You've probably noticed the international listing services, like Rover, that are popping up for people to do side gigs in pet sitting. Simply plug in your zip code and a slew of profiles appear. You may not have heard the horror stories (search Rover horror stories). Unfortunately, those of us who are professionals in this industry have a front row seat to the unbelievable things hobbyists do, and don't do.
Your pets are too important to trust to someone doing this as a side gig; without standards of care, without a background check, without supervision. This is a long article but it's a big problem and we've heard it all from our new clients. Do you really want to deal with an agent in a call center when you have a problem? In a recent
article about a lost dog in Canada (remember, they list sitters all over the world) Rover CEO, Dave Rosenbaum, said,
"Individual sitters, not Rover, are liable for any damages arising from a situation gone wrong because everyone on the platform operates as an independent contractor."
How do you think that is going to make you feel when you are desperate to resolve a problem?
What if the person you choose
never shows up for the scheduled visits? What if they cancel on you the day before you leave? How do you know if they have a boyfriend or other person come with them to your home? We have had calls from frantic pet parents who are out of the country and they desperately need someone to go take care of their beloved pets because the other person (friend, neighbor, Rover sitter, facebook referral) hasn't shown up. Thank goodness for cameras, alarms and door locks that let them know no one had been there! Some people don't know this until it is too late and they return home to the unimaginable.
From the Rover website Terms of Service:
"Rover does not employ, recommend or endorse Service Providers or Pet Owners, and, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, we will not be responsible or liable for the performance or conduct of Service Providers or Pet Owners, whether online or offline."
We've had calls from stressed out pet parents who are leaving and have not been able to reach their Rover sitter for days, or have had the sitter cancel on them at the last moment. They are leaving tomorrow. Or later today. Can we please help them?!
Our answer is yikes and yes. Not because it is easy to accommodate them (it isn't!) and not because our calendar is vacant (it isn't!) but because we are also pet parents and we care. If they are already out of town we will do what we can to take over their pet care, hopefully they have a hidden key or a landlord or emergency contact with a key. If they are still home our pet sitters will do what is necessary to go over to meet them on short notice. These real situations are not ideal for anyone! We have an emergency surcharge to help cover the myriad changes that must take place.
What is your recourse? If there is a problem with a pet sitter on an international listing website you are going to get a call center agent in another state who will attempt to manage your concerns. There is little else they can do from a remote location except offer apologies and refunds.
We urge you to be very careful when searching for a pet sitter. Luckily, you've found our website and that's a great place to be! You will find abundant information here about our culture, our practices, our safety measures and our assurances that we will go above and beyond your expectations. Following us on Facebook will give you a daily insight into our interactions with the pets in our care.
Here is a brief summary of why we hope your search is over now that you've found us:
- We are locally owned and managed. You can call or text any time you have a question and you will get the owner of the company, right here in your community.
- We have a team of pet sitters. As life throws curve balls we all experience our own crises and our team is always there to cover every visit.
- We have been in business since 2009. We are invested in our reputation and we are a financially stable company able to function through economic peaks and valleys.
- We have safeguards and guarantees in place every step of the way. You will receive confirmations, visit completion notices, GPS tracking and visit reports with full disclosure about everything your pets are doing; how they are behaving, if they are eating, if they are off. We are like Santa; we know if they've been bad or good and we're going to tell you so you aren't surprised when you come home to a shredded couch cushion.
We have hired many pet sitters in our 10 year history. The most surprising discovery for new hires is that they only think they know what is involved and how to deliver the best pet care and customer service. We have a mentor program for our new pet sitters to learn all of our practices. What we have learned is that service at our level does not come intuitively.
Your pets are definitely worth hiring our experience, reliability and dedication. We're glad you are reading our articles and we hope to meet you soon!
