Why We Do Not Job Share When Pet Sitting

We often get requests from clients asking to book us for care of their dogs, cats and other pets when they have friends, family, neighbors, or kids covering some of the visits. Unfortunately, due to liability issues we are unable to job share when pet sitting with anyone other than a pet sitter contracted with Good Dog! Coaching & Pet Care. When under our care, we let clients know if there is anything off or unusual with their pets or home.  However, with job sharing when pet sitting, if there is a problem with a client’s home or their pets while they are away or upon their return, we do not want to be held liable for anything that may happen when their pet isn’t in our care.

Some Examples Of Why We Won’t Job Share While Pet Sitting

• If a client’s pet is on a limited ingredient diet, we don’t want to be responsible for food they may be given or can get into on their own if you have someone outside of Good Dog! Coaching & Pet Care providing care.

• If a door or gate is left unlocked or ajar, we do not want to be held responsible if your pet is able to get out when no one is home.

• If another caregiver is responsible for unlocking or locking a gate or closing or opening a doggy door before or after a landscaper or pool cleaner comes over, we do not want to be responsible if your dog gets out.

• If a client’s pet gets injured during play time or on a walk when they are not in our care, again we do not want to be responsible.

• If a pet takes medication, we don’t want to be liable if the medication isn’t administered properly while not in our care.

• If a client’s friend or family member does not show up for their visits we may not know if a visit, meal, or medication was missed.

• If a client returns home to something broken or missing, we do not want to be held responsible for something we did not do.

The above are only a few of the many possible examples where pet care can be compromised when job sharing when pet sitting or splitting visits with friends, neighbors, or family of clients.  It is not that we are trying to make more money by asking a client to book all the visits with us, it is for the safety and security of our client’s pets and their home and to eliminate liability issues playing a game of he said, she said, that prohibits us from job sharing when caring for client’s pets.

We have learned the hard way that this is a policy we must stick to.

Here are some examples of issues that arose in the past when we allowed job sharing while pet sitting (and why we no longer do).

• A client had a neighbor coming in for the evening visit to car for her cat. The cat was taking a medication that was to be administered twice a day (morning and evening). When the Good Dog! Coaching & Pet Care sitter arrived for the morning visit on several occasions, there was a small plate which had leftover wet food on it and the pill that was supposed to be given at the evening visit was still on the plate. As professionals, we know how to “pill a cat” to make sure the medication is administered properly. Their neighbor clearly did not. There were also dirty dishes left in the sink. As professionals, we clean up after ourselves and leave the home in same or better condition than when we arrive.

• A client having a friend coming in midday to “check in” on her dogs, hadn’t properly secured the back door and one of the dogs had gotten out into the yard and had subsequently escaped the yard. When the Good Dog! Coaching & Pet Care sitter arrived at the evening visit, she was horrified to find that one of the client’s dogs was missing. This in turn had us having to create flyers, call local shelters etc, until fortunately the dog was found and returned home.

• A client had a neighbor coming in to check on their dogs for the evening visit. When they left, they neglected to turn on some indoor lights (to make the home look lived in, as a professional would have) and they also neglected to reactivate the alarm system and unfortunately the client’s home was burglarized!

These are just a few examples of what can happen when your pets and your home are left in the care of a nonprofessional and why we no longer job share when pet sitting.

Always keep in mind, your friend, family member or neighbor is doing you a favor, therefore your home and your pet is NOT their first priority! They are not experienced pet caregivers.