regular vet to send the records, or see a clinic on the Bluffton vets page if a shot has lapsed.
Vets Near the Bluffton Dog Boarders
Two boarders sit beside a clinic: Lowcountry Vets at May River is next door to May River Pet Resort, and Buckwalter Veterinary Clinic is upstairs from A Place to Paws. Carolina Veterinary Critical Care at 1188 Fording Island Road is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 1.6 mi from Old Town; its number is (843) 706-9200. Ask your boarder which vet it uses if your dog is sick, and whether it will call you first. The vets page has hours for every clinic.
Dog Boarding and Hurricane Season in Bluffton
Ask your boarder what happens if an evacuation is ordered, and keep a person on the list who can pick your dog up if you are away. Read hurricanes on Hilton Head for the season dates and how evacuation works across the Lowcountry.
Dog Boarding for Hilton Head Visitors, From Bluffton
Hilton Head visitors do board here: The Bark Shack lists Hilton Head Island in its service area. It is 3.0 mi from the Hilton Head bridges. If you would rather stay on the island, four boarders there are on Hilton Head dog boarding, and the dog-friendly Hilton Head guide has the beaches and patios open to dogs. Grooming before the drive home is on Bluffton dog grooming.
Dog Boarding in Okatie, Ridgeland and Hardeeville, SC
Looking for dog boarding in Okatie, SC, Ridgeland, SC or Hardeeville, SC? Serving Hardeeville and Ridgeland as well as Okatie, three more boarders sit near Sun City, north-west of Bluffton. Pet Paradise Hilton Head, at 139 Okatie Center Boulevard North, (843) 972-9506, is 0.7 mi from Sun City. K9 Resorts, at 1059 Okatie Highway, (843) 380-6962, and Camp Green Dog & Doggie Daycare, at 1190 Argent Boulevard, (843) 410-2426, both have Ridgeland ZIP codes and are 1.9 mi and 1.8 mi from Sun City. Camp Green Dog is the one of these closest to Hardeeville, and Ridgeland is a drive up the road from all three. Ask each for its nightly rate and vaccine list, since they are not posted on this page.
More Pet Help in Bluffton
Daycare, grooming, vets and horse stables are on Bluffton pet services. For the rest of town, see the Bluffton guide and Bluffton ZIP codes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I board my dog in Bluffton, SC?
Four boarders have facilities in Bluffton: The Bark Shack on Ulmer Road near Old Town, Brooke’s Bed & Biscuit on Buck Island Road, A Place to Paws on Buckwalter Place Boulevard and May River Pet Resort on Gibbet Road. All four post their nightly rates.
How much does dog boarding cost in Bluffton?
A night for one dog is $51 to $59 at The Bark Shack, $67 at Brooke’s Bed & Biscuit, $60 to $110 at May River Pet Resort for a standard room or larger, and $110 to $140 at A Place to Paws (as of October 2026). Holidays add a deposit or a surcharge at three of them.
What vaccines does a boarding dog need in Bluffton?
Rabies, a distemper combination shot and Bordetella at all four. A Place to Paws also asks for leptospirosis, and May River Pet Resort asks for fecal and heartworm tests. Send the records before the first visit.
Do Bluffton kennels fill up on holidays?
Yes. May River Pet Resort takes a $100-per-room deposit around Memorial Day, July 4, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and December 15 to January 3, Brooke’s adds a peak-season charge, and A Place to Paws adds $10 a night. Book as soon as your dates are set.
Is there dog boarding near Okatie, Ridgeland or Hardeeville?
Yes. Pet Paradise Hilton Head in Okatie, K9 Resorts on Okatie Highway and Camp Green Dog on Argent Boulevard are all within about 2 mi of Sun City. Call for rates and the vaccine list.
Is there a vet near a Bluffton dog boarder?
Lowcountry Vets at May River is next door to May River Pet Resort, and Buckwalter Veterinary Clinic is upstairs from A Place to Paws. Carolina Veterinary Critical Care on Fording Island Road is open 24 hours.
Keep exploring
Bluffton golf courses: every public course and private club in the Bluffton, SC area, with access, designer and contact details for each.
Palmetto Bluff golf in Bluffton, SC: May River by Nicklaus, Crossroads by King-Collins and Anson Point by Coore and Crenshaw, and how access works.
Daycares and preschools in Bluffton, SC: five centers with addresses, phones, programs and distances from Old Town, Belfair and Sun City.
Therapists and counselors in Bluffton, SC: six offices with hours, insurance and distances from Old Town and Sun City, plus the 988 line.
Your beach week starts here
Compare villa and beach home prices from local rental companies side by side, and catch last-minute deals before they’re gone.
Property manager? Partner with us