Pet sitting services

Work takes you away from home unexpectedly? You have found the perfect vacation spot but can’t take your pet along? A pet sitter might just be the perfect solution for you. Companies such as Holidog offer pet sitting services that help you find the person that fits your needs and takes care of your pet while you’re away.

What are pet sitting services?

Before diving into the costs of pet sitting, you might want to check how pet sitting works. Also, pet sitting services don’t have to come with a price tag. Strictly speaking, a pet sitter is someone who takes care of pets while their owners are away. It can be a friend, a relative or a neighbour. This should not cost you a thing.

Pet sitting in your own home

Pet sitters who offer pet sitting at your home are animal caretakers who visit your pet at home while you’re away. This could be during your vacation or during set hours of the day to keep your pet company. It is important that you trust the pet sitter you have selected and that they have all the information they need to tend to your pet’s needs in its familiar environment. The pet sitting at home services can have added costs such as transportation for the pet sitter.

Pet sitting with a host family

A great benefit of the service is the fact that the sitter can have an eye on your pet during most times of the day and especially at night without any additional fees. Before using a pet sitting with a host family service, do go and visit their house. Check where your pet will sleep and eat. If the house has an outdoor space, make sure it’s secured.

You should also ask questions about his/her experience and whether they have other pets living in the house. Not all pets get along with everyone. If your pet isn’t the most social of pets, it’s best to look for a place where it’ll be the only pet.

Other services

Besides the above pet sitting options, Holidog offers dog walking and pet daycare services to pet owners.

The dog walker you chose comes to your home and takes your pet out on the agreed day and time. You can even recommend an itinerary if your pet particularly likes an area, or let the dog walker decide. The pet walker will follow your guidelines so that the walk is a fun time for your pet.

Pet daycare refers to short-term pet sitting services provided to pets during the day when their owners are absent. It typically takes place in dedicated pet drop-in facilities but some pet sitters may also offer a pet daycare service in their home. It’s a good solution for working pet parents or if your pet can’t stay alone for long periods of time.

For more information on all important facets of pet sitting, have a look at our complete pet sitting guide

Prices for pet sitting services

Prices for pet sitting services can vary depending on several factors such as the length of the stay or the size of your pet and the pet sitter’s experience. At Holidog you can see the prices for each pet sitter displayed right on their profile and select the person that is best adapted to what you are looking for.

The prices can vary between 12 to 50 dollars according to the location and pet sitting services offered. Commercial facilities often offer subscriptions which can lower the price in the long term. Costs can depend on your location, the pet sitter´s experience and the size of your pet. Average costs for more short term assignments such dog walking can be estimated at around 10 dollars.

We also recommend to the pet owners to have a pet sitting insurance in case of an accident during the assignment. Holidog, for example, offers a Holivet guarantee which covers you in case of an accident or illness while with the pet sitter.

Become a pet sitter

You are a student, a retiree or simply someone with extra time on your hands who wouldn’t mind turning your passion for animals into some cash? Then consider taking on pet sitting jobs! Thanks to Holidog, you can decide for yourself which jobs you want to take and choose your own hours and prices freely.

Besides offering pet sitting services in your own home, you can offer to take care of pets in the pet owners home, regularly visit their cats or take their dogs out for a walk. As you gain experience, you can start upping your prices. Beware though: being a pet sitter is first and foremost about putting your love for animals in practise, not a cash cow!

To sign up as a pet sitter with Holidog, go to the home page, click on "sign up", choose "petsitters" and follow the step by step process. Before you know it, you will have your first assignment!