Question 1

When is payment due?

Accepted Answer

Payments are charged to the credit or debit card on file with Pet Sit Pros 7 days prior to your appointment start date.

Question 2

What are your change and cancelation policies?

Accepted Answer

We know that things come up and plans change. We would much prefer you book early and if things change just let us know. We are proud to offer the most flexible, fair and fee free change/cancelation policy in the pet sitting and dog walking industry. We have no change fees and no cancelation fees even during busy holiday periods. Changes or cancelations made before your payment charge day are not charged. Changes or cancelations once your card is charged will receive a 100% service credit towards future Pet Sit Pros services usable within one year. Sorry, no refunds. Unused visits for early returns will not be credited or refunded unless arrangements are made in advance.

Question 3

Some competitors don’t charge holiday or last minute fees, why does Pet Sit Pros?

Accepted Answer

Most pet sitting services do charge extra on the holidays but also require prepayments or nonrefundable deposits that are forfeited should your plans change even for reasons out of your control.  With Pet Sit Pros all rescheduled or canceled visits are credited to your account as a service credit regardless if it was for a regular visit, last minute visit, or holiday.

Question 4

Does Pet Sit Pros charge extra on holidays or last minute visits?

Accepted Answer

Pet Sit Pros charges slightly more for holidays and last minute visits (any visit scheduled less than 24 hours in advance).  The increased fee offsets the costs incurred by paying our staff more for working on holidays and time involved with staff rescheduling.

Question 5

How far in advance do I have to book my reservation?

Accepted Answer

Client’s can self schedule reservations online up until 24 hours before a visit. Last minute bookings (less than 24 hours notice) are charged at a slightly higher rate, so we recommend that clients schedule as far in advance as possible.

Question 6

What happens during a visit when it’s raining?

Accepted Answer

On rainy days your pet sitter/walker will use their best judgment in making modifications to a pet’s routine. In general, for showery/drizzly weather dogs will get their normal walk time but for moderate/heavy rain a dog’s walk may be substituted for a short potty break and some social/playtime in the house. Your sitter will make every effort to wipe up any mud/water tracked in to the house if proper supplies (paper towels, towels, mop etc…) are readily available, as well as towel drying your pet and wiping its paws. Please leave out supplies on rainy days or note on your profile where they can be found.

Question 7

My friend of neighbor usually takes care of my pets while I’m away.  Can Pet Sit Pros fill in on days when they are not available?

Accepted Answer

We are sorry but we will not accept job shares where a friend or neighbor does some visits and Pet Sit Pros does others. The health and safety of your pet is our priority.  We’ve found in the past that accountability plays a large role towards providing you the best service, and therefore will not share responsibility with a 3rd party while you are gone.

Question 8

Are there a minimum number of visits per day while I’m away on vacation?

Accepted Answer

Pet Sit Pros values the health and safety of your pets over anything else. We recommend no less than 1 daily visit for cats, 2 daily visits for dogs and 3 daily visits for puppies under 6 months or crated dogs within any 24 hour period. We are sorry but we cannot accept appointments for less than the recommended minimum standard of care.

Question 9

What is Pet Sit Pros and how are our professional pet sitters and dog walkers selected?

Accepted Answer

Pet Sit Pros is a national brand with a local presence in communities across the United States.  Each Pet Sit Pros franchise is independently owned by a local resident of your community who oversees and takes responsibility for the professional care of your pets.  We receive many applications from people wanting to become part of the Pet Sit Pros family, but not all are accepted. We have a rigorous set of requirements for applicants including a screening, interview and training process.  This includes a detailed application, reference checks, phone interviews, in person interviews and finally a complete background check.  Once hired, our pet sitting and dog walking professionals are trained in industry best practices.  You can rest assured that your loved one will be well taken care of due to our diligence and special formula for providing the most professional pet care in the business.

Question 10

How will I know that my sitter has made their visit?

Accepted Answer

Trust and accountability are an important part of the pet caregiver/owner relationship. You will receive an e-mail confirmation for your scheduled visits 7 days before your trip and again 24-48 hours before your first scheduled visit. Your primary sitter will check in with you by text or phone before you leave. Your sitter will also communicate with you daily while you are away via phone, text or e-mail (whichever you prefer) and send pictures and/or videos of your pets enjoying their time with PSP. Upon your return, you will find a detailed PSP Report Card with highlights or each day’s events and the specifics about what was done at each visit. Upon request, clients may also add a GPS tracking service to most dog walking services that notes the pickup time, drop off time, walking route and distance walked with your dog for $1/walk.

Question 11

Do I have a choice about who is taking care of my pets?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely! Pet Sit Pros will never allow somebody access to your home or your pets that you have not met in person unless you otherwise instruct us to do so (i.e. a last minute emergency). We bring a team of our pet sitters to the initial Meet & Greet so you and your pets can meet our team and go over your pet’s routines and care instructions.

Question 12

Do I get a free Meet & Greet consultation and a choice about who will come to my home and take care of my pets?

Accepted Answer

Pet Sit Pros does not believe in making clients pay to get to know us. Our free Meet & Greet is an investment in our future relationship with you as a member of the PSP Family. Most other pet sitters do charge for a consultation and credit the fee towards your first appointment to make you book with them.  Note however, that only the first 30 Minute Meet & Greet is free – any additional time or follow up meet and greets are charged at the usual rates.

Question 13

Do I have a choice about who will be caring for my pets and will they stay the same every time?

Accepted Answer

Our staff builds a close relationship with the families and pets that we care for. Continuity of care is very important to us and we try our best to assign your primary pet sitter as often as we can. Our staff members take days off and vacations now and then, and therefore we cannot guarantee that they will always be available.  To compensate, each family picks one or two backup pet sitters or dog walkers that will fill in on days when your primary sitter is not available. You will always receive your visit schedule and assigned sitters in advance of each visit and will be notified if any changes need to be made.

Question 14

What kind of animals do you care for?

Accepted Answer

Dogs and cats are by far our most common clients but believe it or not, we have also cared for birds, chickens, hedgehogs, rabbits, guinea pigs, pot belly pigs, snakes, fish, rats, hamsters, iguanas and even geckos!

Question 15

What’s included with a Pet Sit Pros visit?

Accepted Answer

Pet Sit Pros will take great care to meet all the needs of your pets and home in your absence. All standard visits are 30 minutes long and pets will get their normal feeding routine, fresh water service, daily litter box service for cats and daily yard poop pick up for dogs with yards. We ask that the yard be free of dog poop before you leave and we will keep it that way until you return. Cats will get playtime/social time and dogs will get either a walk or playtime depending on which you specify for us in the routine. For multiple pet families, the routine you specify may take longer than 30 minutes and we do not charge extra for the extra time. In addition, our staff will bring in your mail, packages and newspapers, alternate lights and blinds as requested and bring trash cans to/from curb on trash days to give your home that lived in look when you are away. Our policy is that a client’s home should be left as clean or cleaner than when you left and our staff will sweep and/or vacuum around foods bowls, litter boxes and accumulated pet hair on the last day before your return.

Question 16

What form of payments do you accept?

Accepted Answer

We accept both credit and debit cards including Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express. Sorry, we do not accept cash or checks.

Question 17

Am I allowed to tip my Pet Sit Pros sitter or dog walker?

Accepted Answer

Tips are allowed and welcome.  However, sitters and dog walkers are not allowed to offer you additional services as compensation for their tip.  Each visit fee covers any and all services you require.

Question 18

Is Pet Sit Pros licensed, bonded and insured?

Accepted Answer

Yes! We are happy to provide documentation upon request.

Question 19

Do I have to provide keys so that the Pet Sitters can make their visits?

Accepted Answer

Pet Sit Pros requires two sets of keys before any scheduled service. Normally, we pick up keys at the Meet & Greet and keep them securely and without any identifying information for future visits. If you prefer, your sitter can access keys onsite with a doorman, a customer provided lockbox, through a garage with a code or you can schedule our key pickup/drop off service online. We are sorry we cannot agree to keys hidden unsecured onsite or with neighbors.

Question 20

Do you have an "Excessive Heat Policy?"

Accepted Answer

Pet Sit Pros will implement our Excessive Heat Protocols to protect the safety of our pets and staff. When temperatures are anticipated to skyrocket into the 90’s and 100’s, Pet Sit Pros provides modified Midday, Afternoon & PM visits in our areas that get very hot. Staff may use their judgement to adjust visit times earlier in the day. For dogs, modified visits include a short walk for potty and exercise/playtime in a shaded yard or in the home where dogs will have regular access to water and won't burn their paws on the hot pavement. Our staff are trained to look for signs of dehydration and heat exhaustion. Walks will be done as early in the day as possible. AM, Bedtime and Overnight Visits will not be modified. For cats, there is no modification to visits. If you have AC, please let your sitter know what temp you'd like the thermostat set at. Homes closed up with us away get much hotter than when we are home. Extra water bowls should be put out. If no AC, fans are a must!

Signs of dehydration, heat exhaustion and heatstroke include:

-Uncontrollable panting
-Foaming at the mouth
-Tongue and gums bright red
-Capillary Refill time over 2 seconds (push gums until they turn white and count how many seconds until they turn pink again)
-Rapid heart rate
-Vomiting
-Lethargy
-Uncoordinated movements (drunken sailor)

Frequently Asked Questions