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Pet Sitter Review

Item: Pet Sitter Review
Rating: 2.5
Author: Top Consumer Reviews

Tuesday, March 28th

2023 Pet Sitter Service Reviews

Pet Sitter

Cost: $30 per month subscription fee
Pet Sitter fees extra

Pet Sitter is the pet-sitting sub-brand of CareGuide, a company that oversees 28 other caregiving service provider websites.

Free basic access

Before you create an account, Pet Sitter gives you access to the directory of pet-sitters looking for work through the Pet Sitter website in your area. You can view their rates, recommendations from past clients, and their level of experience, but you will only have access to what Pet Sitter describes as "limited messages" until you've signed up for a Pet Sitter subscription.

3 subscription plans

The Pet Sitter FAQ page elaborates that as a Basic plan member, you will be able to send a first message to a pet sitter, but you will not be able to read their response or share your contact info until one of you upgrades to a paid subscription. One month will cost you $30, three months is $45, and one year is $90.

Unhappy pet sitters

We found very little in the way of customer reviews, though there are many unhappy reviews from the pet-sitters themselves. Pet sitters who sign up to find work with this company complain that they had no idea they would not be able to respond to possible clients' messages until they had paid for a Premium subscription. As a result, these pet sitters were forced to leave those customer inquiries unanswered unless they paid money. As someone looking for a pet sitter, you may end up sending dozens of messages to pet sitters in your area, and even if they are interested in the job and want to discuss their rates with you, you may never get a response.

No pet sitter verifications

Pet Sitter caregivers are not required to have any past experience before creating a profile, and there is no verification process for any skills or certifications they may claim that they do have. Pet Sitter does not run background checks or even incentivize caregivers to undergo them.

We recommend you look elsewhere

Unless a pet-sitting service that can only connect you to underqualified, inexperienced pet sitters for a premium of $30 a month sounds great to you, we recommend you look elsewhere for a more reliable, user-experience oriented service.

View Service

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The 6 Best Pet Sitter Services

Who Offers the Best Pet Sitting Service?

Whether you're going on vacation, travel often for work, or just work long hours and worry about your furry, feathered, or scaled friend while you're away, hiring a pet-sitter can provide you with peace of mind - and your best friend with some extra love.

Though pet sitting is generally defined as the act of a caregiver coming to your house to look after your pet (including walking, playing, feeding, administering medication, and many times spending the night), most pet-sitting services also provide options for doggy boarding (meaning your pup spends the night at the caregiver's home), doggy daycare (your pup spends the day with human and canine playmates, then comes home to tell you all about it), regular drop-in visits for walking, and even grooming.

Continue reading below

Pet Sitter Service FAQ

How much does it cost?

This will differ greatly based on a number of factors. How many dogs you have, how long you need them watched, and if they need to spend the night are just a few of the price considerations. Sitters generally set their own prices, so you can work out the specifics with them.

Can I trust the sitters?

You can! Almost all of the services offer a background check for the sitters. You can then find the ones who have done this, and hire them with a clear conscience. Still, with the internet, you should always be wary of profiles with little information offered.

Why should I use a service?

Using a service to find a petsitter can be a great choice. You can find people with exactly what you want in a sitter. It also works great if you don't know many people where you live who can watch your pet for you.

Do I choose the sitter?

You do get to choose the sitter. Usually you pick preferences of what you are looking for and the site will recommend options. Ultimately you will pick the person who takes care of your pet, just make sure to look at different options.

What if I don't like the person?

This is an unfortunate possibility when using an online service. Most services recommend meeting with a potential sitter before you hire them, to avoid this. Always listen to your gut feeling, especially when it comes to your pet's care.

Is there variety?

There is a lot of variety! Tons of people are eager to pet sit, so all you need to do is find the right match for you. There are lots of options for choosing your sitter, from the person to the level of care they will give your pet.

Will they stay in my house?

This depends on you. Some people prefer having their pets stay at home for the animal's comfort, while others don't want strangers in their house. There are plenty of options to choose from, and you can look at several options before deciding the right fit for you.

Can I meet them first?

You absolutely can! A lot of people are more comfortable having an informal "interview' first to meet each other. It's important to make sure you are comfortable with any caregiver before deciding to hire them.

Continued from above...

Many people go the route of asking a friend or family member to look after Fido while they're away, and while their heart might be in the right place, simply being a pet-lover is not enough when it comes to ensuring the health and safety of a pet. Our pets are family, and when searching for the best sitter or pet-sitting service for the job, there are many things to consider guaranteeing that our pets are in good hands.

Some factors to consider include:

Training and Qualifications. While many people love animals and have grown up with family pets, it's not every person who has taken the proper steps to become a qualified animal caretaker. Does the pet-sitting service you are using require that their sitters be trained to understand pet body language, health concerns, and dietary needs, or be certified in pet first-aid and CPR? Does this service have background checking capabilities?
Insurance. Should something go wrong, during a pet-sitting appointment, will your chosen pet-sitting service accept any liability, or does it leave it to you and the sitter to work things out?
Pricing. When you're in the market for a pet-sitter, keep in mind that when using a service, you may need to pay more than just the sitter's going rate. Is your pet-sitting service transparent about subscription fees and automatically renewing payments?
Communication. Does your pet-sitting service enable and encourage your sitter to send photos and updates during your booking? Is a Meet & Greet required before you book? Will your sitter be likely to respond to your messages in a timely and professional manner?
Reputation. A pet-sitting service might have a professionally designed website with all the bells and whistles, but what do customers have to say about their experiences with the business? Does Customer Service respond to and resolve issues that may arise with billing or bookings? Has the business been rated by the Better Business Bureau?

TopConsumerReviews.com has reviewed and ranked the best Pet Sitting Services available today. We hope this review helps you find the most qualified sitter to take care of your animal companions!