Dog Boarding on Hilton Head Island, SC

What it costs

Southpaw Pet Resort posts $95 a night, and $65 for each additional dog sharing the room (as of October 2026). The other island boarders quote by phone.

Check-in and check-out

Southpaw and All About Pets both check dogs in after 2 p.m. and out by 11 a.m. An early check-in or late check-out costs a half day of daycare or a flat fee, so plan the drive to match.

The summer beach rule

From late May through Labor Day, dogs are not allowed on Hilton Head’s beaches between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. A dog left at the boarder misses only the middle of the beach day.

Holiday weeks

Southpaw asks for a two-night deposit on holiday reservations, and All About Pets can require a minimum stay at peak times. Book as soon as you know your dates.

Hurricane season

Southpaw cannot evacuate dogs except in extreme cases and asks every guest for an emergency evacuation contact.

Vaccines

Rabies, distemper/parvo and Bordetella are the shots Southpaw and All About Pets ask for. All About Pets also asks for a flea, tick and heartworm program.

Staying on Daufuskie

Dogs ride the public ferry for a $25 fee, so book boarding for the days your boat schedule needs.

Most families who board a dog on Hilton Head are on vacation: a dinner out where dogs are not welcome, a day on a boat, or a few nights away for a wedding. From late May through Labor Day, dogs are not allowed on the island’s beaches between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., so a dog left behind misses only the middle of the beach day. The dog beach rules page has the hours for every other time of year, and the dog-friendly Hilton Head guide lists the patios and rentals that welcome dogs if yours is coming along.

Southpaw is half a mile from Fish Haul Beach Park and its own FAQ says many visitors take their dog to the beach next door. On the south end, All About Pets and Evergreen Pet Lodge South are a mile or two from Coligny Beach Park. A visitor who lands at the Hilton Head airport is close to Southpaw and Evergreen Pet Lodge. If the plan is a single hot afternoon rather than a night, the dog daycare page compares the daycares.

Southpaw Pet Resort is the one Hilton Head dog boarder that posts its rate: $95 a night, and $65 for each additional dog sharing a room (as of October 2026). The other three quote by phone. When you call, ask what the nightly rate covers, whether a holiday surcharge applies, what an early check-in or late check-out costs, and what the cancellation window is. All About Pets, for example, charges a flat $30 for either one.

For comparison, boarding across the bridge in Bluffton posts lower rates at the kennels and higher ones at the spa-style suites: from $51 a night at The Bark Shack to $110 and up at A Place to Paws. They are compared on the Bluffton dog boarding page, and the drive from the island is a trip over the bridges.

The island fills with visitors in summer, around spring break and over the holiday weeks, and the boarders fill with them. Southpaw says it is a small facility that books up quickly, and asks for a two-night deposit on holiday reservations (refundable if you cancel at least 14 days before check-in) and a week’s cancellation notice. All About Pets does not take a deposit but can require a minimum stay at peak times and gives preference to multi-dog and longer reservations. Reserve as soon as the rental is booked.

Bring current vaccination records, a credit card for the reservation, and your dog’s own food in a labelled bag. All About Pets recommends the food your dog eats at home, and can serve refrigerated or frozen diets. Southpaw strongly recommends giving flea, tick and heartworm preventatives before arrival. If your dog takes medication, write down the dose and times and tell the boarder when you book. Island pet stores such as those on the pet stores page stock food, leashes and crates if something was left at home.

Southpaw’s list is rabies, distemper/parvo and Bordetella, with the canine influenza shot strongly recommended, and it needs a puppy to have had at least its first two rounds. All About Pets asks for rabies, distemper and Bordetella and allows no exceptions. Both turn away females in heat, and Southpaw turns away dogs showing signs of a contagious illness, fleas or ticks. Evergreen Pet Lodge quotes its list by phone, so confirm the exact shots when you book.

A visiting dog is welcome at most of them, with a call ahead. Ask your regular vet to send the records, or see an island clinic on the Hilton Head vets page if a shot has lapsed.

Southpaw says it will call you first if a boarder is sick or hurt, and take your dog to your own vet if you have a local one, or to an available local vet if you are from out of town. Two boarders sit next to a clinic: Evergreen Pet Lodge shares 105 Dillon Road with Plantation Animal Hospital, and All About Pets shares 130 Arrow Road with Heritage Animal Hospital. The island’s 24-hour emergency hospital, Carolina Veterinary Critical Care at 1188 Fording Island Road, is across the bridge in Bluffton; its number, (843) 706-9200, is worth saving before you leave your dog. The vets page lists every island clinic.

During hurricane season, Southpaw requires an emergency evacuation contact for every guest, because with its small staff it cannot move dogs off the island except in extreme circumstances. Whichever boarder you choose, keep a person who can pick your dog up if the island is ordered to evacuate, and tell the boarder how to reach them. Read hurricanes on Hilton Head for the season dates and how evacuation works.

Staying on Daufuskie and need a kennel on Hilton Head? Dogs ride the public ferry for a $25 fee, and the Daufuskie ferry page has the timetable. Book boarding to match your boat schedule, and plan around the check-out time: Southpaw and All About Pets both check dogs out by 11 a.m. unless you pay for a late check-out.

If you live on the mainland side or are staying near the bridge, Bluffton has its own boarders, including The Bark Shack, May River Pet Resort, Brooke’s Bed & Biscuit and A Place to Paws. They are on the Bluffton dog boarding page, with prices, and the Bluffton pet services page has grooming and vets. All four boarders above are on the island itself, so a drop-off from Bluffton is a trip over the bridges and along the island’s one main road.