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Hiring a pet sitter

Posted: 7/7/2010 8:46:33 AM | 7 comments
If you’re traveling on vacation this summer and don’t plan to take your pet or pets with you, there is an alternative to boarding that could keep your pet happier and healthier, not to mention your home more secure.

Many professional pet sitters not only walk, feed, water, play with and care for pets, but they also bring in mail, water plants, rotate lights and blinds and help make the home look lived in while the client is away. With a sitter, pets get to stay in the comfort and safety of their own home and it avoids the hassle of having to pack up your animals and drop them off.

Angie's List, the premier provider of consumer reviews on local service companies, including pet sitters, asked highly rated companies for advice on hiring pet care.

Angie's List tips for hiring a pet sitter:
  • Begin interviewing early so you'll be confident with your decision. Pet/house sitters usually get booked up well ahead of the summer and holiday season.
  • Interview the sitter in person. Ask questions such as "how long have you been in business?" And, "why did you decide to be a pet sitter?"
  • Is your pet comfortable around the sitter?
  • Can he/she provide written proof that he/she has commerical liability insurance (to cover accidents and negligence) and is bonded (to protect against theft).
  • Look for a pet sitter who is trained in pet first aid and CPR and one who does background checks on all employees. 
  • Ask prospective sitters if they are members of professional organizations like Pet Sitters International or the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters.
Before you leave home:
  • Leave a clear, written list of contacts including how to reach you, your veterinarian and possibly a neighbor who has a spare key.
  • Let plenty of pet food and prescriptions with clear instructions.



Comments
Scott
I have been lucky enough in the past to have friends who could stay at my house while I was out of town. I had older dogs at that time. Now we have a 3 year old Lab that we have been taking to "Doggie Day Care" since she got all her shots etc and was admitted (they are strict, which I appreciate) She is very comfortable there, as she goes once a week. This would not work with dogs with special needs or has not acclimated to being out of the home. Our Dog loves it, and does not consider it "Boarding". Please free to leave opinions / comments.

BTW She is way spoiled at home and at day car. She is a Lab ya know........
8/19/2010 9:14:31 PM
Donna B
Several items (I've been a pet sitter now for over 10 years): 1. Commercial liability insurance - It's not as necessary as one would think. I'm NOT saying it doesn't matter but put simply: under the laws of EVERY STATE IN THIS COUNTRY your pet is considered personal property, in the same category as your television, sofa or lawn equipment. Pet lovers don’t see it that way, but according to the general practices in the insurance industry if something happened to your pet while in a sitter's care the law will still see you as the owner and you’d have to file a claim on YOUR homeowner’s insurance to recoup your financial losses if your dog dies or to satisfy any claims against your pet if they harm someone while in our care. Sitters are an assigned caretaker, not the owner.

2. Bonding - Bonding ONLY works when an Employee or Independent Contractor working for the sitting company is found guilty and convicted of stealing something from your home. A bond for a sole proprietorship that has NO employees or Independent Contractors is totally WORTHLESS. According to Western Surety, "A bond protects the employer from dishonest acts (theft) caused by an employee or an Independent Contractor (agent) of the employer. It does absolutely nothing for the pet sitting client." A bond is not an insurance policy nor is it paid out like one. In it’s simplest terms: For a bond to be paid the covered person (the Independent Contractor) must be arrested, tried, convicted and sentenced, then and only then will the bond be paid. After that, the bonding company goes after the person that they bonded to recover their losses. The only one that makes out on a bond is the bonding company. They don't even do a background check on who they are covering. They just collect the fee. You can actually hire a convicted criminal on parole and the bonding company doesn't care and won't check.
8/18/2010 3:39:52 PM
Lindsay O.
I have to disagree with most everything that Julie said. Many people now are not self-employed because of criminal records, but instead the job market in the United States is poor. Some people can make more money, or any money at all (rather that sitting on unemployment) by being self-employed. Also, asking for a FICO score is completely out of line. Bein self-employed as nothing to do with their credit; unless you were to *loan* them some sort of amount, then there is no need for you to know ther FICO score - you also never gave a reason as to why you thought knowing their FICO score was important.

I do, however, agree that you should ask who exactly is coming into your home, and you are correct that having other people other than the person you hired, or the person an agency hired, to come into your home is an added liability. Having them sign some sort of waiver or agreement to this effect would not be out of line.
8/18/2010 3:21:19 PM
Julie Fredrick
Actually, Tom, I agree with your comment about FICO scores. There are other reasons why someone might have a lower FICO score. You are right...we bow to the almighty FICO and that is wrong. Thank you for correcting me on that point. Many employers, insurance companies, put too much emphasis on the FICO score. I might say that looking at the full picture might be a more reasonable approach for judging someone that is going to come into your home and care for your pets and home. Thanks.
8/18/2010 2:50:52 PM
Amy A.
Here are a few more suggestions:
Before you leave home:
• Make sure the key you give to your pet sitter really works, test it on your door while the pet sitter is there, and explain any potential problems with locks, such as the need to push in on the door while locking it or to pull out on the door while locking it, etc. Tell them where you have a hidden key on the property that they can use if needed. Be sure to give them the code for disarming and setting your alarm system, along with the password needed in case the alarm is accidentally set off.
• Leave a clear checklist of things to do on each visit, i.e.:
• AM:
o Turn off porch lights and open the blinds.
o Bring the newspaper inside.
o Turn on sprinklers for 15 minutes, then turn them off. The faucet handle is beside the patio.
o Turn off lights in the house.
o Give cats ½ can each of canned food plus ½ Cup each of dry food. (Don’t say “Give cats some canned food and a little dry food.”) Tell them where the canned food and dry food are stored.
o Walk the dog for about _____ minutes, but watch out – he likes to chase squirrels. His leash and harness are in the hall closet. Plastic bags for picking up his do-do are kept under the sink.
o Etc., etc., etc. – Anything else you would like for them to do (within reason – they are not going to mow your grass.)
• PM:
o Turn on porch lights and close the blinds.
o Bring the mail inside.
o Turn some lights on so the house looks occupied. It is OK [or not OK] to leave the TV or radio on.
o Give cats ¼ can each of canned food plus 4-5 treats each.
o Play with the dog in the back yard.
A list like this makes it so much easier for your pet sitter to just go down the list before she leaves to make sure everything was done.
Thanks!
8/18/2010 1:45:11 PM
tom
This is all good information but I have to disagree with one point made by Julie... FICO is controlling our lives. There are many people (recently divorced women, for example) who may have poor scores. To judge a person by their credit score is not only unreliable (good credit equals good character? Yeah, right...) but is unfair to many good people.
FICO, in my view, is more tyrannical than the IRS.
8/18/2010 12:58:22 PM
Julie Fredrick
Great article, but I have a few more questions I believe are essential to ask a potential pet sitter. Do you bring your children on pet sitting jobs? Children add liability to your pets, your home and the children. While most pet sitters insurance covers damage to your pets and home, you are liable if the child gets hurt by a pet. Second, do you have a background check? It's my feeling the some people are self employed because they have a criminal record. I also think asking for a FICO score is not out of line. What is your back-up plan should something happen to you? Will you email me after each visit? Contact references. Also, get a copy of the pet sitters insurance and verify that it is up to date.

Good luck!
Julie Fredrick
8/18/2010 10:59:16 AM
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