Many or all of the companies featured compensate us. Compensation and research may determine where and how companies appear. Learn more
10 Best
Pet Sitting
of 2024
View 10 Best
Pet Sitting 

Rover.com pet-sitting website in-depth review.


ConsumersAdvocate.org Rating: 4.6 / 5 (Excellent)
99 Customer Comments & Reviews - see all comments
Our content is free because we may earn a commission when you click or make a purchase using our site. Learn more.

Rover.com is a website that connects pet parents with loving, local dog sitters. It’s the country’s largest network of dog lovers for hire, with over 25,000 pet sitters nationwide who can easily be accessed online. Services offered by pet sitters include dog hosting (the sitter watches the dog in their home), dog sitting (the sitter watches the dog in the owner’s home), dog walking, and dog daycare. Rover.com also offers premium insurance, 24/7 support, and a reservation guarantee, at no extra cost.

Availability: (Nationwide)

Pet Sitter Rates
$25 per day average

Payment Options

Credit card (Visa, MasterCard)
PayPal

Pet Sitting Location

Pet Hosting (In the Owner's Home)
Pet Hosting (In the Sitter’s Home)

Pet Services

Dog boarding
Day care
Pet sitting
Dog walking
Transportation

Setting an Appointment

Self-Service: Online

Search sitters, send messages, book and pay, all through Rover.

Full-service: Telephone

Call Rover Premier, and a consultant will handle the details, matching pet parents with the best sitter to meet their needs.

Pet Insurance – Included with all services

Universal insurance coverage for stays and services booked on Rover

Medical coverage

$25,000
$250 deductible per claim

General liability (Bodily injury and property damage)

$2,000,000 per occurrence
$3,000,000 general aggregate
No deductible

Professional liability

$1,000,000 per occurrence
$1,000,000 general aggregate
No deductible

Fine Print

Limited one-time refund

Requests for refunds should be sent within 48 hours of the end of your pet’s stay. This excludes any fees payable to Pet Care Service Providers. In cases where Rover.com determines that a Pet Care Service Provider violated policies in connection with a service, Rover.com may provide pet owners a refund of all fees charged by Rover.com.

Identity and Background Verification

Rover.com does not attempt to confirm any user’s purported identity or background. Users are responsible for providing true, accurate, current and complete information about themselves. Users are advised to maintain and update any information so it remains true, accurate and complete at all times. Rover.com offers optional background checks through a partnership with First Advantage that verifies that a sitter has not committed a felony or violent crime, such that there would be reason to believe that animals would be in danger while in their care. Rover.com does not investigate any user’s reputation, conduct, morality, criminal background or verify information submitted though the services.

Cancellations

If you book a reservation with a sitter, then you have to cancel your reservation, which does happen, Rover.com will return the funds to the pet owner in accordance with the sitter's cancellation policy. Policies may vary from sitter-to-sitter. Rover.com, however, isn't obligated to intervene in any dispute between users regarding any cancellations and/or refunds outside of Rover.com cancellation policy (if any), regardless of whether Rover.com collected any money on behalf of a pet care service provider or third party service provider. It's really about you knowing how the sitter you choose operates, then being respectful with your sitter in the event that an unforeseen emergency comes up or your travel plans change last minute.   

Rover.com Summary

Rover.com is an excellent gateway for pet parents searching for pet-sitting services. Its nationwide network of over 25,000 loving pet sitters makes it the most extensive online database of its kind. It’s easy-to-use messaging system and secure payment portal allows pet parents to find, book, and pay for a sitter—and remain in touch throughout the stay. Rover.com offers premium pet insurance which includes medical coverage, general, and professional liability, giving pet parents an extra layer of protection. With Rover.com, loving neighborhood sitters are backed by the support and security of a nationwide company. Overall, Rover.com is a robust yet simple tool for helping pet parents connect seamlessly with pet-sitting services.


What We’re Hearing From Our Readers
Are you a customer of Rover.com Pet Sitting?
Submit a comment and tell other people about your experience!
Minimum 12 words.
 No maximum length.
* What's Your Rating?
To make this comment as helpful as possible for our community, please provide at least 2 sentences.

Customer Comments

Loading Reviews ...
C
Chloe S
10/31/2017
Avoid this service at ALL COSTS. Our 14 week old puppy was nearly killed by a Rover sitter (Caroline S. in St. Louis) who left him unattended for 10+ hours and starved him of BOTH food and water. Our brand new $1100 sofa was covered in his vomit, diarrhea, and urine (as was the puppy himself). We caught the Rover sitter in numerous lies and discovered evidence that during the time she was in our house, she consumed alcohol and did not care for our animal whatsoever. Rover's reply? That they are not liable and they have ALSO not suspended the sitter so she is currently putting other animals in danger as I type. Absolutely Disgusting. I cannot even explain the emotional stress and anxiety... Read More
Was this comment helpful?


Duncan G
9/26/2017
I had a large pit bull attack my Golden Retriever at a park, walking my dog on the leash. It turns out the pit was being walking by two Rover dog walkers. The dog bite my dog, the walkers had no control of the dog once it started attacking my dog, lost the grasp of the leash and only stopped when a Good Samaritan came and kicked the pits head heard to release the grip. I only found out they were Rover walkers when I confronted them. They told me they were only dog walkers using Rover and took no responsibility. When I followed up with Rover, they cited privacy policy, took no responsibility and allowed the the dog walkers to continue to walk the dogs. The dog that bite my dog had only just... Read More
Was this comment helpful?


E
Eric J
9/10/2017
It is with genuine concern we feel obligated to share our personal experience of the website of miss O Connell as she says she provides excellent care of older dogs. What we experienced with her of our older dog was very concerning as we approached our departure date and her attitude not to listen to our specific direction of a few meds as well as feeding him properly. and needed routine of not being alone. She choose to do her own thing and expressed her retail job was priority. We were devastated and really was considering to cancel our family trip. trust us we regret we did not do so, Her communication was poor her follow thru was terrible. We actually out of concern had to set up... Read More
Was this comment helpful?


Robin C
8/31/2017
Mary B did an amazing job with my lab. Olive had such a great time there and some amazing walks along the way. I would highly recommend Mary with your pets! She sends lots of pics throughout the day too!
Was this comment helpful?


Tiffany C
8/23/2017
Rover.com This was the worst experience I have ever had! We usually board our dog with a private sitter while on vacation. This person has no business being a dog sitter. Her home is completely unfit for animals. The entire property is covered in trash and debris. The inside of her home is covered in trash, urine and dog feces. There was no air conditioning (it's in Las Vegas!!!). She had 10 dogs in a one bedroom one story apartment. When I dropped off my dog she was at the curb and seemed so nice. It was dark. We were in a hurry, I didn't think about it. I must have caught her off guard when I came to pick up because I came to the door and actually had to come inside to get my dog. The... Read More
Was this comment helpful?


M
Molly
7/28/2017
Our dog cut her leg on a piece of glass in the dog sitter's backyard. The glass cut through three of her ligaments, as well as part of the fourth. She had to have emergency surgery and vet care for 9 weeks to ensure she would be able to walk again. We filed a claim through Rover. They covered up to 30 days of medical care, for which we were very grateful but then became overly critical of the vet notes. This led them to refuse to cover part of the medical costs, saying we did not adhere to the vet's care instructions, and perhaps the extra stiches were not related to the original injury. Our dog is a young border collie cattle dog. Being a pet service, it appeared they were looking for an... Read More
Was this comment helpful?


E
Eric J
7/19/2017
We hired a pet sitter to watch our dog while we were on vacation from July 7th to 17th. This is a difficult review for us We felt she didn't have enough experience with older dogs ie medical issues maybe it's a fact she needs some training in this area. maybe with an older dog they shouldn't be left alone. For us because of this concern we had to put our dog in daycare at our vet's clinic for additional time she couldn't watch him as a result it cost us extra money for 7 days of daycare. as our vet urged us to so. all said and done she is a kind hearted person. at the end of our vacation she contacted us of a medical emergency and got him into immediate care and kept us updated... Read More
Was this comment helpful?


G
Geraldine
6/6/2017
Our puppy developed what was diagnosed as a "hot spot" or irritation during his 4 day stay with Kathy. When my Fiance and I picked him up on the 4th day, I saw that he had a HUGE rash above his tail which was filled with puss. His fur in that section was soaking wet, and was bunched up. When I asked Kathy what happened, she said it was the first time she saw this, and that it didn't look too bad. We have photos of the spot one hour right after we rushed him to the VET. They had to shave his hair off and give him antibiotics in case of infection. Not to mention he was very faint and seemed weak when we picked him up. I cannot imagine what would have happened if we booked Kathy for a week.... Read More
Was this comment helpful?


M
Michelle A
5/20/2017
We used Rover to hire someone in Pinellas County, Florida, last year and we have also interviewed nice people in our area of Hernando County, Florida. Have found many suitable sitters. The main thing is don't hire the teenagers or the ones who do it for the money. We like the retirees, the veterinary assistants, and the work-from-home ladies who geniunely love animals. Pros: - you can see the qualifications of each person before clicking on them and messaging or calling them - Not too expensive - sort by features, qualifications, price range - no tricks and hidden fees to it like care or sittercity. - specializes in just pets, instead of other categories of care like... Read More
Was this comment helpful?


R
Robert H
4/30/2017
I entrusted my Cane Corso to Rover.Com.... BIG MISTAKE! The sitter took my dog dog fighting! Rover has no checks and balances in place to ensure that your animal is properly protected,handled,or cared for. I wouldn't recommend this service to my worst enemy!
Was this comment helpful?



Top Rated
  • Over 25,000 pet sitters nationwide
  • Complimentary premium pet insurance
  • 24/7 support and Rover reservation guarantee
  • Sitter background checks
  • On-call veterinary assistance
  • Daily photo updates of your pet via free mobile app (IOS & Android)