Central Maine & Midcoast
Pet Sitting & Dog Walking in Rockland
Rockland is a working harbor city on Penobscot Bay and the ferry port for Vinalhaven, North Haven and Matinicus. We look after Rockland pets at home, with a photo and a text after every visit.
- Leashed walks on the harbor and breakwater
- Any animal, not just dogs and cats
- Free meet and greet at your home
Rockland runs on the harbor: fishing boats, the island ferries and, every summer, the Lobster Festival. If you’re off island-hopping or working long days on the water, we’ll keep your pets’ routine going at home.
Harbor towns are lively, and that’s wonderful for people. For a nervous dog or a cat who likes things quiet, it can be a lot. We bring the calm to your house instead of asking your pet to cope with the crowd.
When the harbor fills up, home stays calm
The Maine Lobster Festival fills Rockland from Wednesday to Sunday of the first weekend in August. The ferry dock is busy too, with boats to Vinalhaven, North Haven and Matinicus. For a pet, that means more people, more noise and a changed neighborhood.
A pet that stays in its own home keeps everything it knows: its bed, its bowl, the window it watches from. We arrive for the visit and it carries on as usual.
A day trip over on the ferry can turn into a long day away. A midday visit, 15 minutes to an hour or more, covers the potty break, the meal and the medication while you’re gone. A photo and a text tell you how it went.
Walking dogs in Rockland: breakwater, harbor and the summer rules
- Rockland Breakwater: a granite walk of just under a mile out to the lighthouse that has marked the harbor since 1902. Leashed dogs allowed; bring water, pick up after your dog, and watch your step on wet stone.
- Rockland Harbor Trail: a 3.5-mile (one way) city trail along the waterfront and historic downtown. City rule: a leash no longer than 8 feet on any public way or place, and pick up right away.
- Main Street downtown: between North Main Street and Park Street, dogs on a leash no longer than 6 feet, and never left tied up alone.
A walk with us is just your dog. We walk one household at a time, never mixing in dogs from other homes, so your dog gets our full attention on the stone and the uneven blocks. When you are back, there’s fresh water and a paw wipe after wet or muddy walks.
Summer changes the map
From May 1 to October 1, dogs stay out of Johnson Memorial Park (except the boat launch and dock) and three city playgrounds, and the Sandy Beach beach area is closed to dogs from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Well-behaved pets on short leashes may be let into the Lobster Festival at the gate, at the director’s discretion. If the crowd isn’t right for your dog, it’s a good week for a quiet walk through the neighborhood instead.
Nights away from the harbor
If work or a trip keeps you out overnight, a sitter arrives at 7pm and stays until 9am. The evening meal is measured the way you measure it, with water, litter, potty breaks and any medication at its set time. After that comes play, a walk or quiet couch time, whichever suits the animal.
We ask when the last trip outside is and which lights stay on, and we follow it. You get a photo at bedtime and another in the morning. If a pet goes off its food or the power fails, you hear right away.
When a pet needs someone nearby
Some animals can’t be left, even for an hour: a puppy, an old dog who needs help standing, a pet coming home from surgery with a cone, crate rest or stitches. Constant care puts someone with the animal the whole time, following your vet’s written discharge instructions.
It also helps animals with separation anxiety who hurt themselves when alone, and pets on a tight medication schedule, overnight doses included. Big packs, where paying per animal gets costly, are a good fit too.
Boarding for pets who like it quiet
If your pet would rather be in a household than at home alone, boarding means living with the household and sleeping in the house, not in a kennel run. Milford is Lindsay’s lively home, with her own pets. Portland is quieter, with far fewer animals.
Bring a bed or blanket that smells like home. Every boarder has a meet and greet first, and we’ll say honestly if it isn’t a good fit.
If an appointment comes up during a workday, we can take your pet to the vet or groomer. Dogs travel secured with a dog seatbelt, and we bring crates on request.
Ticks on the coast
Maine CDC says ticks can turn up any time you’re outside and recommends checking pets after time outdoors, coast included.
Nearby towns we also cover
Boarding stays are at our Milford home, the closer of our two to Rockland.
Don't see your town? Just ask. We travel, and distance is factored into the quote.
How we can help in Rockland
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Dog Walking
Starting @ $25.00 for 30 mins
Your dog is walked alone or with the dogs they live with, never in a pack of strangers. All sizes and breeds, from puppies learning the leash to seniors taking the hills slowly.
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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
Your pet stays in the sitter's house and sleeps inside as part of the family. Choose Lindsay's lively Milford home or the quieter Portland home.
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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 say about us
Real Google reviews from the people whose pets we care for.
Questions about pet care in Rockland
Something else on your mind? Call or text (207) 561-7322.
View All FAQsYes, leashed dogs are allowed. The city asks you to pick up after your dog, bring water, and remember the granite blocks are slippery when wet, with gaps between them. Skip it in rough weather and never walk it in a lightning storm.
Johnson Memorial Park (except the boat launch and dock), Merritt Park Playground, Ocean Street Playground and Warren Street Playground from May 1 to October 1, and the Sandy Beach beach area from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
The festival lets well-behaved pets on short leashes onto the grounds, at the festival director's discretion at the gate. If you'd rather your dog sit this one out, a drop-in or walk that week is an easy fix.
For many pets, yes. The town fills up, and a dog or cat that stays in its own house keeps its own bed and routine. We follow your usual evening, from the last trip outside to which lights stay on, because most pets settle best when it looks like any other evening.
It can be. Our Portland home is quieter, with far fewer animals, and suits shy or older pets and those who don't do well with other dogs and cats. Every boarder has a meet and greet first, and we'll tell you honestly if it isn't a good fit. Staying in your own home is another option.
