Overview of Services
What are your rates, discounts and when do I pay for services?
What do you charge extra for?
What about holidays, do you charge extra or require anything different?
Do you charge extra to take in my mail and newspaper and bring my trash to the end of my driveway?
I have never left our pet before. What do I need to do?
Where does my pet(s) stay – my home or yours?
What will be covered during the complimentary consultation?
How much notice do you need to reserve your service?
What if I need to cancel my trip, come home early, is a delay in returning or need to reschedule?
Are you able to drop off or pick up my pets if needed?
When should I call you on my return?
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In sitters home where there is a huge front yard, enclosed side patio, large 2 bedroom home and plenty of love and room!
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Cage/Kennel free (unless provided by client)
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Client supplies all supplies pet needs to keep environment similar to home
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Limited to one cat/dog family at a time, enclosed critter open as long as there is space
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Other services depending on circumstances
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All services include basic care plus Dog Walking Services, Emergency Vet Visits, Medication Administration, Basic grooming (baths/brushing), Housekeeping, Basic Pet Care
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Rates start at $4/day+ for caged/tanked pets and $20/day+ for free roaming pets such as dogs, cats and out of tank/cage playtime for small animals and herpitiles. Rates are customized to pet family specifics, number of pets, age, weight, etc.
Pet Sitting
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In client home
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Daily Visits
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Other services depending on circumstances
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All services include basic care plus Dog Walking Services, Emergency Vet Visits, Medication Administration, Basic grooming (baths, brushing, etc)
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Pet Visits: $15 and up/visit depends on length of stay and what type of visit you want.
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Overnights (4 hour min)/Extended stays and Hourly (2 hour min): $10-$30, depending on length. First hour is highest, then the remainder of the day is treated as if it was a normal work day complete with regular ($10/hour), overtime and double-time pay for up to 24th hour of the day, then restarts for next 24 hour period. The 24 hour period is considered to start at 12AM (0000 hours) and ends at midnight (2400 hours).
Dog Walking
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15 minute to 1 hour leashed walks
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Private one-on-one walks
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Walk location can be anywhere
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Exercising and playing
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Practicing basic commands
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Fresh and refreshing water to drink
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Treats and rewards for a good job done!
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Walks: $15 and up, depends on length of walk
House Sitting
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Daily visits, Overnight, Day Time or other Half Day Coverage or 24-hour coverage
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Sitting Includes Bringing in mail and turning lights on and off, Neighbor status check in if requested/time allows, Watering plants and sprinklers, Thorough professional security property check, Securing points of entry and Testing alarm systems, Checking for house hazards and any damages, Checking in with security and alarm companies, Giving your home a lived in look to deter crime, Securing outdoor property
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House Visits: $15 and up/visit depends on length of stay and what type of visit you want.
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Overnights (4 hour min)/Extended stays and Hourly (2 hour min): $10-$30, depending on length. First hour is highest, then the remainder of the day is treated as if it was a normal work day complete with regular ($10/hour), overtime and double-time pay for up to 24th hour of the day, then restarts for next 24 hour period. The 24 hour period is considered to start at 12AM (0000 hours) and ends at midnight (2400 hours).
What are your rates, discounts and when do I pay for services?
My clients require only the best for their pets and that is what I provide. “You get what you pay for” applies here. Quality and security dictate how much and what type of care is spent in caring for pets. Professional sitters such as myself often have expenses, commutes and transportation costs, among the many others, to consider in with rates. My rates vary depending on the type of service you need, how long the job will take and the number and species of pets that need care. I start my rates at a base rate for what is normal and then customize per your requests to account for more time spent and complexity of tasks desired. My rates are also based on quantity, type of species, age and other factors with dogs and cats. With enclosed critters rates are valued per enclosure size. Please email me with YOUR specifics for specifics about your needs and I will provide you a full rate to include information about your pets, when you need service, what type of service you need, and what your location is. I include multiple services other providers would charge extra for with certain types of service and usually my rates are either lower or equivalent to what other sitters would charge for with whom have equivalent qualifications. I also offer other discounts, specials or options throughout the year.
In order to spend more time with your babies, and less time processing paperwork, my policy is that I do not invoice unless deemed necessary. However, if you should require one as a receipt please request it in writing. All clients are required to leave a percentage of the estimated cost for pet sitting at the first scheduled visit, with remainder due within 48 hours of return during non-holiday times. This will ensure security for your pets in case an errand needs to occur. Leaving pet sitters without funds could end up hurting pets if they need supplies or to see a vet. The terms of payments and cancellations will be provided for you at our initial consultation and as they should change in the future. But to sum up dog walking clients payment due on the first day of service each week, additional time for visits will be billed according to the 30-minute rate, return check, late cancellation, late payment, late extended service and other types of fees do apply and dfor holiday periods payment is always due in full upon start of service. With mailing payment I prefer not to receive cash for security purposes; however, you may do so if you choose but please secure the cash in a dark envelope or you can drop payment off and confirm my reciept. I can also accept money orders, cashier’s checks and personal checks. You will be responsible for any charges from the time I take possession of the animal until the time I relinquish possession. If you have a special situation, please ask. I will do my best to accommodate. All pets must follow certain expectations so please see my policies section for details regarding any type of service.
For Boarding Services – Pets with heat, utility or electricity needs, a daily charge will be added to the bill to reimburse for utilities. There is no charge for cleaning out enclosures of any type. Enclosed pets will not be let out of their cages at any time in the same capacity as a free roam pet. If you should have an enclosed pet that requires free-roam your rate would be the same as a free-roam pet of equivalent responsibility.
Visits/Client Home Service – Enclosures that are extremely large such as coops, aviaries, ponds, wall to wall vivariums, etc are larger than a regular large enclosures for an indoor pet will require a special rate. Enclosed pets will not be let out of their cages at any time in the same capacity as a free roam pet. If you should have an enclosed pet that requires free-roam your rate would be the same as a free-roam pet of equivalent responsibility. All pets must follow the pet expectations outlined by the policy section.
Dog Walking Services – Rates are set per 20-30-minute walk per dog. For safety reasons dogs will be walked individually.
What do you charge extra for?
I charge extra for duties that could have been prepared for in advance either by proper behavioral training, getting supplies, scheduling vet visits while the owner is home to supervise medical care for an animal, lack of communication, non-payment, etc and for extra mileage and time spent commuting. Of course if all goes well and your pets are prepared for your departure, there should be any extra charges. Prompt drop offs, maintained reservations and such play a huge role in making any pet sit request as smooth as possible for any pet. However, unlike some competitors, I do not charge extra for the all-important extra pet care responsibilities such as emergency vet visits, basic grooming, cleaning habitats or litter boxes, walks, administering medications or any other normal and routine pet care task. The only exception to that is if you are ordering dog walking services. Dog walking services are priced in a way that compliment the needs of exercising a dog or giving them a potty break. Once additional tasks are needed the visit is consider a pet sitting visit.
What about holidays and busy seasons, do you charge extra or require anything different?
I do NOT charge extra for or raise rates for the holiday or busy season service. I do work on most holidays if I am not visiting family out of town. Since Holidays fill up fast, reserving in advance by at least a month is necessary. Often I fill up months before the holidays and it is quite handy to know if I can escape the county for a few days to visit with my family (::smiles::). My family is just as important to me as your family and pets are to you and it is necessary for me to schedule those special occasions with my loved ones in advance. Generally if I am out of town less than 36 hours I will still offer boarding in my home to all pets except dogs and will still offer visits to clients home outside of travel plans. If a trip covers any part of any holiday period, the whole service request is considered a holiday request and will be treated as such in lieu of any type of service request change at any time such as cancellations, early returns and so forth. Any fees and changes to service for holiday periods will still apply but for the following defined Holiday Service Periods: February 3rd – February 24th (Presidents month/Mardi Gras combined), March 15th – April 6th (Spring Break), May 24th – September 5th (Summer Break), October 27th – November 2nd (Halloween Break), November 24th – January 4th (Winter Break). During these holiday period cancellation fees will be assigned on their own schedule and payments due will be in full.
Do you charge extra to take in my mail and newspaper and bring my trash to the end of my driveway?
There is no extra charge for bringing in newspapers or making the property look occupied or secured. Home security and basic maintenance are two necessary compenents to any sitter who takes care of your pets and home. However there will be an extra charge for curbside trash disposal. If the trashcans should become full of new trash in the process of caring for animals, I will go ahead and put the trashcans out curbside as needed with no extra charge. Please make sure to dispose of your trash before the first visit to avoid pest control problems. Also please make sure your cans are located in a place where I can safely access them or move them to the curb. If I will require a second person or additional time to assist as a result you will be billed for that extra time and extra help. Extra time spent bringing pre-existing trash to the bins and bringing it back in will be added onto a sit.
I have never left our pet before. What do I do?
You have a trip, honeymoon or vacation planned. You got injured, are busy or in some way cannot care for the pets or the house. You are moving or relocating and don’t want to neglect the pets. It’s the pet’s birthday and you can’t think of anything to give them. Vacation, business, family emergency or whatever it may be – Who will care for your precious pets or your home? Will you call the next-door neighbor boy and pray he does not forget or decide to have a party at your house or break anything or get bitten by pets? Will you check with the kennel or your vet to see if they have any cages available? Will you ask your sister, mother, brother, cousin or that nice old lady across the street? They will not mind dropping in to let the dog out a few times a day or just plopping down some food for the cat. Right? Or you could just leave a huge bowl of food and water for the cat and worry about cleaning the litter box when you return. The cat will not mind eating stale food or drinking dirty water. You wouldn’t, would you? If he knocks the water over, and becomes dehydrated or worse, the vet bills will not be a problem. Will they? Moreover, when the litter gets too smelly and he decides to use the floor instead, you will understand. Won’t you? What if the power goes out and your terrarium or aquarium’s environment is compromised? What if there was an earthquake or fire, would I mind losing my home instead of havnig someone automatically coming by to make sure things are ok and circumvent major disasters? Would that be a costly problem to fix? What should you do?
The first step is to contact me using the contact form provided on the website and include as much details as you feel comfortable with. You will be contacted to schedule a free initial consultation at least a week in advance of your trip (if you have allowed this time). Regardless if services are desired at the sitter’s home or yours make sure to prepare for your first visit by following the first visit checklist, do extra shopping, packing all necessary supplies or anything else to bring with you or to be made available. All that is left is for you to do is to arrange drop off of your pets and relax during your time away knowing that your pets are in the finest of care with me.
Where does my pet(s) stay – my home or yours?
Your choice. Either way they are in a loving home being cared for and treated like part of the family. Services and rates vary depending on what your needs are and where they take place. I board in my home (aka private in home boarding or in my home boarding) while offer services to the client’s home (such as dog walks, pet sit visits and house sitting) so this is up to you and what type of service you request. My coverage are will apply to services outside of my home so plan ahead for what is best for your pets needs. Free-range pets, such as cats and dogs, are accepted on an individual and privatized basis in a kid free, cage free environment, as I will not have multiple cats and dogs in my house from different pet-parents to provide the utmost individual care for your pets. This means “mi casa es su casa” for your pets and is not a multi-pet boarding situation, either in facility or in home. There are also no kids in my household and only two humans, man and woman, reside in the home. Rates are valued for 24 hour supervised private care and should not be compared with that of multi-pet home boarders or facilities. This is premium care, the best you can get for this type of service and should compare to other services that have a different set up. All pets to stay in my home must be on active flea control, as some pets and even humans develop allergies to pests that result in skin problems. Enclosed pets will have their own room in the house to be taken care of in. Only one room in the house is off limits for my own “family” while houseguests are home. My home is designed so that there are pocket doors that can close off certain rooms in the house for added protection and assistance while training. There is also a large outdoor patio and a large grass front yard available for use. My home is treated as a home away from home where anxieties are eliminated and love is ever flowing 24 hours a day. Boarding in my home is especially good for pets with medical needs, pets that suffer from separation anxiety or that do not do well home alone for long periods of time (or where you would have to hire a sitter to stay overnight and do several visits in a day to match this type of service). It is also excellent for caged pets and tanked pets as we know the second the power goes off and can respond almost immediately as well as the many other benefits. Often times boarding caged or tanked pets is significantly cheaper than hiring drop in visits where gas consumption is an expense factor. These pets are self-contained and do not require free roaming time while in our care, unless desired, thus taking up less expense in the process.
What will be covered during the complimentary consultation?
Consultation is free and implies no obligation, this is a $20 value for consultations for any sitting or walking service and $60 value for private in home boarding. If you are just “shopping around” please make sure I know up front and please do not reserve dates unless you can commit to them. A lot of expense and time goes into a service request before you drop off your pets or before I come to stop by, should you cancel at the last minute this only hurts my ability to feed, house and clothe my family. Profesional pet care providers such as myself work to take care of the bills, just like you do, and we are some of the hardest working people, often times only making enough to compensate for time spent with clients and expenses and not the time it takes to create a high quality service you can be proud of – that’s all pro bono. The initial meeting will allow me to meet your animals and gather some information about them. The initial consultation usually lasts for approximately 45 minutes to one hour, and can be scheduled at your convenience. For boarding services please inquire about open houses as they are available from time to time. This will also be the time to answer any more questions, get all the paperwork filled out for the future and payments taken care of should this be necessary. Ideally, this meeting should take place a week or more before services are needed to make sure you and your animals are comfortable with my services and to give you ample time to prepare your pets and home for your absence. You will also get the opportunity to request my paper qualifications and my identification as well. I will also review and confirm your written instructions (verbal instruc tions are discouraged) and take or give a complete tour. I will need keys (for sitting/walking services), completed forms, payment or anything else mentioned here on the website in order to do my job successfully for you. When I leave your home or you leave my home, you will be confident that your pet and home will be safe while you are gone. This meeting is intended for new clients, as recurring clients will not be required to redo any information other than for each service request unless you have a change in information that is different from the first meeting or enough changes warrant a whole new consultation. The only exception to that is in the case of new pet additions to the family that I have not yet met. For dog walking/excursions, I will ask for similar information regarding your pet and discuss the type of service best suited to your dog. I will discuss temperament, energy levels and history to determine which would benefit your dog the most. I request that you have a key ready unless your dog will always be picked up while you are at home. At consultations and throughout service, I will usually also photograph your pets or get physical descriptions of your pets in the case your pet(s) is lost or involved in an emergency such as a natural disaster or fire. When you describe your pet(s) (for our files or for yourself), remember to record very specific markings, the type and color of collar and tags he or she wears, eye color, unique behavior, etc. This information could be the difference in being reunited with your pet(s) in an emergency! Of course, exceptions can be made for very shy pets or if you have objections. If it has deemed necessary, one or two trial visits may be scheduled for “special needs” pets, especially to coincide with any medication schedules so I can see how you take care of your pets if your pets have a complicated medical routine. After the initial consultation, plans can be arranged by phone, email, text or by mail. Consultations for services later on are available but are not required. Subsequent consultations & key pickups/drop offs will be extra in cost. I may not always have time to schedule in last minute consultations or service, so please if you are considering this service we should be meeting as soon as humanly possible. I cannot provide pet care services before this important meeting takes place. I can accommodate your schedule, including evening and weekend hours.
How much notice do you need to reserve your service?
Be aware I am an “advance reservation” service with a limited number of bookings. In order to maintain the highest quality service for all contracted requests, I do not like to overbook, regardless of season or demand, however may cram in requests that are emergency oriented. I am not an “on call” (except by special arrangement) or emergency service, though when possible I will try to help in emergencies. Emergency oriented requests are handled with top priority. Short-notice (less than one week) reservations will be accepted if space is available and especially in cases where the nature of need was an emergency (family death, accident, etc), however, two weeks notice or more is strongly suggested, and one month is necessary for busy holidays, spring breaks, and summer/winter travel months. Availability is on a first-come first-serve basis. Please notify me a soon as you know when you will need my services. However, I do understand that emergencies come up so any cancellation fees may be waived partially or in full depending on circumstances. I do operate on an honor system with regards to reasons for last minute reservation changes. Please understand that any reservation change may cause loss of income (subsequently ability to care for my family), added expenses or time spent and loss of clients. Appropriate fees are based on circumstances and resulting loss in those cases and are due in full to avoid legal intervention.
What if I need to cancel my trip, come home early, is a delay in returning or need to reschedule?
Please let me know as soon as possible if you need to change or cancel a service. All the details regarding changes in service are in our contract. All services canceled less than a set amount of time in advance will be subject to a cancellation fee with the exception of holiday periods. Cancellation fees are necessary as cancellations result in loss of income from declining service for other clients on behalf of reserving the calendar for another client as well as any personal schedule conflictions that could have been avoided. For any boarding services this also means a loss of housekeeping payments made if less than a set amount of time notified in most cases. After that period, a cancellation fee will be required. Because holidays are so busy and much advanced scheduling is required, a cancellation fee of will be applied if the cancellation occurs earlier than a set amount of time of the scheduled departure. Holidays that are canceled more than a set amount of time in advance will be exempt from the cancellation fee. Because I get more requests for service during holiday periods than I can take on, I have to turn down some requests for service so cancellations result in a loss. Cutting pet-sitting services short (such as coming home a day early) is not subject to any fee as long as I confirm receipt of the change at least a set amount of time before I actually set out for the visit. You will not be charged for unfulfilled visits if you return home early, but it is extremely important that you let me know immediately if you will be arriving home early from your vacation in order for care to be discontinued. If you do not confirm with me at least a set amount of time in advance and/or I show up for our scheduled appointment, you will be charged not only the cost of the visit but a fee for the inconvenience. If you need to extend your time away, the same policy as cutting services short or cancellations do with regard to when, the quality of care being continued and fees. Contact me as soon as possible to provide the new schedule and make payment arrangements for overdue and future services. My policy is to continue service UNTIL the client speaks with me directly to confirm of their return home. My services are meant to assist you on a temporary basis and to act as a second parent to those pets and/or manage the home while you are out. My services are not meant to be permanent. However, I understand problems when traveling does occur albeit incarceration, losing a passport, accidents, delays in flight itinerary, death, and personal health issues, etc. I require that you confirm arrangements with one of your emergency contacts not associated with your trip to contact me to arrange payment of services, new changes and/or transfer of ownership/care of the animal. Your emergency contacts must contact me in the event you will be unable to have me sit your animals due to emergencies or other major changes to service conditions. All extended services are subject to availability. If I have to cancel booked services for some reason I am still in possession of your pets after services are scheduled to end I will require full reimbursement for those services in addition to extending your services and its costs to the other booking plus reimbursement for any additional expenses for your pets for extended services. If services have been fully paid for and you need to reschedule the trip completely I can give you a credit towards the rescheduled trip after deducting for already rendered services from the original trip. Please note that if you do not return on your expected return date and have not contacted me within a set amount of time and payment has not been received for future daily sits, I reserve the right to take possession of the animals until you do return. I will charge mileage and an inconvenience fee in addition to your rate in attempting to contact your emergency contact. If the pet(s) is left behind in my possession without notice for longer than 30 days without payment and all options have been exhausted to transfer ownership of your pets until you become available to resume pet ownership, I will act as third party ownership of the animal and attempt to re-home the animal. An additional inconvenience charge for the post 30 day mark will be added to your bill. Good ways to avoid these charges is by being responsible and always communicate with your sitter.
Are you able to drop off or pick up my pets if needed?
Yes, depending on availability, convenience and distance, I can pick up your pet(s) and bring them home to my home should you order boarding or require a vet visit for emergency (included in rate) or non emergency (not included in rate), and then upon your return make the same round trip back to drop off the pet(s). I calculate this per mile to accommodate both the vehicle, gas and commute costs. In this manner, commute costs are limited to two (2) round trips as opposed to several round trips a week. My suggestion to those who are outside my coverage area and do not mind having the animals at my home, but mind dropping off or picking up the pet(s) to have me pick them up or drop them off.
When should I call you on my return?
I need to know if I will continue to sit your pet(s) or need to contact your emergency contacts for transfer. So until I get a confirmation from you that you are home or going to pick pet up I will continue to care for your pet(s). The client will be charged according to the contract and rates for extended services until you return home or retrieve your pet(s) or if the clients does not notify me to discontinue care. I do not want to assume that you arrived home at your scheduled time. For safety reasons and like all surrogate moms, I do worry if the pet sit is over and I have not heard from you. If necessary, I will call your emergency contact information.
