Finding reliable pet care for when you’re away from home is an important part of planning a vacation. Many pet owners have already decided that pet sitting is the alternative to kennels and dog boarding that they’ve been looking for. But how do you find dog watchers — one that’s right for you, and your dog?
Choosing a pet sitter — particularly an in-home pet sitter — means you can enjoy your travels knowing your pet is safe and happy in the comfort of their own home. But if you’re new to the world of in-home pet care, you may be wondering how dog sitters in my area works. From booking a professional pet sitting service to the sitters who offer pet sitting for free (yes, really!) here’s your complete guide on how to find dog watchers.
The first step in knowing how to find a dog sitter, is knowing what type of dog sitter in your area you need! From professional dog boarding to drop-in dog sitters, there are many different types of pet sitting services available.
Drop-in dog sitters, as the name suggests, pop into your home and tend to your pets for an agreed amount of time per day. Their duties may include dog walking, feeding and playing with your pet, and typically, these sitters will offer their pet care at an hourly rate. This keeps your pets in their own home, however, as highly sociable animals, this kind of pet care is not ideal for overnight stays or long vacations.
Unsurprisingly, many dog watchers that care for dogs do so for a living, and one of the most common types of dog sitters are professionals who board pets in the sitter’s own home. While this is a much less stressful option than traditional kennels, nothing compares to keeping a dog in their own home where they are surrounded by familiar sights and smells. That’s where in-home dog sitters come in.
In-home pet sitters keep your pets happy in the one place they feel truly relaxed — their own home. It’s the pet care option more and more pet owners are opting for when they travel, and vets around the world agree that in-home pet sitters are the preferred pet care option when their owners go on vacation.
While such a dedicated, one-on-one service may sound expensive, the reality is that it doesn’t have to be! In fact, there are even in-home pet sitters, like those on TrustedHousesitters, who pet sit for free simply because they love animals and the unique travel experiences that pet sitting offers.
Now that you know what kind of dog sitter you’re searching for, you need to know where to find them. If you’re looking for someone local, a good place to start is often in the local newspapers or on a notice board, like those found at veterinary practices.
Word of mouth is another popular option for pet owners to find a dog sitter. If you have friends or family with dogs, ask around, as they may have a great recommendation of someone they’ve used before.
Alternatively, using a pet sitting website can make the process a whole lot simpler. Sites, like TrustedHousesitters.com, lets you browse through thousands of in-home pet sitter profiles, which have already been verified. You can even read reviews from other pet owners, just like you.
Yes, free pet sitters really do exist! And, because they aren’t motivated by money, you can find a sitter whose number one priority is to care for your home and pets.
On TrustedHousesitters, none of the pet sitters charge to care for people’s dogs. They are simply pet lovers who want to stay in new places while spending time with adorable animals. Pet owners simply pay an annual membership to enjoy unlimited pet sitting, all year round.
The best bit? If you’re a part of the Doggies in Town family, your membership fee is waived. That means you can claim a FREE year of membership with TrustedHousesitters (worth €99) — that’s one whole year of guilt-free vacations, at no extra cost to you!
Simply download the Doggies in Town app and access your exclusive code in the Doggies in Town welcome email.