Guide for New Pet Sitters

Professional pet sitting companies are still relatively new and folks who apply are usually curious about how it works. Truth is, we are looking for the best possible match for our company and culture, so take the time to learn about us and see if we will be a good match for you!

How Does Being a Pet Sitter Work?

When you join our team we learn all about your skills.

• What kinds of animals you have worked with in the past.
• Are you good with a special behavior concern or personality: shy cats, large dogs, dog aggressive dogs, etc.
• What experience you have with unusual species: parrots, horses, pigs, etc.
• What medical experience you have: administering medications, giving insulin shots, giving fluids, etc.
• Where you live. We try not to have sitters drive too far from their homes.
• What your schedule looks like. Some sitters are part-time, some are full-time, some prefer not to do overnight stays.

When we have a new client, or an existing client that is in need of a new sitter, we will take a look at all of these factors and assign a sitter that we believe is the best fit.

• The visits are added to your schedule and you are sent an email notification.
• If the visits are last minute, or outside the your realm of normal care, we will contact you first to discuss the household and see if it is a good fit.
• About a week before your first visit, you will receive a reminder to contact the client and set up a meeting. This will happen within the next few days at a time that works for both of you. You are paid for these meetings, even though the client is not charged for them.
• At the meeting, you will learn all the details about the client and care of their pets. You will update their online profile with anything they have not entered previously, to make sure we have all the information in case of an emergency.
• After the meeting, you can let us know about any questions or concerns. We will also check with the client and answer any last-minute questions.
• Go out for the visits and update the client!

Basically we handle the back-end work and provide back-up, while you are the primary care provider for the pets and update the clients.

What is the Application Process?

We have a pretty lengthy application process, so it is good to know upfront how it works.

1. Submit your application online. There are questions about your animal experience and a few situational responses.
2. Come in for an interview. We have you fill out a personality survey first, then an interview. It takes around 1 hour in total.
3. Return for a 2nd interview. This has recently changed to be also on Zoom (this is different than stated in the video). We will ask you follow-up questions to your personality survey as well as other questions about your experience.
4. Reference check.
5. Ride along on trial visits with another sitter. We get permission from the client for this, or we do visits in one of our homes. This is a good chance for us to see you interact with animals and gives you a chance to ask more questions about pet sitting.
6. Background check and hiring set up.

Do I Get Time Off?

YES!!! One of the major advantages of working for a professional pet sitting company is that you get to take time off without worrying about the animals. They will receive wonderful care from another sitter on our team.

A few years ago we even started making time off mandatory for sitters, especially during busy seasons. Since pet sitting is a 7 day a week job, it is very common for sitters to get burned out by not taking enough time off. We want our sitters to stay with us for years, so we want to make sure they get those breaks and can recharge. We do encourage our sitters to take time off during the slower times, and we offset sitter vacations so that we always have enough sitters around.

How Do Sitters Get Paid?

Wet Noses Pet Sitters are employees and are paid a percentage of the amount that we charge the clients. Since the cost to our clients can vary based on length of visit, number of pets and a few other factors, we felt this was the fairest method of compensating sitters.

• Sitters make an average of $11-14 a visit
• Overnight stays average $35-55 a night
• Sitters also receive tips that go directly to them

What Does a Normal Day Look Like?

One of the fun parts of pet sitting is that no two days look alike! They vary quite a bit and that is what keeps it interesting. If you are looking for a 9-5 job, then this is not the position for you. If you are excited by the idea of an ever-changing schedule, then read on!

• Sitters can be part-time or full-time.
• The number of visits per day varies greatly depending on the time of year and how long the visits are.
• Full time sitters may go to 4-8 visits a day during slow times and 8-13 visits a day during busy months.
• Most commonly our sitters are doing morning, lunch and dinner visits, with some overnights. This usually leaves them with breaks mid-morning, mid-afternoon and in the evening.

What Happens in an Emergency?

One of the largest advantages, for sitters and clients, of using a professional pet sitting company is that we always have back-up. Wet Noses Pet Sitting has 2 full time managers who can be reached 24/7.

• If there is ever an emergency with the sitter, a manager steps in to take over the visits and reach out to the clients and keep them up to date.
• If there is an emergency with the animal, a manager will be there to help with the animal and make the hard decisions.
• Sitters can also reach out to other sitters to ask for advice if they are familiar with the animal.
• Some examples of emergencies in the past:
  • A sitter was in a car accident between visits. A manager stepped in and took over the visits and contacted the clients to keep them updated.
  • A sitter became very ill. A manager gave some visits to other sitters who knew the pets already and did the rest herself. The manager was in touch with the clients to keep them updated.
  • A dog became very ill. The sitter transported the dog to the emergency clinic where the manager met her to take over care. The manager stayed with the dog for the rest of the day, communicated with the owner and transported the dog home after treatment was finished.
  • A sitter had a landscaper hanging around the property after dark. A male sitter went out to check on her, the manager spoke to the owner about the concern. In addition, the next day we installed a camera in the home (with the client’s permission) so we could check on the safety of the home during our stay.

Having a manager there to make the tough decisions and help out is invaluable when you are working with other people’s pets. We take care of the hard stuff so you can focus on providing excellent care.

What is the ONE Thing You Should Know?

Before making these videos I asked my sitters, what is the one thing you wished you knew before starting to work as a pet sitter, and they were unanimous!

• Every day is different and the schedules are always changing!
• If you are in search of a 9-5 job, this is not a good match for you.
• Clients sometimes cancel at the last minute.
• Clients sometimes schedule last-minute appointments (we always check with you first).

If you are able to roll with a changing schedule and a different day every day, then this may be a good match!

Now What?

So now you have learned some of the basics on how it is to work for Wet Noses Pet Sitting. If you believe you are a good match for us then fill out our application. When we hire sitters we are often looking for a specific area, so it never hurts to try a second time. Thanks so much for taking the time to learn more about us!