Frequently Asked Questions
Our subcontractor pet sitters stay in your home while you are away, living there as you would (cooking, cleaning, laundry, relaxing, etc.), while always maintaining a responsible and respectful lifestyle. This live-in service provides extra security and care for both your pets and home, maintains your pets' routine, and provides them with the attention, love and care they deserve! See our Home page for a list of benefits to using in-home pet sitting services.
Do you do check-ins?We offer check-ins (rather than live-in service) for cats and exotic animals (e.g., birds, bunnies, guinea pigs, reptiles, fish, etc.). If there is someone staying overnight with a pet dog, but they require a check-in to break up a long day, we will also provide check-ins for dogs. We do not provide check-ins for dogs as a replacement for live-in care, however. Check-ins can be either every second day, once per day or twice per day, and are a half hour or an hour in length. Check-ins include all the love and care your pets require (feeding, changing water, cleaning litter boxes/cages, playing, cuddling, etc.). See our Services page for rates and more information.
How far in advance should I book? This can be a tricky question to answer, as we do get cancellations and last minute inquiries can often be accommodated. However, we are typically booking for live-in care at least 3-4 months in advance, particularly during holiday periods. Check-ins are generally easier to accommodate with shorter notice. We are unable to accommodate new clients for live-in care over Christmas, and book up for existing clients at least a year in advance. All said, it never hurts to ask! So please send in your inquiries, regardless of how much notice you are able to give, and we will do our best! What are your rates? Should we tip?We charge a per calendar day rate that is dependent on the number and types of animals, the requested services, and whether or not travel outside the city is required. Our “per day” rate is charged for each calendar date of the booking, as we remain on call for travel delays and/or last minute changes to your booking. See our Services page for more information. Tipping your pet sitter is totally up to you! Some clients do and some do not. If you are looking for a guideline, anywhere from 10-20% of your total booking fee would be a typical tip for the service industry.
Where does the pet sitter sleep? Do we need to provide groceries?The pet sitter will stay in your home as you feel comfortable, in the bed that you designate for them in your home. The pet sitter will use common staple items, such as condiments, spices, etc., as well as any perishable food items, but they generally provide all their own food! Keeping that in mind, we appreciate having adequate fridge and freezer space for the pet sitter to use for live-in bookings, particularly if the booking is for more than a couple days.
When do we get to meet our pet sitter?The Meet & Greet between you and the pet sitter happens at your home within a couple weeks of your booking, so that all the details are fresh in the minds of you and your pet sitter. If there is a need to use a different pet sitter for future bookings, we would set-up a time for you to meet them as well! If you would prefer to meet the pet sitter in advance, we are happy to accommodate. We do have a $30 fee for these initial meetings, and would set up your second meeting, free of charge, closer to your booking dates. See our Services page for more information on our free consultations.
Will anyone else be in the house besides the pet sitter?We are a "lifestyle agency", meaning that the pet sitter treats your home as their home, while respecting the fact that it is not! In our Subcontractor Agreement it is our policy that no pet sitter may have more than three other people in the home at one time and that this is never a "sleepover" situation. Many of the pet sitters do have long-term partners who will stay with them in the home as well, but this is something that is approved by the client prior to the booking.
What kind of clean-up does the pet sitter do?As part of our Client Policy, we expect the home to be in a clean and sanitary condition upon the pet sitter's arrival (including clean towels and bedding), and the pet sitter is expected to leave the home in a state that is comparable, if not better, to how they found it.
Does the pet sitter do snow shoveling, lawn mowing, plant watering and dog waste pick-up?Keeping a tidy walk and yard (shoveling, de-icing, lawn maintenance, pet waste removal, etc.) are part of our services. Our basic fee includes up to 15 minutes per day each for yard care (outdoor plant watering, waste clean-up, lawn care, shovelling/de-icing) and indoor plant watering. If it takes the pet sitter longer than 15 minutes in a day to complete these tasks, there will be a $5 fee per additional 15 minutes of care time. For more information, and for more details on shovelling and lawn maintenance, please see our Additional Fees listed on our Services page.
Will the pet sitter update us while we are away?Our pet sitters are happy to provide you with check-ins by phone, email, text message, etc.! We like to keep you in the loop and help manage the feelings that come with being separated from your beloved critters. Our standard of communication is once per day for check-ins (with pictures if the pet sitter is able to get them) and every second day for live-in care. If you would like to be contacted more frequently than our standard, we welcome that request!
Are your pet sitters police-checked and bonded?As part of our insurance policy with Intact Insurance, we have a blanket bond policy, meaning that all of our subcontractor pet sitters are bonded under our services. In order to become an approved subcontractor with Assured Home and Pet Care Inc., all pet sitters not known to us and without a prior police check are required to obtain a PCI prior to bidding on any open booking requests.
Does a supervisor check on the pet sitter?We employ a Subcontractor Relations Manager, whose sole job is to create pet sitter accountability through communication, ensuring everyone is where they need to be when they need to be there, and managing and mitigating any scheduling issues or delays as they arise. We have a multi-person management team who are on call 24/7 to ensure all bookings run smoothly and so that our pet sitters have a support system to turn to, no matter the time of day. Attention to detail and using our culminated knowledge has created an excellent track record for dealing with emergencies quickly and efficiently, resulting in a happy client base who do not need to worry about the quality of care they will receive from our team, regardless of who their assigned pet sitter is or becomes.
We put a strong emphasis on pet sitter accountability and management, as well as clear and effective communication through all aspects of our services – from client to agency through to the pet sitters. Our pet sitters are supported by a strong and knowledgeable Senior Management Team, as well as through our Operations Team and a full body of written resources, policies, and procedures. One of the many benefits of working with such an agency is the extensive amount of resources it presents between reliable, responsible and caring pet sitters.
What does a "subcontractor" pet sitter mean? Assured Home and Pet Care Inc,. acts as an agency, matching approved pet sitters to our clients. The pet sitters are required to follow our Subcontractor Policy and supporting procedures in order to provide a consistent and reliable service standard. When bookings are requested, a list is sent out to all approved subcontractor pet sitters, and they are then able to bid on the bookings that appeal to them and their schedules. Assured uses more than a decade of experience with matching pet sitters to clients to ensure appropriate pet sitters are chosen for the job. Will the pet sitter walk my dog(s)?In the initial booking process, we will request information on your pet(s) regular routine so that we can ensure the best fit in pet sitter for your lifestyle. If you have a highly active dog, we will want to know that in advance so that we can plan for an appropriate pet sitter, and determine whether or not extra care fees would need to be charged. We do our best to match schedules to what the pets are most used to whenever possible.
What types of animals do you care for?We are happy to care for any animal - fluffy, feathered, scaled or aquatic! We have pet sitters experienced in all types of animals, and with all types of temperaments. Let us know what you are looking for and we will do our best to match you with the perfect pet sitter!
Do your pet sitters administer medications?You bet! We have pet sitters experienced in administering a wide variety of different medications, including insulin injections and sub-Q fluids. Our online contract system includes a space for you to list all medications, required doses and how they should be administered. Please note that we have a $5/day administration charge per animal that requires medication, or a $5/administration charge for medications that are time restrictive.
