Dog owner left shocked as pet-boarding costs more than holiday

Dog lovers are taking to social media to moan about one cost associated with their pets that has been blown out of proportion.

Sydney-based Amy Indrawan was told it would cost A$3000 ($3267.62) for her French bulldog and beagle to be “pet-boarded” while she went on holiday for three weeks.

“I find now pet-boarding places are charging more than childcare in some instances,” she shared.

According to childcare comparison website Care For Kids, the average cost of childcare in New Zealand is $59.72 per 10-hour day, or $298.60 for a 50-hour week.

Meanwhile, pet-boarding for dogs can come in at more than A$100 ($108.92) daily during the Christmas holidays.

Indrawan revealed she was quoted a standard day rate, but then she was told that she had to pay extra if she wanted her pet to be walked, cuddled or taken for a swim.

“Once you add up all the add-ons, it is really expensive,” she said.

“I shopped around at some of the pet-boarding places, and the costs have gone up so much.

“I couldn’t afford it, and honestly, it’s like paying for a holiday for the pets on top of the holiday I booked for myself.”

With her upcoming holiday just around the corner, Indrawan revealed that she looked on Airtasker and was able to find someone to look after her pets at their home for just A$700 ($762.44).

“People were offering to pet sit my dogs at their own home, while some were willing to pet-sit at my house or even just check in, take them walks and feed them,” she shared.

“I’ve used Airtasker on three different occasions, and all three times I have found someone reliable and trustworthy to look after my fur babies, and what I love most is I can determine how much I am willing to pay for pet-minding.”

Dog-sitter Nadiana Albistur has been offering up her pet-minding services on Airtasker for three years now, and said she had noticed an increase in people looking for carers to watch over their animals as the holiday season is fast approaching.

“It’s starting to get busy, with people wanting to go away on holidays,” she revealed.

“They want their pet to have company while they’re out. It’s so unaffordable to send pets to boarding places. I think it’s why people go to Airtasker.”

Over the past six months, there has been a huge rise (52 per cent) in the number of Airtasker users looking for pet-minding services, according to the business’s most recent data.

The busiest time for dog-sitters is the January school holiday period.