Bringing a Pet

Here at On the Water in Maine, about 60% of our properties are "dog" friendly.  We are dog owners ourselves and know how important it is for our Guests to vacation with their pets.  We love being able to accommodate you and your furry friend(s) and just have a few things to remember as you start to think about booking your reservation: we only consider DOGS at our Pet-Friendly Properties, never cats*, monkeys, snakes, birds, mice, gerbils, etc.  This is an insurance requirement.  Please feel free to call us with any questions before booking as we appreciate upfront questions or concerns. 

Generally, we have found people are very responsible with their dogs and we love welcoming them - dogs deserve a vacation too!   Despite the strict way in which we present our pet policy, please understand, the Property Owners that allows dogs want to be able to accommodate all the dogs our Guests wish to bring and we have found that they can accommodate about 99% of them that people ask to bring.  For the most part, the dogs they allow are the types that won't bark or shed a lot. We don't like to allow heavy shedding dogs, like labs, because our worst shedding "incidents" have come from them.  

We will list on a property if the owner has pets in the property themselves at times it is not rented.  

Below is our Pet Policy regarding dogs we allow in our properties:

We charge a $150 fee total for all dogs that stay in our properties plus processing and a 9% Maine State Sales Tax.    We typically allow no more than 2 dogs per property and we charge one flat fee of $150 for both dogs if two dogs are permitted. Additional fees or deposits might also be required.

  • Dog breeds generally not permitted in any of our homes include, but are not limited to Pit Bulls, Staffordshire Terriers, Rottweilers, German Shepherds, Presa Canarios, Chows Chows, Doberman Pinschers, Akitas, Wolf-hybrids, Mastiffs, Cane Corsos, Great Danes, Alaskan Malamutes, and Siberian Huskies. This is an insurance requirement.

    We do have shedding concerns about Black/Yellow Labs, Golden Retrievers, Bernese Mountain Dogs, Corgis and Newfoundlands.  In the past, we have seen Guests bring these dog breeds to stay in our rental properties and leave us with lots of pet hair to clean up.  We'll consider any of these dog breeds if you want to discuss them with us.

  • Sorry, generally dogs under 2 years old are not welcome in any of our properties (another insurance requirement).  

  • Please do not leave the dog(s) unattended in a vacation home or on the property grounds if their barking has the potential to disturb neighbors or may cause damage to the house.

  • If approved by the Property Owner, we recommend that dog owners confirm with their insurance company that they have "Extended Liability Coverage" to cover insurance for the pet during the time period the dog is at the rental property. This may sound like a hassle, but really, it's quite easy. 

To review the Pet Addendum to our Rental Agreement, please click HERE.

We'd hate to see it happen, but should we discover a pet has been in the home without prior approval, or the dog the Property Owner permitted you to bring in the Pet Addendum of the rental agreement isn't the actual dog(s) you bring with you, we will charge a $300 fee plus fees and taxes. The Property Owner most likely will also ask you to board your dog off site for the remainder of your stay or is within their limitations to ask you to leave with no refunds if the violation is a blatant disregard to respecting the Property Owner’s property.

If you miss picking up after your pet, a $30 fee per incident is charged.  There are shovels at most pet-friendly properties, please be sure to only toss waste deep into the woods or bushes surrounding the property.  Tie any waste picked up in bags securely if you deposit them in the trash.

Should you decide to not bring your dog(s), but have a signed Pet Addendum with us for any dog to come to the property, there is no refund if you don't tell us before the 60-day final payment date.  

*Cat allergies in humans are about twice as common as dog allergies, so to accommodate the majority of our guests, we cannot allow cats as a result of excessive pet dander and cleaning. Thank you for your understanding!