Pet sitting in Czechia
Going home for two weeks shouldn't mean booking your dog into a kennel. Petswap introduces you to neighbours who will look after your dog or cat in their own flat, and the thanks are settled in Care Points rather than koruna.
Pet lovers in Czechia
Neighbours who look after each other's pets, for love, not money.
Find pet care near Czechia
Look for care near you, or join and offer care yourself.
Why pet people choose Petswap
Real homes, not cages
Your pet stays in a warm home with someone who loves animals, surrounded by care, not bars.
For love, not money
No one here does it for cash. Care Points are a way to give and receive care, never income.
Neighbours you can trust
Members verify their identity before booking, with a real profile and reviews. You can always chat and meet before any stay.
Key facts for pet owners in Czechia
- Microchip
- Every dog has had to carry a microchip since 1 January 2020, puppies by three months of age. Without a chip the rabies vaccination counts as invalid.
- Dog fee
- Municipalities charge an annual dog fee, the poplatek ze psů. The local fees act caps it at 1 500 CZK a year for the first dog, and at 200 CZK for a holder over 65. Prague charges 1 500 CZK for a dog in a flat and 600 CZK for a dog in a family house in districts 1 to 15 and 17, and the dog must be registered within 15 days.
- Leash and muzzle
- There is no national rule; each municipality writes its own ordinance. Prague ordinance 6/2001 bans dogs running free in public greenery except on marked areas. Brno requires a dog on public ground to be on a leash or to wear a muzzle (ordinance 9/2017).
- Trains
- On České dráhy a dog costs 30 CZK up to 150 km and 50 CZK from 151 km, travels in second class only, with a muzzle and a short leash, and may not enter the dining car. A small dog in a closed carrier up to 90 x 60 x 40 cm travels free.
- Prague public transport
- Inside Prague your valid PID ticket carries up to two dogs free, one on trains. In the outer zones a dog costs 23 CZK in the app or 25 CZK on a paper ticket. Outside a carrier the muzzle and short leash rule applies, and a dog never goes on the seats.
- Commercial care prices
- A dog hotel in Czechia most often costs 400 to 900 CZK per day or night. Full day pet sitting booked through a platform averages about 680 CZK on its own price map, about 750 CZK in Prague, with the cheapest fifth of Prague sitters around 420 CZK a day. That is a range for commercial care, not a Petswap price list.
A pet owner's guide to Czechia
Handy local knowledge for keeping a pet happy here.
Leash rules are local, not national
There is no single Czech leash law. Every municipality writes its own vyhláška, so the rule can change when you cross a town boundary. Prague has banned off leash running in public greenery since 2001 and allows it only on patches the park keeper marks with a pictogram, such as the big dog meadow in Stromovka or the marked stretch of Letenské sady. Brno takes the opposite approach and asks for a leash on public ground, or a muzzle if the dog is loose. Your obec, the municipality, publishes its own rules, so they are worth looking up before a weekend away.
What paid care costs here
A dog hotel across Czechia most often runs 400 to 900 CZK a day or night depending on the size of the dog and the place, and Christmas and the summer holidays push it higher. Full day sitting booked through a platform averages about 680 CZK on that platform's own price map, about 750 CZK in Prague, and the cheapest fifth of Prague sitters take around 420 CZK a day; outside the big cities it is noticeably less. Treat that as a range for commercial care, not as a Petswap price list. Nothing on Petswap is priced in money at all.
Getting around with a dog
On the trains a dog costs 30 CZK up to 150 km and 50 CZK beyond that, must wear a muzzle and a short leash, travels in second class only and is not allowed into the dining car. A small dog inside a closed carrier of 90 x 60 x 40 cm or less goes free. On Prague public transport your own valid ticket covers the dog within the city, the outer zones cost 25 CZK or 23 CZK in the app, and outside a carrier the muzzle and short leash rule applies there too. Intercity coaches are the awkward one: rules vary by operator and some will not take a dog outside a carrier, so ask before you book.
How it works
Add your pet
Create a free profile for your pet, or offer to care for others nearby.
Give care, receive Care Points
Look after a neighbour's pet and receive Care Points as thanks. Prefer not to? Buy points anytime.
Travel with peace of mind
Spend your points so your own pet stays in a loving home while you're away.
Pet sitting in Czechia: common questions
What paperwork does a dog need in Czechia?
Two things that catch newcomers out. Microchipping has been compulsory since 2020, and without a chip a rabies vaccination is treated as invalid. Separately you register the dog at your local council office and pay the poplatek ze psů, an annual dog fee every municipality charges. Each one sets its own rate under a legal ceiling of 1 500 CZK a year for the first dog, so a dog in a Prague flat is 1 500 CZK while a family house is 300 or 600 CZK depending on the district, pensioners over 65 pay 200 CZK, and small towns ask far less.
How do I pay a carer on Petswap?
You don't, at least not in money. Stays are settled in Care Points, which you earn by looking after someone else's pet or top up if you would rather. Points never convert back into cash, because the whole thing is meant to stay neighbours helping neighbours. The points a host asks for per night are shown on their listing. Before anyone can send a first request they pass an identity check, and the app costs nothing and is for adults of 18 and over.
Is my pet safe?
Members verify their identity before booking and have a public profile with reviews. You can always chat and meet before any stay, and you choose who cares for your pet.
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