In-home Pet Sitting and
Dog Walking
How This Works
How does this service work?
We offer:
Personalized drop-in visits to your home, including overnight (7 pm - 7 am) and 24 hour service when available.
Your personal pet sitter arrives at your home for each visit (depending on service purchased). During this time, your pets are played with, cuddled, loved and talked to. Dogs can be walked upon request and all standard pet care is administered: Feeding, watering, litter scooping for cats and clean up of cages or accidental messes in the house. Runs are also scooped.
Home care is included with all pet sitting fees. This means that your mail and newspapers and any package deliveries left at the door will be brought in. In addition, indoor and outdoor plants can be watered and your trash taken out on pick-up day and cans brought back in. We are happy to set your security alarm.
How will I know you were at my home and how it's going?
Your visiting pet sitter will provide pictures and updates at each visit by text, so you will always know your pets have been cared for. If your pet is a hider (cats in the closet or reptiles curled up in their cubbies), we will still send you a text update to let you know how things are going at home.
How is your service different from an App-based Sitter, like Rover.com, Wag.com or Care.com?
Your home and pet care is our business and career! You enjoy the benefits of having a service that is consistent with a staff of sitters familiar with your pets, home, and individual needs. Our service is managed by the owner-operator and all team members are covered with commercial liability and bond insurance especially for VIPet Sitter Service, LLC. You have the opportunity to know who is providing your service each and every time and that there is a direct communication line to the local professionals coming to your home. For more information,
please click here.
How many visits a day does my pet need?
How many visits a day your pet(s) require will be determined according to the type of pet(s), how they are confined and if there is availability of doggie-doors (pet doors). Special needs, such as medications or special treatments and the time schedule for these are also taken into consideration. Some homes require one visit per day, others two or three, or more.
We offer several discounts, please visit our
Pricing page
for detailed information on rates.
These details will be discussed with you during your initial consultation to decide whether one, two, three or more visits are needed on a daily basis.
How will I be charged for services & when do I pay?
Services are charged according to the type of service and our
rates.
All services include pet and home care. You save money by having multiple pets in the household for a flat, per visit rate. A discount is offered if you have only one or two cats at home.
Payment is due at the time of the first visit for the entire pet-sit assignment. You will leave your payment by check or cash in your home at the time you leave, or pay online with a credit card using Square before service begins.
What specific services do you offer?
VIPet Sitter Service specializes in caring for your pets in your own home during weekend get-aways, business trips, and vacations anytime of the week or year for holiday travel. We also look after your pets during times of owner illness or injury where routine care for your pet might be disrupted or impossible to give until your recovery. We also offer Baby Standby Service, so we can start pet sitting as soon as you go into labor and go to the hospital.
We offer:
Personalized drop-in visits to your home, including overnight (7 pm - 7 am) and 24 hour service when available.
Midday dog walking and puppy potty breaks
Administer oral and topical medications, such a pills, eye, and ear drops. When it is safe, we also administer insulin and subcutaneous hydrations. Pets must be able to handled and caught easily, without a bite risk.
I have a (fearful - timid - aggressive) pet, can you assign just one sitter that my pet will get used to?
Possibly. We cannot accept aggressive cats or dogs in order to ensure the safely of our pet sitters.
Timid or fearful dogs are a maybe - certain circumstances may allow this. If your dog has a pet-door, or will go out to the back yard AND reliably come back in the house, it is possible we may be able to work with your dog. If your pet is so frightened that it may not go outside at all, or go out to the yard and NOT come back in (runs away, around the yard, or is so fearful it is terrified of going in or out), we will not be able
to provide pet sitting. If your dog requires to be walked for potty (apartments or condos) and will not allow us to leash up, or is a bite risk to leash up, we cannot provide pet sitting. Again, this is mainly for the safety of your pet and not cause stress or trauma, as well as to protect our sitters. If you don't know exactly how your dog will react, we will be happy to provide a "try-out" visit free to simulate a pet sitting visit when no one is home and see how it goes.
VIPet Sitter Service staff works as a team, and we do not assign "one person" to a home. We are happy to refer you to a colleague service that specializes in these special situations or does have one-on-one sitters.
Will my pets and I meet the pet sitter before service starts?
Yes! It is a requirement to meet the owner/operator before pet sitting services can begin. All new clients will be scheduled for a free initial consultation and interview. During this time, the service owner, Cindy Correa, will meet with you and have an opportunity to interact with the pets and be able to go over all contracts, policies and guidelines. Home care and pet care details, including how many visits a day, will be discussed and your pet sits are scheduled accordingly. Our entire team works as a unit, and you will be sent text pictures and updates at each visit.
The consultation and initial paperwork will only need to be done once. After that, simply call or use the web site to order pet sit services in the future!
What happens when I get back from my trip?
If you have been out of town on a trip, you are required to call upon your return to let the pet service owner know that you are taking over the care of your pets.
If we do not hear from the pet owner or other designated responsible party, pet sitting services will continue as previously scheduled and will be charged at the applicable current rates.
By the same token, if you are stranded due to airport delays, poor weather or other reason that delays your expected return home, you can rest easy knowing that your pets will not be abandoned and care will not be suspended. Make every attempt to contact us by text or calling if a problem arises to update the status of your situation.
Will people I don't know come to my home?
Absolutely not! We take the security, safety and privacy of your home very seriously. Only our staff members that have been vetted and on-boarded will provide services. We do not rely on family or friends to "fill-in" and our own team members cover each other during illness or time off. Any situation where coverage is needed and another party will take over care will never be initiated without your knowledge and prior approval. For example, another pet sitting service covering under an emergency situation.
VIPet Sitter Service carries commercial liability insurance and is bonded for your added protection and peace of mind.
What if the pet sitter is not available during the time I will be away?
Pet sitters take vacations too! At times, pet sitters will also be out-of-town or unavailable during the time you need service. All clients are notified of office closures longer than 4 days in advance by email blast to our client list. We have a staff of 4 or more pet sitters that all cover each other when one is out of town or ill. Although we attempt to be available for your pets 365/7, if there is an extreme emergency where there are no staff sitters available, you will be referred to one our trusted pet sitting service colleagues that will deliver a similar standard of care.
Is Tipping a pet sitter customary?
Gratuities are customary, and are a nice show of appreciation in this most unique service. We consider exceptional pet and home care to always be part of our job.
