Dog Daycare on Hilton Head Island, SC

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 day of daycare covers exactly the hours the beach is closed to your dog.

What it costs

Southpaw Pet Resort posts $55 for a day of up to 12 hours, and $35 for a second dog sharing a room. The other daycares quote by phone.

Two clusters

Southpaw, Evergreen Pet Lodge and Groomingdales are on the north side, within a mile of the airport. Evergreen Pet Lodge South and All About Pets are on the south side, about a mile or two from Coligny Beach Park.

Weekends

Evergreen Pet Lodge and Evergreen Pet Lodge South are open Saturday and Sunday morning; All About Pets stays open until 4 p.m. on weekends.

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 requires, and it strongly recommends canine influenza.

From late May through Labor Day, dogs are not allowed on the island’s beaches between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., which is the middle of the beach day. Families with a dog and a rental plan around it one of three ways: the beach early and late, a dog-friendly patio, or daycare for the middle of the day. The dog beach rules page has the hours for every other time of year, and the dog-friendly Hilton Head guide has beaches, patios and rentals that welcome dogs.

Southpaw is a half-mile from Fish Haul Beach Park, and its own FAQ says owners take their boarders out 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 three of the five.

Southpaw Pet Resort is the one Hilton Head dog daycare that posts its rates: $55 for a day of up to 12 hours, $35 more for a second dog sharing a room, and punch cards of 10 visits for $495 or 20 for $935 (a second dog is $315 or $595). The other four quote by phone. When you call, ask what hours a "day" covers, whether a half day is offered, whether there is an evaluation or trial day for a first visit, and what the cancellation window is.

Daycare and grooming are sold together at several of these. For a bath before the drive home, the groomers are on the pet services page, and food, leashes and crates are on pet stores on Hilton Head.

Southpaw’s list is rabies, distemper/parvo and Bordetella, with the canine influenza shot strongly recommended, and it asks for proof of vaccination, a reservation and a credit card on file. It also turns away females in heat, dogs with signs of a contagious illness and dogs with fleas or ticks, and its FAQ says puppies need their first two rounds of shots. The other daycares ask for similar records, so confirm the exact list when you book.

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

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 daycare you choose, keep a person who can pick your dog up if the island is ordered to evacuate. Read hurricanes on Hilton Head for the season dates and how evacuation works.

If you live on the mainland side or are staying near the bridge, Bluffton has its own daycares and boarders, including The Bark Shack, May River Pet Resort and Brooke’s Bed & Biscuit. They are on the Bluffton pet services page. All of the five above are on the island itself, so a drive from Bluffton is a trip over the bridges and across the island’s one main road.