Have a few questions?
What follows is a list of the most asked questions from five years of being in business. However, we recognize that this list is not exhaustive and we welcome your additional questions. Feel free to contact us for more information about what we do and how we do it.
1.
What is in-home pet sitting?
In-home pet sitting means that a professional pet sitter visits and cares for your pet in your home. This service provides a much-needed alternative to other pet care services such as boarding at a veterinarian's facility or a traditional boarding facility. Hiring a professional to come to your home also means that you don't have to ask friends and neighbors!
2.
What kind of pets do you care for?
We care for all breeds and all sizes of dogs as well as cats, parrots, reptiles, amphibians, mice, rats, rabbits, guinea pigs, ferrets, and even chickens! Our only exception is that we do not care for pets that require live food.
3.
Who will be caring for my pets?
We hire, and train, only professional pet sitters. A professional pet sitter is someone who has experience caring for animals and who is also trained in special skills such as pet first aid and CPR, animal behavior and socialization, and who knows how to identify and react to an emergency with your pet. Our sitters are also required to pass a background check before they are hired and then again during every year that they are employed by us.
4.
Do you administer medication?
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Yes! Most medications are included with our Standard Day Visits, Cat Only Day Visits and Overnight Care. However, insulin injections, subcutaneous fluids and pets which require more than one sitter to administer the medication may result in an additional charge.
5.
How do I know that my pets are being care for?
For each active sit assignment for your pets, you will receive regular updates that include how your pet is doing along with pictures. In addition, our specialized software allows us to time stamp and view a GPS location for each visit that is made.
6.
I don't like to give out keys to my home; what are my options?
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As a policy, we require two keys to your home. Your keys will be labeled in such a way that no one outside of our company will know that they are keys to your home and, when not in use, they are kept in our office in a locked cabinet. During an active sit, one key is kept by your assigned sitter and the other is kept in the locked cabinet. Our employees are required to account for the keys in their possession at the end of each day. The second key is used in the event of an emergency in case your assigned sitter cannot make a visit or if your primary key is lost or stolen. At the end of your first sit we are happy to return your keys to you once you have returned home at no extra charge; we cannot leave keys under your doormat. However, for each additional sit there will be a fee to pick up and return your keys unless you choose to drop them off and pick them up at our office in Highland Village.
If you prefer, we will provide a key lock box that you can attach to your home during active sits. For this option, we require a deposit of $25 that will be returned to you when the lock box is returned to us. Please note: We do not accept garage or front door entry codes as the sole method of accessing your home. We have learned through experience that these methods can fail due to dead batteries or electrical failure.
7.
How do I choose the arrival times for my visits?
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All visits are made during a two-hour arrival time period. These two-hour windows are available for you to request and view through the Client Portal. The time windows are chosen based on when you will be gone and what are the needs of your pet(s). However, if your pets require medication to be given at specific times then we will specify that our sitters arrive at that time.
8.
How much time do you spend at each visit?
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The amount of time we spend at each visit depends upon two things: the type of visit you have chosen and the needs of your pet. While we attempt to complete our duties in the time allotted by the visit, we know that this isn't always possible and make your pet's safety and comfort our first priority. We give whatever time is needed for your pet to do his/her business, administer medication and give lots of love and attention! If we feel that your pets needs are not being met with the visits chosen we will contact you to discuss other options.
9.
Can you make same-day visits?
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We make every attempt to accommodate last-minute visit requests. However, please note that we may have to squeeze the visit in between other already-scheduled clients. This means that your pet may not get the normally-allotted time dictated by the visit type.
10.
Will my sitter stay overnight in my home?
Yes! We make Overnight Sits! With this option, your sitter will arrive at around 7 p.m. and stay until the next morning around 7 a.m. For dogs, these visits also include two walks, dinner and breakfast. If your pet needs additional visits during the day we can add visits to the calendar for you.
11.
Will I be assigned more than one sitter?
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That depends. If the visits you have on the schedule span more than an eight-hour period in any 24-hour period then it is likely that you will have more than one sitter. However, you will know ahead of time which sitters will be entering your home and caring for your pets and, except in cases of emergency, you will be given the opportunity to meet those sitters in advance.
12.
What is your cancellation policy?
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Our general cancellation policy requires at least 24-hours notice during non-holiday visit for Standard Day Visits, Brief Potty Break Visits, Cat Only Day Visits and Small Animal Visits. Cancellations for reservations for Overnight Care and Boarding (contact us for details) are made according to our Scheduling, Payments and Cancellation Policy. This policy will be reviewed with you at the initial complimentary Meet and Greet.
13.
How do you handle medical emergencies?
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During your initial Meet and Greet we will review with you our Veterinary Release Authorization which outlines your instructions for us to follow in the event of a medical emergency. This Authorization tells us the procedures you allow to be performed by a veterinarian. When an emergency occurs, our first phone call is to a veterinarian to let them know what has happened and that we are on our way. The second phone call is to you and, if we cannot reach you, to the emergency contact you have listed in your Client Profile. Once we reach you, or your emergency contact, medical decisions are transferred to you or them.
14.
What about extreme weather conditions?
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So long as it does not jeopardize the safety of our employees, we make visits no matter the weather conditions. However, for the safety of your pets, we do not walk dogs for longer than five minutes once the temperature reaches 99 degrees and, for elderly dogs or brachycephalic breeds, at even lower temperatures. The remainder of the visit will be used for indoor activities as much as possible.
15.
How do we communicate with our sitter?
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Our smartphone app or browser-accessed Client Portal allows for direct communication from our clients to and from your assigned sitters as well as to company management. In addition, during active sitting assignments, you can contact us using our Emergency Text Line.
16.
My pet is on a raw-food diet, is that okay?
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Yes! Raw-food diets, whether store-bought, or home made, or any other special dietary instructions, will be followed by our sitters as you outline in your Pet Profile through the Client Portal.