Consumer Advocacy
What you need to know
Pet Sitting

  • You should interview potential sitters, preferably in person.

  • Customer reviews are your best bet when picking a sitter.

  • Companies may cover certain injuries or damages that may happen under the sitter’s care.

  • Finding a sitter with their own liability insurance is a big plus.

Our Approach

How we analyzed the best Pet Sitting Companies

Network of Sitters
We chose websites with larger networks of pet sitters so you can have more options to choose from.
Services Offered
Our picks offer services beyond just pet sitting, such as drop-in visits, day-care, or walks.
User-friendliness
We considered how easy it would be for consumers to find a trustworthy pet sitter using the platforms’ search filters,
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We receive compensation from these partners, which impacts the order they appear on the page. That said, the analyses and opinions on our site are our own and we believe in editorial integrity.

Our Top Picks: Pet Sitting Reviews

Rover.com review

Screenshot Rover.com, August 2020

Pet type: Dogs, Cats

Services: Boarding, House Sitting, Drop-In Visits, Doggy Day Care, Dog Walking, Pet grooming

Search Filters: Location, Service Type, Dates, Number of pets, Rate per night, Sitter’s housing conditions, Pets in sitter’s home, If the sitter has children, Additional services (Puppy care,  Cat care, Bathing, Grooming, First-aid certified)

Sitter Profile Information: Type of services offered, Service cost per day or night, Years of experience, Which pets they can host or watch in your home depending on their weight, How many pets they can host per night, If the pet must be spayed or neutered, Frequency of potty breaks, Response rate/time, Percentage of clients that received photo updates, Reviews, Number of repeated clients, Photos of pets they’ve taken care of, Photos and information of their pets

Thorough search filters and sitter profiles 

Rover is possibly the most well-known website among both pet sitters and pet parents alike. The company acquired its biggest competitor, DogVacay, back in 2017 and has since merged the two platforms giving rise to a nationwide network of animal lovers and pet-care professionals.

Of the companies we reviewed, Rover’s browser had the most search filters, allowing you to narrow down your search even by the sitter's housing conditions (prefer if the sitter doesn't have pets or children, has a fenced yard, and/or allows pets on their furniture, among others). Searching by detailed housing conditions is particularly useful if you're looking for boarding services. You can also search for sitters that can bathe or groom your pet while you’re away.

Profiles are very detailed. In their ‘About Me’ section, sitters can share a bit about themselves, why they’re qualified to take care of your pet, and other additional skills such as oral or injected medication administration, first aid/CPR training, and special needs or senior pet experience. The sitter can also include what they would like to know about your pet’s needs and behavior prior to scheduling the service or a meet and greet.

You can try out their browser and view profiles without having to sign up—you will have to,however, if you’d like to contact a sitter and book their services.

Background checks

All sitters registered in Rover undergo a background check by Checkr, a third-party service used by other popular companies such as Uber. Sitters can take two different kinds of background checks. The standard check verifies their social security number, address, name, and verifies they aren't on any sex offender registry, terrorist watchlist, or listed in the National Criminal Database. The enhanced check includes all this in addition to a manual search of county court records based on the person's address history over the last seven years.

Rover Guarantee

The Rover Guarantee may cover costs exceeding $250 that your sitter or walker may be unwilling or unable to pay for:

  • Injuries your pet sustained during a sitter’s or walker's care or custody.

  • Injuries to the sitter or walker’s pets caused by your pet.

  • Damages to your personal property caused by the sitter or walker.

  • Injuries to certain third parties caused by your pet.

The guarantee doesn't apply specific instances such as:

  • Injury or damage that arises during a Meet & Greet or outside the service dates booked through Rover.

  • Long-term vet care that extends for more than 30 days.

  • Treatment costs for preventive care.

  • Bills resulting from a chronic or pre-existing condition.

  • Preventable conditions such as fleas, ticks, or parasites.

  • Damage to your property by your own pet.

  • Damage to the property of a sitter by your pet.

  • Injury to the sitter, or someone residing with the sitter.

VISIT SITE

PetBacker review

Screenshot from PetBacker.com, August 2020

Pet type: Dog, Cat, Rabbit, Guinea pig, Ferret, Bird, Reptile

Services: Boarding, House Sitting, Day Care, Walking, Pet taxi, Grooming

Search Filters: Pet type, Services, Location, Dates

Sitter Profile Information: Bio, Distance willing to travel to visit your home, Accepted Pet, Accepted Pet size, Level of adult supervision, Number of potty breaks provided per day, Whether your pet will have full access outside or not, Number of walks provided per day, Emergency transport, Last minute bookings accepted, Number of completed bookings, Repeated clients, Reviews, Skills, Service Rates, Photos of sitter’s pets and pets they've taken care of

Perk: Payments are released 2-7 days after the booked services are completed and once you provide a review.

Personalized Job Postings

With PetBacker, you can either find a sitter by browsing or create a job posting. With a job posting, you'll receive applications from sitters who think they’re qualified for the job based on their skills, location, and availability. You can chat with them directly through the PetBacker where they will share their profile, reviews from previous customers, details of what is included, and a quotation.

PetBacker's Premium Protection

PetBacker’s Premium Protection consists of three sections:

  • Care, Custody, Control Protection: covers the cost of injuries exceeding $350 (with a $1,000 cap) to your pet while in a sitters’ care.

  • Errors and Omissions Protection: covers costs exceeding $350 (with a $1,000 cap) for accidental injury to your pet through no specific fault of the sitter.

  • Public Liability Insurance Protection: covers pet sitters in case of physical injury or property damages to third parties by your pet.

VISIT SITE

Fetch! review

Screenshot Fetch.com, August 2020

Fetch! Pet Care is a franchise with over 70 locations in 24 states. Instead of searching for a sitter on your own, you can contact the nearest location and they will pair you with one of their pet care professionals who is both background checked and insured. Unlike many other pet-sitting companies, they conduct in-person interviews with potential pet-sitters, and provide orientation and training. 

Their services include:

  • In-home overnight sitting: the sitter will go to your home in the evening to feed your pet, and leave the following morning, staying approximately 12 hours.

  • Cat and Small Pet Visits: 30, 45, or 60-minute visits during the requested time of day.

  • Group Off-Leash Adventures: A sitter will pick up your dog and take them to a safe space where it can get an hour of unleashed exercise with other dogs.

  • Private Dog Walking: 30, 45, or 60-minute walks.

  • Pet taxi: transportation to the vet, groomer, airport, or for boarding.

  • Special care for puppies, seniors, or pets with special needs

All reservations include a free in-home consultation where the sitter can meet your pet and you can evaluate whether they’re a good fit, as well as a backup-up sitter for emergencies.

VISIT SITE
Our Research

More insight into our methodology

For some, finding a sitter to trust their pets with is just as serious as finding one for a child—after all, pets are fur-babies indeed. The task requires time and due diligence, especially if you want the sitter to stay in your home while you’re away. 

To increase your chances of finding a reliable sitter near you, we searched for companies with sitters available in most states. We also took into consideration how easy it would be for a consumer to navigate the websites’ search filters, as well as the depth of detail of the sitter’s profiles. This last one is particularly important since pet-sitter websites are like classifieds. They’re made up of page after page of sitters showcasing their pet-care skills, each one hoping you’ll pick them over the next. Having in-depth profiles and reading those thoroughly is a must.

Lastly, although we hope your pet’s time away from you is enjoyable, accidents can happen. Taking this into consideration, we reviewed each company’s guarantees in case of emergencies involving your pet, the sitter, or even third-parties.

Network of Sitters

Online pet sitting companies are essentially search engines where you can find nearby pet sitters by simply inputting your zip code. So, to have an idea of how wide each company’s sitter base is, we searched two zip codes for each of the ten most populated states (California, Texas, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio, Georgia, North Carolina, and Michigan) and the ten states with the least population (Wyoming, Vermont, District of Columbia, Alaska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Delaware, Rhode Island, Montana, and Maine). Our picks showed sitters in more than half of these states, increasing the probability of sitters being available nationwide.

Services Offered

While they describe themselves as pet sitting companies, we preferred if the sitters found through these companies offered more than just sitting services. Some of the pet-care services offered might include

  • Overnight sitting at owners home: A sitter stays during the night with your pet. The’ll feed, play, clean out the litter box or other pet messes and administer any necessary medications. Taking a walk is usually not included but may be added for an additional cost. Some sitters may agree to do other household chores such as grab the mail or water the plants.

  • Boarding at sitters’ home: This option rids you of the stress of having a stranger in your home and the guilt of leaving your pet in a hotel where it might spend most of its time in a cage. Your pet will spend less time alone staying in a sitters house. It’s also possible your sitter has pets of their own. If this is the case, be sure your pets and theirs are friendly.

  • Drop-in visits:  A sitter visits your home during the day to check on your pet. The visit may involve feeding, play time, cleaning out the litter box or other pet messes, and/or administering any necessary medications.

  • Daily walks: Schedule the distance, time of day, and route you’d like your sitter to walk your pet.

  • Day care: Drop off your pet at the sitters’ home in the morning and pick them up at the scheduled time.

  • Special care for puppies, kittens, seniors, or pets with medical conditions: Some sitters won’t be willing to take care of puppies or kittens since these may require more attention and care than adults. Same goes for seniors or pets with medical conditions which may require scheduled medications. Sitters prepared to handle these special requirements will usually disclose so on their profiles.

User-friendliness

Picking a sitter based on location may not be enough of a criterion to find the pet-care services you are looking for and having to read every sitter profile can be time consuming. To help narrow your search, we preferred sites with multiple search filters such as dates when services are needed, type of service your interested in, type of pet you need the sitter to take care of, how many pets will be under the sitter's care,  or even the pet’s weight (some sitters may not be willing to take care of larger dogs)

Once you narrow down your search, what follows is to carefully vet each of your options. To make this process easier, we preferred companies that allowed sitters to be as detailed as possible when describing themselves and their services through their profile—pictures of their pets or pets they’ve taken care of before were a definite plus. Reviews or references from other pet parents were a must as well, as they’re possibly the most important factor to take into consideration before even messaging a potential sitter

For added convenience and peace of mind, we chose companies that require sitters to undergo at least a basic background check or identity verification. Some companies verify the sitter’s email address, phone number, and home address. The more thorough ones take a second more in-depth look asking for character references and photo IDs which are cross-referenced across several databases such as the sex offender registry or national criminal databases. Sitters who've undergone a background check successfully will have a badge in their profile to confirm so.

Helpful information about Pet Sitting

Difference between a professional pet sitter and a hobby pet sitter

Finding a pet sitter online through platforms like Rover can be much like finding a ride through Uber or lodging through Airbnb. Most of the people offering their services through these platforms are not full-time taxi drivers or hotel managers, or pet sitters. However, even if it’s a side job, they can still still be very good at it. 

However, if you’re extra cautious, have animals with special needs, or simply like to prepare for any eventuality, you should look for a professional pet sitter instead of a friendly stranger.

According to Pet Sitters International (PSI), a national educational association for professional pet sitters, professional pet sitters will:

  • Have a local business license, if required

  • Are insured and bonded in case of injuries or damages to your pet, themselves, their own pets, personal property and/or third parties

  • Asks clients to sign a contract

  • Has pet-care training and certifications for first aid and CPR, for example

  • Is certified by a professional association such as PSI or the National Association of Pet Sitters (NAPPS).

  • Offers pet sitting or walking as their primary business

Professional pet sitters may also have additional certifications from other organizations such as the National Dog Groomers Association (NDGAA), International Boarding and Pet Services Association (IBPSA), Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT) or the Professional Animal Care Certification Council (PACCC).

Some part-time pet sitters may have insurance and professional certifications themselves, even if they only work at their leisure. Therefore, it’s important to interview potential pet sitters, professional  or not, before officially booking their services.

Always interview potential pet sitters

Whichever pet care professional you’re looking for—sitter, walker, groomer or boarding service—they all require the same level of screening. Word of mouth, or customer reviews if you’re searching online, are definitely helpful. But, you should interview your soon-to-be pet care professional yourself—in person and with your pet present—to make sure they can meet both you and your pet’s specific needs.

Pet Sitters International recommends that you:

  • Ask the sitter if they have a business license to offer their services in your city or state. Pet sitters who are self-employed and do it as a hobby, as is the case with many sitters found online, probably don’t need one. Now, if the pet sitter works for or owns an established business that offers other pet care services, said business should have up-to-date authorization.

  • Make sure the pet sitter is insured and bonded and ask for proof of coverage. 

  • Ask for proof of clean criminal history.

  • Ask for a client reference list you can contact and carefully check written reviews from previous customers.

  • Consider whether the sitter is a member of a pet care association where they have access to educational resources or training courses. 

  • If  you’re hiring through a pet-sitting service, ask whether they screen or train their employees.

  • Pay attention to the details: how long does the sitter takes to respond to your inquiries, how much notice they need before scheduling their services, what are their service costs, how much time they’ll spend with your pet, do they require a deposit, and/or if the sitter has an emergency plan for medical or natural emergencies.

Where can I find a certified professional pet sitter?

Pet Sitters International (PSI)

PSI is an education association for professional pet sitters. They offer their members a Certified Professional Pet Sitter (CPPS) certification which they state is “the industry’s only knowledge-assessed certification exam for professional pet sitters.”

To receive the certification, sitters are tested for their knowledge about:

  • General pet sitting

  • Specific care of dogs, cats, and pet birds

  • Animal first aid and health

  • Parasites and sanitation

  • Pet-sitter health and safety

  • Client interviews and customer service

  • Disaster planning

  • Legal issues and pet-sitter liability

The PSI also offers additional online courses for Professional Pet Sitting as a Career.

You can find a PSI certified pet sitter through their Find a Local PSI Pet Sitter tool. You can search by zip code and type of pet (dog, cat, fish, bird, reptiles and amphibians, horses, farm animals, exotic pets, caged pets and special needs pets).

National Association Of Professional Pet Sitters (NAPPS)

NAPPS is a non-profit association that supports members with certifications and educational resources to operate successful pet sitting businesses.

Their certification course covers topics such as pet care and safety, health, nutrition and behavior for a variety of animals. It also includes a first aid course and business development and management. 

Members can get other certifications for feline behavioral issues, canine body language, and care for parrots, senior dogs, toy dogs, and horses. 

To find a NAPPS certified sitter use the Local NAPPS Pet Sitter tool.

 

Benefits of pet sitting over pet boarding

Pet boarding facilities, or pet hotels, are another option when planning a long trip. Yet, time away from you and their home can be very stressful for pets.

In some of these facilities, pets could spend most of their time locked in kennels or cages, lacking necessary exercise and attention. As a result, your pet may refuse to eat, have high levels of anxiety, or even become sick. In fact, vets recommend watching out for symptoms of kennel cough, diarrhea, lethargy, and any changes in eating patterns once your pet returns home. 

According to the NAPPS, leaving your pets at home under the care of a sitter can reduce their stress levels as they’ll be in their familiar environment without new scents or sounds that can overwhelm them. Their daily routine could remain mostly unchanged if you find a sitter who can follow detailed instructions for walking routes, potty breaks, and eating or play times. Not to mention you eliminate your pet’s risk of catching any unwanted illness from other pets.

Hiring the same pet sitter long-term can also reduce the chances of your pet experiencing separation anxiety. According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), separation anxiety is “one of the most common complaints of pet parents is that their dogs are disruptive or destructive when left alone.” Separation anxiety may cause behavioral issues such as urinating and defecating out of their scheduled times, coprophagia (eating their own excrement), barking and howling excessively, destroying household items, escaping, or constant pacing.

FAQs about Pet Sitting

Do pet sitting companies run background checks on their sitters?

Many pet sitting services require new sitters to provide a detailed personal information profile, and some will require them to pass a basic background check. This isn’t necessarily the norm, though, so check with the company to confirm.

Are the guarantees offered by websites that help you find a pet sitter the same as pet insurance policies?

No. Pet insurance policies are paid for personally by professional pet sitters or pet-sitting businesses. Pet-sitting websites that only offer limited guarantees don’t cover all possible injuries or damages that may arise during a pet sitters’ service. Remember, if you want these guarantees to apply, services have to be booked through the website.

What happens if my pet is injured while I'm away?

Many pet sitting services are insured, which means the company will cover pet medical care. Coverage varies, so it’s worth reading the fine print on exemptions, what's covered, and what the company will pay per claim. For instance, some companies will not reimburse for an injury that’s billed 30 days after the incident or if the total bill doesn’t exceed a certain amount.

Are all pet sitters insured and bonded?

No. Part-time pet sitters are less likely to have pet insurance and could rely only on limited guarantees offered by the platform where they are posting their services.

How much does pet sitting cost?

Pet sitting fees vary depending on the sitter, the service, and where you live. However, the cost is usually comparable to what you’d pay to board your pet. Sitters who are less experienced or are new to pet sitting may offer services at a lower price, while those who are experienced or provide more activities and space for your pet may charge more.

What happens if my pet is injured under the pet sitters’ care?

You should discuss an emergency plan with your sitter. Leave them details for your preferred veterinary clinics and medications your pet might need. Also, provide emergency contact numbers in case they’re unable to reach you immediately.

Our Pet Sitting Review Summed Up

Company NameBest In
Rover.com Pet SittingFeatures the largest network of background-checked petsitters (over 25,000 nationwide)
Fetch! Pet Care Pet SittingWell-established franchise interviews potential pet sitters and provides them with training and orientation.
PetBacker Pet SittingAllows you to create job postings to find the best sitter for your pets' specific needs.
We receive compensation from these partners

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