Downeast
Pet Sitting & Dog Walking in Bar Harbor
Bar Harbor sits on Mount Desert Island, home to most of Acadia National Park. We look after Bar Harbor pets at home while you work, travel or host the summer crowd, so your animals can skip the crowds themselves.
- Walks that follow Acadia's pet rules
- Any animal, not just dogs and cats
- Free meet and greet at your home
On a day when a cruise ship is in, Bar Harbor fills with people who are not going home tonight. The dog or cat who lives here is. They need their dinner at the usual time, their walk, and a quiet house to come back to.
That is the job. When you are working, traveling or hosting guests, we keep your pet’s day close to normal, and a photo and a text after every visit let you see how it went.
Why a calm day at home beats a busy one elsewhere
Daycare and kennels ask a pet to share space with dogs it has never met. You may trust your own dog, but you can’t know the others, and that is where scuffles and illness start. One-on-one care at home takes that risk away.
In a town this busy in summer, a car trip to a boarding place is one more stress. Your pet is better off in the room it knows, with a sitter who has already met it there.
Older dogs in particular tend to do best when nothing changes. The same bed, the same stairs, the same patch of sun, and meals measured the way you measure them.
What a visit looks like for your dog or cat
- Drop-ins: 15 minutes to an hour or more, with a midday potty break, meals and fresh water, medication at the time you set, and play or company for a cat home alone.
- Dog walks: puppies and seniors alike. Your dog is collected inside the home, gets fresh water after, and has its paws wiped if the walk was wet or muddy.
- Overnight stays: we arrive at 7pm and stay until 9am, so your animals keep their own beds, yard and schedule. We follow your evening, including the last trip outside and which lights stay on.
- Constant care: for puppies, elderly animals, recovery after surgery and big packs where paying per animal gets costly, when someone needs to be with your pet the whole time.
Before the first booking we visit your home for a free meet and greet. Your pet meets us on its own ground, we learn what makes it nervous, and nothing is booked until you are comfortable.
We can also drive your pet to the vet, the groomer or daycare. Dogs ride secured with a dog seatbelt, and crates are available on request, which takes one more errand off your day when the village is busy.
Bar Harbor with a leashed dog: what Acadia allows
The National Park Service rule is simple: pets on a leash no longer than 6 feet, everywhere in the park, all year. Here is where that takes you, and where it doesn’t.
- Carriage roads and most trails: open to leashed pets all year.
- Compass Harbor Trail: a short year-round park trail, 0.8 miles round trip, with views of Frenchman Bay. Leash no longer than 6 feet, and bag your dog’s waste for the trash.
- Closed to pets: the Precipice, Beehive, the Ladder Trail to Dorr Mountain, Beech Cliffs Trail, Perpendicular Trail and part of Jordan Cliffs Trail. The park also advises against ladder and rung trails with pets.
- Summer beach closures: Sand Beach from June 15 to September 8, and Echo Lake from May 15 to September 15.
A shorter, gentler route on a carriage road often suits a senior dog better than a mountain trail. Tell us what your dog loves and what it can manage, and we will plan around that.
Summer crowds and cruise days
July and August are the busiest months on the Park Loop Road, with parking spilling into the travel lane. In 2026, cruise ships are scheduled into October as well, so the village can be busy well after Labor Day.
For your pet that means a longer stretch of the year when the streets are loud and crowded. A walk from your own door at a quieter time keeps things calm.
Ticks in the park
The park says ticks are common in Acadia and most active from late spring to early fall, and asks visitors to check themselves and their pets. After a walk on the carriage roads, a quick tick check is a good habit, and it is one we follow with the dogs we walk. Fresh water and a wipe of the paws come after, too.
When they’d rather stay home, or have company
If you are away for a night or a week, your pet can stay in its own home, with someone arriving each evening and staying until morning. If your dog or cat does better with other people around, boarding means living with the household in a sitter’s home, not in a kennel run.
Bar Harbor boarders usually stay at Lindsay’s Milford home, which is lively, with pets of her own. A shy or older pet, or one who doesn’t do well with other dogs and cats, may be happier at our quieter Portland home. Bring a bed or blanket that smells like home, and we will do a meet and greet first. We say honestly if it isn’t a good fit.
Nearby towns we also cover
Boarding stays are at our Milford home, the closer of our two to Bar Harbor.
Don't see your town? Just ask. We travel, and distance is factored into the quote.
How we can help in Bar Harbor
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Dog Walking
Starting @ $25.00 for 30 mins
Around the village or on a leash-friendly Acadia carriage road, if that's what your dog loves.
Learn more -
Overnight Sitting
Starting @ $65.00 for 7pm–9am
Your sitter arrives at 7pm and stays until 9am, so your animals keep their own beds, their own yard and their own routine.
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Drop-Ins
Starting @ $25.00 for 30 mins
Dogs and cats, plus birds, rabbits, reptiles, fish and livestock. Potty breaks, meals, fresh water and medication on time while you're at work or away.
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Boarding
Starting @ $75.00 per night
At Lindsay's Milford home, the closer of our two.
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Transportation
Starting @ $30.00 round trip
Round-trip rides to the groomer, daycare, the vet or anywhere else your pet needs to go, fitted around your schedule instead of theirs.
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Weddings
Starting @ $110.00 per hour
We bring your dog to the venue, keep them calm through photos and crowds, and get them to their spot for the ceremony, so you can enjoy your day.
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Constant Care
Flat rate $150.00 per 24 hours
A sitter stays with your pet for the whole time you're away, not just on a schedule. For puppies, elderly animals, post-surgery recovery and timed medication.
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What families in Bar Harbor say
Real Google reviews from the people whose pets we care for.
Questions about pet care in Bar Harbor
Something else on your mind? Call or text (207) 561-7322.
View All FAQsYes, if you'd like, as long as the trip fits the length of the visit. Pets are welcome on the carriage roads and most trails on a leash no longer than 6 feet.
The Precipice, Beehive, the Ladder Trail to Dorr Mountain, Beech Cliffs Trail, Perpendicular Trail on Mansell Mountain and part of Jordan Cliffs Trail. Sand Beach is closed to pets from June 15 to September 8 and Echo Lake from May 15 to September 15. Most park lakes are drinking water, so no swimming there for pets or people.
Yes. Drop-ins work for any animal and run from 15 minutes to an hour or longer, with medications given at the times you set.
For many dogs, yes. Summer traffic and busy streets are a lot to sit through in a car, and a kennel adds strange dogs and noise on top.
At home your dog keeps its bed, its walks and its meals at the usual times, and we send a photo and a text after every visit so you can see it for yourself.
Yes, we look your dog over for ticks when we are back inside after a walk. The park says ticks are common in Acadia and most active from late spring to early fall, so it is a good habit for every owner too.
