Pet sitting
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A Pet Sitter is a contracted service provider who takes care of a pet in its own home.
Professional industry
The professional pet sitting industry is growing rapidly because many pet owners feel there are advantages to using pet sitters instead of other pet care options. Reasons people use pet sitters include:
- Possible reduced stress on pets because pets are cared for in their own home
- No "travel trauma" to pets because they do not need to be transported anywhere
- Exposure to illnesses and parasites of other animals is minimized
- Required vaccinations are often less restrictive then those necessary at a kennel
- Pets stay on their regular routines and do not need to adapt to a new environment
- No inconveniencing neighbors, friends, or family members
Professional pet sitters are often licensed if required by their area, and insured for liability including care, custody, and control of the pet(s) within their care. Many pet sitters are also bonded or insured for theft. Many pet sitters will have some training, such as pet first aid certification, animal husbandry classes, or pet sitting accreditation. There are a number of online forums, message boards, professional associations, national and regional conferences, and training centers that pet sitters frequent in order to learn more about how to grow their businesses and better their services.
Services
There are many different diverse services which can be offered by pet sitters;
Vacation
During vacation pet sitting a pet sitter may visit a client's home several times a day or as infrequently as once every other day depending on the needs of the pets and the pet sitter's business policies. The exact length of visit is determined by both pet owners and pet sitters, but on average pet sitting is 15 to 45 minutes per session. Visits are generally scheduled in agreed upon time slots. Most professional pet sitters charge by visit. There may also be extra charges for multiple pets, long travel times, and some special tasks. Some pet sitters offer full day or live in care services also, although this is less common.
Dog walking services
Pet sitters can also provide professional dog walking services. These services most often used by people who spend long hours at work during the day, and for clients who do not have the time to exercise their pets regularly each day. Disabled clients and the elderly also often hire pet sitters to exercise and care for their pets when they are unable to do so.
Other services
Pet sitting service includes special services for client homes, including watering plants, putting out trash, and other tasks that give a client's home a lived-in look to deter crime while the client is away.
Pet sitters are also periodically hired to provide pet taxi services to and from a pet grooming facility, veterinarian, or boarding kennel.
Pet sitters also sometimes provide pooper scooper services for client yards.
Insurance and bonding
Insurance
The majority of pet sitters are insured by one of a few nationwide Pet Sitter insurance providers. Generally these nationwide insurance providers can offer higher coverage limits at lower rates than local insurance providers because they associate themselves with specific professional pet sitter associations.
As of 2007, the USA major pet sitting insurance providers include claim limits from 2 million to 4 million per claim for liability claims. They also include coverage for care, custody, and control of the client pets from $10,000 to $200,000 per occurrence. Coverage is also included for fire damage, lost keys, and other negligence claims. In the U.S. most professional pet sitters are age 18 or over, as pet sitting insurers do not provide coverage for minors.
The nationwide Canadian pet sitting insurance plans have similar features as that of the USA plans.
As of 2007, the UK major pet sitting insurance providers include similar claim coverages as the USA providers. The limits for liability claims are from £750 to £10,000.
Most pet sitter insurance plans do provide coverage for pet taxi services. They also provide services for most animals, except those that may be used for other business ventures (such as farms).
Some resources recommend that pet sitters be bonded. That recommendation has been dismissed by many professional organizations in recent years. [1]
Bonding
A dishonesty / fidelity bond claim generally applies when a pet sitter is convicted in criminal court of theft from a client home. When the pet sitter is convicted, the bond will reimburse the client for the loss, and then seek reimbursement from the pet sitter. This process can take many years, and usually relies on a criminal law court conviction.
Many pet sitters have decided to seek actual insurance coverage for theft instead of procuring a bond. Theft insurance coverage does not require convictions, and usually includes coverage for accidental breakage, mysterious disappearance, and accidental damage to items in a client home.
Other insurance topics
Pet sitters are generally not protected from injury to themselves by regular pet sitting liability coverage. Pet sitter liability insurance usually covers injury to other people and other pets.
In the USA insurance professionals recommend that homeowners carry homeowners insurance or umbrella insurance before hiring a pet sitter.
Notes and references
External links
- Pet Sitters International The world's largest organization for professional pet sitters
- National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (USA) National association of professional pet sitters