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Part 3: How to become a pet sitter
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I have always loved animals. So, when I decided to start pet sitting I did it because I enjoyed spending time with people’s pets and learning about pet care. I’ve made some great friends, of both the two and four legged variety, and learned a lot along the way. If you love animals and have some extra time to share, think about becoming a pet sitter.
There are many benefits to becoming a pet sitter. It’s not exactly the way to make your first million, but it’s a great way to make some extra money. It provides an opportunity to learn about pet care in general, understand the day-to-day care that is required for a variety of pets and even learn about animal behavior. Pet sitting is a great way to spend time not only with different breeds of dogs or cats, but potentially with different species as well (I once took on a job turkey sitting). It’s also a great resume builder if you’re thinking about getting into an animal-related career such as veterinary medicine or animal training. The most rewarding part of pet sitting is getting to spend time with the animals and making sure that they are happy while their owners are away.
Pet sitting is a lot of fun, but there are many responsibilities that go along with each job. It is important to remember that the pet’s owner trusts you to take good care of their animal while they are away. Their instructions for both pet and house care should be followed to the letter. Even if you have extensive experience with animal care and nutrition, it is not up to you to judge how the clients feed or exercise their dog. If you have helpful suggestions for the clients with regard to their pet’s care, mention your ideas during your interview (see “Tips for finding a dog sitter”), or when the owners return from their trip, but do not implement your ideas without permission.
Aside from following instructions closely, there are some other things to keep in mind that will help you become a respected pet sitter (see “Dog sitters do more than just put food in a bowl”). Be sure that you know what to do in an emergency. The client should leave you a veterinarian’s phone number and a document saying that you (or a designated neighbor or family member that can be reached while the owners are away) are authorized to make medical decisions for the animal on their behalf. If you are dog sitting, don’t let people (especially children) or other dogs come up to your client’s dog while you’re walking them (even if the client says they are friendly). If the job requires that you stay at the client’s house, remember to respect that it’s someone else’s house. When they get back the only way that they should know that you were there is that their dog is happy and healthy.
If this all sounds like something that you would be good at and enjoy, start out by taking a few weekend jobs for your family members, friends or neighbors. If they are happy with your services, ask them to recommend you to other potential clients (like their friends, family, coworkers, etc). You can also ask to use their name as a reference for future jobs. For your first few jobs it’s a good idea to pet sit for households with one or two pets so you don’t feel overwhelmed. When you decide to expand your client base, you can advertise your services on fliers at local dog parks, veterinary offices, coffee shops, etc.
If you find that you really enjoy pet sitting, consider making it into a career. Pet sitting is actually a fast-growing home-based business. Look into getting certified with the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters or Pet Sitters International (their membership fees are around $100). Both associations have many resources to help professional pet sitters build their businesses. Whether you choose pet sitting as a career or make it a more informal venture, the experiences are extremely rewarding.
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