Travelling Without Your Dog? 5 Options for Pet Parents in India

By Osho Chawla, Founder of Zauffy

You have a wedding in Delhi, a work trip to Mumbai, or a long weekend in Goa. Your dog is not invited. Now what?

This is one of the most stressful decisions pet parents in India face, and it comes up more often than you think. Unlike countries with well-regulated pet care industries, India has no licensing standards for kennels, no government oversight, and very few structured options. Most people default to asking a friend or relative, which works until it doesn't.

Here are five realistic options, with honest pros and cons for each.

1. Friends and Family

The most common choice, and the most emotionally complicated one.

Pros: It's free. You trust them (probably). Your dog might already know them. There's no stranger involved.

Cons: Your cousin loves your dog, but does she know his medication schedule? Will she walk him at 6 AM and 9 PM like you do? Most friends and family say yes out of affection, not because they genuinely understand the commitment. And if something goes wrong, the guilt flows both ways. You feel bad for asking, they feel bad for not doing it perfectly, and nobody says anything because the relationship matters more than the feedback.

The other problem: reliability. People cancel. Plans change. You may find yourself scrambling for a backup 48 hours before your flight.

Best for: Short trips of one or two nights, when you have someone who genuinely knows your dog's routine.

2. Traditional Kennels

Kennels exist in every major Indian city, from Bangalore to Mumbai to Delhi. Quality varies enormously.

Pros: They are purpose-built for animals. The better ones have veterinary access, proper enclosures, and trained staff. You drop your dog off and pick them up, no coordination needed during the trip.

Cons: India has no mandatory licensing for pet boarding facilities. Anyone can call themselves a kennel. Some are excellent. Some are a room in someone's backyard with too many dogs and not enough supervision. You often cannot visit without an appointment, which should be a red flag. Many dogs find kennels stressful, particularly if they are not used to being around large numbers of unfamiliar animals. Barking, pacing, and loss of appetite are common in the first few days.

What to look for: Visit in person before booking. Ask how many dogs they take at once. Check ventilation, cleanliness, and whether the dogs have individual sleeping spaces. Ask for references from other pet parents, not just Google reviews. The AVMA's pet care guidelines offer a useful checklist for evaluating boarding facilities.

Best for: Dogs that are well-socialised and not anxious in new environments. Longer trips where you need a guaranteed, structured arrangement.

3. Home Boarding via a Platform

This is the model where your dog stays at a verified host's home, not a facility. Think of it as Airbnb for your dog.

Pros: Your dog gets personal attention in a home environment, not a cage. On platforms like Zauffy, hosts are identity-verified, and you receive photo updates during the stay so you can see exactly how your dog is doing. It is significantly less stressful for most dogs than a kennel, because they are in a normal household with sofas, beds, and human company. Pricing is transparent, typically starting from Rs 400 per day in Bangalore.

Cons: Your dog is in someone else's home, which means a new environment with new smells and possibly other pets. Not every host is a fit for every dog. A tiny apartment is not ideal for a large, high-energy breed. You also need to plan ahead, as good hosts in popular neighbourhoods like Koramangala or Indiranagar book up fast during holiday season.

What to look for: Read reviews from other pet parents. Check that the host has experience with your breed and size of dog. Ask about their daily routine, where your dog will sleep, and what happens if your dog falls sick. A good platform handles this vetting for you, but you should still ask questions.

Best for: Most dogs, especially those that get anxious in kennels. Any trip length from a weekend to a couple of weeks. If you are in Bangalore, our dog boarding guide covers the neighbourhood-by-neighbourhood details.

4. In-Home Pet Sitting

Instead of your dog going somewhere, a sitter comes to your home. They visit one to three times a day to feed, walk, and spend time with your dog.

Pros: Your dog stays in their own environment. Same bed, same smells, same neighbourhood walk. This is the least disruptive option and works particularly well for older dogs, anxious dogs, or dogs with medical conditions. If you have multiple pets, it is usually cheaper than boarding each one individually.

Cons: It is more expensive than boarding because the sitter is travelling to your home multiple times a day. Your dog is alone between visits, which is fine for some dogs and terrible for others. You are also giving a relative stranger access to your home, so trust and verification matter enormously. In cities like Bangalore, traffic can affect visit timing, especially during peak hours.

What to look for: Verified identity is non-negotiable. Check-in verification (geofenced proof that the sitter actually arrived at your home) is a major plus. Photo updates during each visit give you peace of mind.

Best for: Anxious dogs, senior dogs, dogs on medication, households with multiple pets. Our pet sitting guide for Bangalore explains how drop-in and overnight visits work in detail.

5. Dog Daycare

Daycare facilities are growing in Bangalore, Mumbai, and Delhi, though they are still relatively uncommon compared to Western countries.

Pros: Great socialisation for dogs that enjoy other dogs. Supervised play, structured activities, and tired dogs by the end of the day. Some daycares also offer grooming and training.

Cons: This is a daytime-only option. It does not solve the overnight problem. If you are travelling for multiple days, daycare alone will not work. Quality control is the same issue as with kennels: no industry standards, wide variation in how facilities are run. Some daycares take on too many dogs relative to staff, which can lead to scuffles or inadequate supervision.

Best for: Day trips or work travel where you leave in the morning and return the same night. Also useful as a supplement alongside a pet sitter who handles mornings and evenings.

Preparing Your Dog for Your Absence

Whichever option you choose, preparation makes a real difference.

Start early. If you are using a host or sitter for the first time, do a trial night or a short booking before your actual trip. Most dogs adjust much faster the second time around. Our first-time pet boarding checklist walks through everything you need to prepare.

Write everything down. Leave a document with your dog's feeding schedule, portion sizes, medication details, vet contact information, and any behavioural quirks. "He barks at the doorbell but settles after 30 seconds" is the kind of detail that prevents panic.

Leave something familiar. A worn t-shirt, their favourite blanket, their usual treats. Familiar scents reduce anxiety measurably.

Keep goodbyes short. Long, emotional farewells raise your dog's stress levels. A calm, matter-of-fact departure is genuinely kinder.

What Information to Leave with Your Caretaker

Whether it is a friend, a kennel, or a host, give them a simple one-page sheet covering:

• Feeding times, brand of food, portion size
• Any allergies or foods to avoid
• Medication names, dosages, and timing
• Your vet's name, clinic, and phone number
• Your emergency contact (someone local, in case you are unreachable)
• Behavioural notes: leash reactivity, fear triggers, separation habits
• Your expected return date and time

This takes ten minutes to write and saves hours of confusion.

Finding the Right Fit

There is no single correct answer. The best option depends on your dog's temperament, the length of your trip, your budget, and what is available in your city. A confident, social Labrador might love a kennel. A nervous rescue might need to stay home with a sitter. A senior dog with arthritis needs someone who understands medications and gentle handling.

The important thing is to plan ahead, not the night before your flight.

If you are considering home boarding with a verified host in Bangalore, you can browse hosts on Zauffy and read reviews from other pet parents before deciding. Every host is identity-verified, and you receive photo updates throughout your dog's stay.