Service Policies

What is expected of my pets at home?

I reserve the right to change services if pet behavior interferes with my abilities to care for the animal at any time. I also reserve the right to add on additional services at the expense of the client if a pet’s behavior causes extra time spent on their behalf. I require full disclosure of temperament before service start.

MUST BE HOUSE TRAINED FOR ALL SERVICES. Any pet staying at my home MUST be housetrained. If a pet should damage sitter property because of accidents, the sitter reserves the right to cancel or discontinue services and/or be reimbursed for expenses related to repairing or cleaning accident areas at client's expense. For services at the client’s home I do not object to housetraining issues but keep in mind a pet who is not housetrained may cause extra time spent on behalf of the pet’s care to clean up after messes or handle any housetraining related problems that occur. Pet owners are responsible for their pet’s actions and if you are unsure if your pet will do this in a new home, please schedule a tester visit or stay with myself or another facility prior to stays longer than 3 days. It is highly recommended any animal requiring potty breaks to be on a feeding schedule. Erratic eating and drinking times cause erratic potty break schedules. All pets are required to use generally accepted forms of potty devices or locations such as a box, potty pad or the outdoors, not the home, floor, furniture, humans, etc.

AGGRESSION, DISOBEDIENCE OR UNWANTED BEHAVIORS that require professional correction are generally not allowable for boarding services and are accepted at the client home. It may be difficult and require extra time spent with pets with behavioral issues. If there are issues discovered during the course of care, those issues will be reported on the pet diaries and I elect to utilize any devices to correct the issue. I can help with some issues, but keep in mind I am not a professional dog trainer and extra time spent with training will be charged extra. Any messes created by pets who display behavioral issues will also require reimbursement. Pets would need to easy to handle during the normal course of care, including proper walk and leash training, issues with feedings and administering medications. This also includes barking. I like to keep my home comfortable, livable and pleasant for all my neighbors as well as for myself and those who live with me. If your dog is a barker, you must provide a method of bark control with the remainder of supplies for all services at my home. I reserve the right to employ the best obedience methods I know of in an effort to re-train these animals, but will not be held liable if the training becomes unfavorable. The client will be required to supply a list of those commands for when they are needed. Please know that as a new situation presents itself, pets may react much differently than you are accustomed to. The best thing to do to prevent any such behaviors is to make sure your pets are socialized with human society and other animals, and in the case of dogs – trained to respond to any human caring for them as a leader, and make sure they know COMMON basic commands practiced by most trainers such as “no”, “good”, “sit”, “stay”, “out”, “down”, “up”, etc and any commands pertaining to feeding and potty schedules. In aggression cases and for all service types, I also reserve the right to terminate any part of care if a pet’s aggression prevents care to be provided safely and comfortably to the pet care provider, the public or the household. This also applies to pets that have a history of biting, growling, attacking, anti-social, puppies who have not been socialized or trained or older dogs that are set in their ways and snap at others at any time before or during the sit/walk.

SPAYING AND NEUTERING FOR BOARDING AND WALKING SERVICES - All male dogs and cats must be neutered before start of boarding sit. Female dogs that are not spayed are accepted only when the sit must not occur within 4 weeks of a heat or menstrual cycle, vaccination/heat cycle record is required upon first sit, a repair/replace deposit may be required in the event the dog spots in the sitter’s house and female dogs discovered to be in heat or during a cycle will not be taken out in public for walks under any circumstances. I will not be responsible for pregnancies or aggressions that occur during my care resulting from unaltered animals. If a pet’s hormonal changes cause unwanted behaviors or socialization issues, the same rules will apply as they do for all pets previously explained. For enclosures, please separate any males and unaltered females. I will not object providing visits for unaltered pets, but if a pet causes extra work to e accomplished during the course of care additional charges will be billed to compensate.

POOR APPEARANCE AND GROOMING. Please have all pets groomed before entering my home to avoid shedding, stench or filth clean up of my home. What is considered “basic grooming” is what can be covered once a week in a 30-minute bath or daily in a 15-minute brushing is included in rates, but do take extra time. If I am required to get additional housekeeping to clean up hair, stench or filth in my home, to spend extra time cleaning up after your pet at your home that could have been avoided before service start, or for pets that typically shed excessively anytime of the year and I spend more time grooming, the client will be billed for those services or time spent n excess of what was ordered.

PETS WITH EXTREME MEDICAL NEEDS or those who requires intravenous application of medications or would be required to be supervised by a vet technician overnight, boarding at a vet is recommended. These pets would be better served boarded at a veterinarian and should not be in my care.

How can I tell my pet is aggressive?

Dogs and other pet species show signs of aggression or anti-social behavior by growling, hissing, scratching, lunging, snapping, assuming an upright posture, cowering, flattening their ears and/or showing their teeth. Some are aggressive out of fear for themselves or others, some territorial, for lack of obedience, or anti-social in general. A professional obedience class or hiring a behavioral specialist to assist you may be the perfect answer to help curb unwanted social behavior. I recommend doing what works best for your pet(s).

What if I just need my dog walked?

I encourage anyone working long hours to contact me to walk his or her dogs. I find that such mid-day breaks are much healthier for the dogs, both physically and psychologically. There are a number of articles on the web regarding the required/suggested exercise for adult dogs. Some say a minimum of 20 minutes a day of some activity that provides either aerobic or anaerobic activity for the muscles. For larger breeds or working breeds more exercise may be required. Best way to find out is to research your breed for the best possible exercise plan. As it is possible to over-exercise dogs they need to be monitored and, of course, follow the advice of your vet.

For safety, all dogs are walked on a strong sturdy leash appropriate for your pet’s physical capacity and with tight fitting collars or harnesses with appropriate licenses and identification tags, no exceptions. The pet owner accepts full responsibility if leashes, collars or other devices used in public become frayed or break while in use and the dog becomes loose because of the leash not being in good condition. I also reserve the right not to use any leash or device if I should feel they are not in good condition, and make any purchases or use any reserve devices in order to care for your pet(s). If the latter is not an option, I reserve the right not to service your animals in public. Retractable leashes for dogs heavier than 25lbs are NOT recommended and I will not use retractable leashes for safety purposes even if they are graded for large animals. Typically these devices are graded based upon what weight the pulley system inside can take. If a dog can pull 3-4 times it weight a retractable leash needs to be able to control that weight. So I leash graded for 100lbs really should be used on a dog less than 25-30lbs. Aggressive animals are required to wear protective headgear equipment while out in public. If your dog has not been trained in leash etiquette or walking in public, please notify me. You may be required to have your dog attend related behavior classes before the first visit. If I cannot control your dog well because of the leash, if your dog has not been trained on a leash, aggression issues or it poses a threat to the myself or the public’s safety, I reserve the right not to take the dog out.

What if I need to leave my pet outdoors while I am gone?

I am uncomfortable looking after pets left outdoors while on visits. I require that you keep your pets inside for the time while you are away and when I am on site I can provide supervised and secured outdoor time for your pets if need be. There is only one exception to this rule – your property must be secured by appropriate secured fencing for your dog and appropriate secured outdoor enclosures for all other pets. Dogs obviously need daily exercise outdoors, however not left unsupervised for long periods. Cats, however, should rarely be outdoors for their own safety. While I cannot mandate how people care for their pets and will generally follow the guidelines given by clients, I do hope that you will consider the value, comfort, and safety of keeping your pet(s) indoors. Some of the risks of leaving your pets outdoors unattended are weather, diseases, short life spans and traffic hazards, among the few. I will not bring an animal outside without a leash, especially in the event of invisible fences, where the weather may be of concern, or there is a municipal emergency such as a power outage. A collar with proper license identification must be provided for every roaming animal. If you have an invisible fence or leave your pets outside unattended during a sit, I will not be held responsible for the loss of or harm to any outdoor pets that manage to escape the borders, although I will do my best to track them down and bring them home safely. Failure to notify me if this is your situation will indemnifies me of any liability. I ask that you please make sure all collars and equipment are operating properly before you leave. Please let me know in advance if your pet(s) has a history of escaping.

What about feedings and do you care for pets that need live feedings?

I will never let your pet(s) go without fresh food. Please supply enough supplies to cover double your absence in the event there is an emergency or you are delayed in your returning home. If you run out of supplies, I am happy to travel to purchase the exact amount and type of food you have provided no matter how far I must go to get that food. If you run out of any supplies, an extra fee for time and mileage in addition to the purchase price will be added to your bill.

I do care for pets that need live feedings. I respect that every animal has to eat and some species must have care equivocal to what is in the wild. However, if your pet(s) requires live feed, the same policy exists as for pre-packaged foods as well as for habitats of live pets. There must be enough feed to last the entire time you are gone. Plus the feed must be stored properly such as a separate terrarium to store and keep live food (especially in the case of mice, fish or insects for reptiles, amphibians and aquatic pets), along with any food the live food needs to survive while you are gone. If you need to bulk purchase insects of any kind, please house them in batches or jars to make feeding much easier and healthier every week as it will allow for more time for other pet care tasks and eliminate any squeamishness I have about handling insects.

My pet is on a strict schedule, can you accommodate us?

I will try to match your pet's schedule as closely as possible. I cannot guarantee "exact" times, but your pet's comfort is of utmost importance to me.

Do you do overnights or longer-term vacation care?

Yes, absolutely. Visits to your home of any kind are limited to coverage area and length of stay, please contact for more information as each situation is different. This applies to not just overnight (nighttime care) or daytime care, but 24-hour care, which most sitters do not specify. I also find that many pets that are "accident-prone" actually have fewer accidents once they realize that their pet sitter is consistently available to care for them. Overnights and daytime care are typically 8-15 hours in length and are known as “half day” care. For overnight care and 24-hour care, accommodations must be made available to me, as I will be living at your house. All long term sits should be scheduled well in advance of your need as availability for this service is on a first come, first served basis. However, my family and work has requested my presence most weeks, so the likelihood of me spending time away from work and home for longer than a few days is accepted on a case-by-case basis all depending on location and length of time. I also offer in home 24-hour in my home to offset this issue.

What about my pet’s vaccinations, does this affect your services?

There are many diseases and using a pet sitter will not ensure that your pet(s) will not be exposed, as with any other pet care service. I ask that a vet regularly examine all pets. I also ask that you follow your veterinarian's recommendations on vaccinations. I request that client's have their pets current on all vaccinations for their own safety and if possible to provide a copy of vaccinations if the vet needs to be visited during the stay and they require it. It is best to inform me of any vaccination deficiencies, and I will take necessary precautions. However, I am not liable for pets that become ill due to exposure to something that could be prevented by a standard vaccination or where a standard vaccination would permit care for that medical problem. The client will assume full responsibility if I do not have the documents required to permit care of your pet(s) or if the vet or another service will required those document prior to administering medical care.

What happens if my pet(s) becomes ill, sick or dies while I am away?

I always observe pets for signs of irregularity or illness. At the initial consultation visit, I will ask for your vet information and complete a form giving me permission to take your pet(s) to a vet for treatment. In a serious emergency, I will take your pet(s) to a veterinarian immediately. I ask that you provide your vet with the release form to let them know you will be gone and you have a pet sitter in case I do have a need to contact them. This way they can arrange for payment with you in advance or so they know to bill you for services unless you have provided any credit card information ahead of time. I prefer not pay vet bills under any circumstances, however if deemed necessary I will and it will be added to your bill. Should your pet(s) require medical attention, I will make every possible attempt to get your pet(s) to your preferred veterinarian. In the event your preferred veterinarian is unavailable or it would be too costly/time consuming to accommodate that request, I will take your pet(s) to the first available veterinarian. I want your pet(s) happy and healthy. When possible, you will be contacted prior to taking your pet(s) to the vet, however if time is of the essence and the medical condition requires immediate attention, I will see that the pet(s) gets the care it needs then contact you immediately. In the event I cannot reach you or your emergency contacts, I will decide if the veterinarian should see your pet(s). Generally, this service is included in all pet sitting or boarding care as there is a vet less than five (5) miles round trip away. However, if the nearest vet is farther than 5 miles away round trip, you will be billed the mileage rate for every extra mile traveled. This service is only included in boarding or visits, not for dog walking services. For dog walking services the non emergency fee will be charged which will allot commute charges and time spent at the vet on behalf of your pet. Should the question of euthanasia arise in regards to your pet's physical health or if your pet(s) dies, your pet(s) will be made as comfortable as possible, then you will be contacted immediately for instructions. It will then be a decision between you and the veterinarian as to what actions will be taken in the best interest of your pet(s). I will never give the order of euthanasia, cremation, burial, or any other death-related action of an animal. You, as the pet’s owner, are the only one that can give that order.

Do you administer medications?

Yes, if the pet(s) cooperates. There is no charge for medications no matter the type of sitting or boarding service as this would not apply to dog walking services. If the pet(s) does not cooperate, I may need to transport the pet(s) to the vet for care at an extra cost. Diabetic pets are accepted on a case-by-case basis and I will want to consult with your veterinarian as to any specific care they may need. If you have a very sick or elderly pet(s), I ask that you check with your vet before you use a pet sitter. Your vet may think that boarding in a clinic would be better for the pet’s medical needs. For pets on medications, please schedule your meet and greet at medication time so I can see your routine.

Who can be my emergency contact?

An in town or nearby relative, local friend, co-worker, boss or associate is fine, as long as it is someone who knows you well, and may be able to answer questions regarding an emergency to your pet(s) or home. Even out of town family and friends who have this knowledge can help. In addition, at least one person must be authorized to be a last resort sitter in the event the animals need to be re-homed either temporarily or permanently and must be authorized to enter your home. Three (3) emergency contacts are required before the first visit and are usually covered in the initial consultation. You will also have an opportunity to designate one person in case of rehoming as your primary choice.

What forms will I have to sign?

I use documents, including this website, that walk each client through operational policies, expectations and information necessary to conduct care. I keep a profile on every home and pet(s) I visit that includes important information, schedules, your contact, vet and emergency contact information, any quirks about your home or pet(s) and much more. I ask that you inform me as changes occur in the routine of your pet(s) and your home. All these documents will be handled at the initial consultation and are a one time requirement. Some of the documents you may be expected to completely fill out or sign are but not limited to profiles for the human client, the pet care needs, the home, the pet, Service Visit information for each service need, General Contract or Dog Walking Agreement, Medication Instructions, Permission to Enter Property, Transfer of Ownership, Veterinary Treatment Authorization, and any other information that is necessary or required prior to start of service. An initial consultation checklist is available prior to our first meeting so you can anticipate and make available any information such as emergency contact information, vet information, vaccination records and so on.

What about keys, alarm systems and confidential information?

I require two sets of keys to your house when I sit, one as the main used the second as a back up in case of emergency need, the main one breaks or does not work. Hiring a locksmith to gain access to your house would be very costly to you, so a back up is required. And in some cases having me stay there and wait for entry will become extremely costly for any client. Also with the back up set I will also be an emergency contact for your home throughout the year when you do not need service. The second set of keys will stay at my home and not come with me on visits. It is required to provide these keys at the time of initial consultation in order to fulfill service requests. Keys are securely stored in inside my home and are numbered to ensure that your information will be stay confidential. The same will be true for any alarm code information, which includes not only the alarm code itself, but the alarm company’s contact information in the event there is a problem with the system or for any other reason I would need access to the code. You can opt to arrange a special code just for me with the alarm company or not, it is up to you. Files with sensitive data are also secured in a secret place only I know. Keys and files are never in the possession of anyone but me and kept separately. This provides uninterrupted service for you and your pets. I will test all keys and alternate entry methods at the initial consultation to ensure they work properly. Make sure to check the keys to make sure they work before I take possession. I normally do not leave the key for you on the last visit because I will not be able to provide continuing care for your pet(s) in the case of emergency or your delayed return and in the event that someone else enters your home an gains possession of the keys. If you wish me to, however, I will leave them but will not be held responsible once the keys are officially out of my possession. Upon return I can drop them off for an extra fee that includes mileage and commute time. You can also pick them up at my home or have them securely mailed to you. If you only provide one set of keys, those keys will be both back up and primary keys.

What if I need to have shared sitting agreement or a service provider at my home while I am out?

I generally discourage this type of arrangement for a variety of safety and security reasons. Depending on each circumstance I may consider shared sitting assignments however will require an additional contract to be signed. Many people like to include neighbors, relatives, and friends in pet-sitting duties. These well-intentioned actions often create confusion or security issues during a shared sitting assignment. Common problems are over-feeding, unsecured doors, lost keys, skipped feedings, violating the security and safety of others sitting for your home, misuse of the home, culpability and many other varied instances. I will not be responsible for a sitting assignment where others are going to share the work or have access to the home for that purpose. As far as scheduling outside personnel or service providers such as landscapers, plumbers or any other subcontractor, I strongly recommend that you do not allow other service personnel or people into your home while you are not present to supervise their activity. These individuals may not be familiar with your pets or home and be negligent in leaving doors open or may have fears of pets you are unaware of. You may also not know if these folks have a criminal past, if you can even trust those strangers in your home or a legitimate to do their job. If a service visit is required, it should be scheduled while you are home to supervise or at the least in advance, so I can anticipate and authorize their entry and verify the person(s) identification. I will ask you to leave a list of your preferred service company contact in the event it is necessary, upon your approval or that of your contact person in the event you are unable to be contacted if household emergencies should require maintenance. Any person accessing your home must leave a note all exterior doors when they arrive, so that I am aware they are present. I will call the police if I see unexpected visitors of any kind or cannot verify that their access is authorized by you.

What provisions have been made in the event you are not able to get to my pets?

While scheduling your pet care visits, during the initial consultation, you will be expected to supply emergency contacts whom has agreed to care for your pet(s) in the event it is unsafe for me to continue service such as during a disaster, I get injured or sick or in any other emergency. Should service cancellation become an issue, your plan would be followed. I will do everything possible to resolve the situation without disrupting your trip. I will contact your emergency contact for instructions and if unavoidable, I will contact you.