Overnight pet sitting in Nanaimo and Ladysmith
Nanaimo and Ladysmith, Vancouver Island
Stay Sit Snuggle offers overnight pet and house sitting in Nanaimo and Ladysmith. Darcie Nolan stays in your home while you're away, so your pets keep their usual routine. A meet and greet comes before your booking, and rates depend on your dates and pets. Call or message Stay Sit Snuggle with your dates to check availability.
Open dates
Now booking into 2027 (as of September 2026). Send your dates and Darcie will confirm availability.
Updated
How a stay works
More about how a stay works- Send your datesCall or send a message on Facebook.
- Meet and greetDarcie meets your pets before your booking.
- Overnight stays in your homeYour pets keep their usual routine.
- You come homeYour pets have stayed in their own home the whole time.
Where Darcie sits in Nanaimo and Ladysmith
Nanaimo
Nanaimo lists 12 off-leash parks, and it keeps dogs out of Pipers Lagoon from April to October and off Departure Bay Beach from May to September. Nanaimo’s licence, park and fireworks rules are below.
Sailing from Departure Bay or Duke Point? Call or message with your sailing dates, and Darcie will confirm availability for those nights.
Driving home through Horseshoe Bay? Book that sailing ahead: BC Ferries no longer sells drive-up vehicle fares from Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay. The rule is in the travel notes below.
Ladysmith, BC
Ladysmith, south of Nanaimo, sets its own licence fees, off-leash areas and fireworks permits. One rule to know before a beach walk: dogs are not allowed on Transfer Beach below deKoninck Way, and above it the off-leash area is only the part inside the wood fencing. Ladysmith’s rules have their own list below.
Travel notes
- Ferry from Departure Bay
BC Ferries sails from Nanaimo (Departure Bay) to Vancouver (Horseshoe Bay).
BC Ferries, checked
- Ferry from Duke Point
BC Ferries sails from Nanaimo (Duke Point) to Vancouver (Tsawwassen).
BC Ferries, checked
- Driving back from Horseshoe Bay
All vehicle travel from Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay must be booked and paid in advance, and drive-up fares are no longer available. The rule is one-way: from Departure Bay to Horseshoe Bay, booking is recommended but not required.
BC Ferries, checked
- Flights
Nanaimo Airport (YCD) lists routes to Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Kelowna, and to Toronto seasonally.
Nanaimo Airport, checked
Local pet facts for Nanaimo and Ladysmith
Last checked . Rules, fees and clinic hours change, so each row links to the official page.
After-hours and urgent vets
| Clinic | Phone | What its own page says | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Island Veterinary Emergency Hospital (CIVEH)6550 Metral Dr, Nanaimo | 250-933-0913 | Temporary hours from April 14, 2025: Monday open 24 hours; Tuesday midnight to 8 a.m.; closed Wednesday and Thursday; Friday 8 a.m. to midnight; Saturday and Sunday open 24 hours. When closed, it refers to two 24-hour hospitals in Greater Victoria. Its contact page lists other hours: call first. Source | |
| Mahalo Veterinary Hospital3-5767 Turner Rd, Nanaimo | 250-824-1444 | Urgent care 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day, for clients or non-clients: fill in the urgent care intake form on its site, or call in an emergency. No overnight or specialist care; it stabilizes and refers on when needed. Source | |
| Coastal City Animal Hospital105-1849 Dufferin Cres, Nanaimo | 778-441-3989 | Walk-in urgent care during regular hours, Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and weekends 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call on the way in an emergency. After hours, it tells owners to contact the nearest 24-hour emergency hospital. Source | |
| VCA Canada Ladysmith Animal Hospital811 First Ave, Ladysmith | 250-245-2274 | Open weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed weekends, and sees urgent cases only in those hours, so call ahead. After hours it refers to CIVEH (call ahead, because CIVEH is not open every day) or to Central Victoria Veterinary Hospital in Victoria. Source |
Nanaimo
- Who needs a licence
“All dogs over the age of 4 months living in the City must be licensed.”
City of Nanaimo, checked
- Dog licence fees
$25 for a spayed or neutered dog and $50 if not, when bought by February 28. After that, $30 and $60.
City of Nanaimo, checked
- Off-leash parks
The City lists 12: Beban Park, Cable Bay Trail, Westwood Lake Park, Colliery Dam Park, Beaufort Park, Wardropper Park, Diver Lake Park, St. George Ravine Park, Invermere Beach Park, May Richards Bennett Pioneer Park, Gallows Point Light Park on Protection Island, and Northfield Rotary Lookout Park. At most two dogs per person in an off-leash area, and dogs must be leashed entering and leaving it.
City of Nanaimo, checked
- Where dogs are not allowed
Pipers Lagoon from April 1 to October 31, Departure Bay Beach from May 1 to September 30, and Buttertubs Marsh, playgrounds, sports fields and cemeteries.
City of Nanaimo, checked
- Fireworks
Fireworks are not permitted without a permit (Bylaw 7049).
City of Nanaimo, checked
Ladysmith, BC
- Dog licence fees
$31 for a spayed or neutered dog and $49 if not, from December 1 to January 31. From February 1, $41 and $59.
Town of Ladysmith, checked
- Off-leash areas
Davis Road Dog Park, Transfer Beach above deKoninck Way within the area defined by wood fencing, Gourlay Janes Park, the Holland Creek Trail, and the Heart Lake and Stocking Lake loops.
Town of Ladysmith, checked
- Where dogs are not allowed
Transfer Beach below deKoninck Way, and the Town's playgrounds, sports fields and cemetery.
Town of Ladysmith, checked
- Fireworks
Fireworks and firecrackers need a Town permit. Applicants must be 18 or older, fill in the application form, pay a $10 fee and drop the form off at City Hall, 410 Esplanade Avenue.
Town of Ladysmith, checked
Both towns
- School breaks 2026-27
School District 68 lists winter break from December 21, 2026 to January 1, 2027, with school back on January 4, and spring break from March 15 to 26, 2027, with school back on March 30.
School District 68, checked
What clients say
Stay Sit Snuggle has 3 recommendations on Facebook, all positive (September 2026). See them on the Stay Sit Snuggle Facebook page.
Questions about Nanaimo and Ladysmith
Is there a 24-hour emergency vet in Nanaimo?
Not every day. CIVEH, the Central Island Veterinary Emergency Hospital at 6550 Metral Dr, is open 24 hours on some days, but its posted hours show it closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays. When it is closed, it refers callers to two 24-hour hospitals in Greater Victoria: WAVES (778-432-4322) and Central Victoria Veterinary Hospital (250-475-2495). Mahalo offers urgent care from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day, and Coastal City takes walk-ins during its regular hours. Call first.
Where can dogs run off-leash in Nanaimo?
The City of Nanaimo lists 12 off-leash parks, including Beban Park, Westwood Lake Park, Colliery Dam Park and Wardropper Park. The full list is in the local pet facts on this page. In an off-leash area the City allows at most two dogs per person.
When are dogs not allowed at Pipers Lagoon and Departure Bay Beach?
Dogs are not allowed at Pipers Lagoon from April 1 to October 31, or at Departure Bay Beach from May 1 to September 30. They are also not allowed at Buttertubs Marsh, playgrounds, sports fields or cemeteries.
Do you pet sit in Ladysmith, BC?
Yes. Ladysmith is one of the six Vancouver Island towns Stay Sit Snuggle lists, and it has its own section on this page with the Town's dog licence, off-leash and fireworks rules.
Do I need a ferry reservation to drive home to Nanaimo from Horseshoe Bay?
Yes. BC Ferries says all vehicle travel from Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay must be booked and paid in advance, and drive-up fares are no longer available. The rule is one-way: from Departure Bay to Horseshoe Bay, booking is recommended but not required. Foot passengers and cyclists can still sail from Horseshoe Bay with or without a booking.
How much does pet sitting cost in Nanaimo?
Rates depend on your dates and your pets. Call (250) 416-9747 or message Stay Sit Snuggle on Facebook, and Darcie will reply with availability and rates.
Other areas Darcie sits
Sources
- City of Nanaimo: who needs a licence, checked
- City of Nanaimo: dog licence fees, checked
- City of Nanaimo: off-leash parks, where dogs are not allowed, checked
- City of Nanaimo: fireworks, checked
- Town of Ladysmith: dog licence fees, checked
- Town of Ladysmith: off-leash areas, where dogs are not allowed, checked
- Town of Ladysmith: fireworks, checked
- BC Ferries: ferry from Departure Bay, checked
- BC Ferries: ferry from Duke Point, checked
- BC Ferries: driving back from Horseshoe Bay, checked
- Nanaimo Airport: flights, checked
- School District 68: school breaks 2026-27, checked
- Central Island Veterinary Emergency Hospital (CIVEH): after-hours and emergency information, checked
- Mahalo Veterinary Hospital: after-hours and emergency information, checked
- Coastal City Animal Hospital: after-hours and emergency information, checked
- VCA Canada Ladysmith Animal Hospital: after-hours and emergency information, checked
Published