Choosing a pet sitter or dog walker for your pet while you are away from home comes with a cost. We get that. No matter what our best intentions with our pets are, one of the biggest factors when selecting a pet sitter or dog walker often comes down to cost. Below, we list the cost of your 4 pet care options available to you in and around Brevard’s Space Coast to include Melbourne, Rockledge, Merritt Island, Satellite Beach, Viera, and beyond. We hope you’ll dig deep and weigh the benefits and risks of each before making a final decision on which pet sitter or dog walker you choose.
Hobbyists
Hobby sitters are people that spend their free time pet sitting for pets in their locale. Pet sitting offers them an opportunity to make some extra money while doing something they enjoy. Hobby sitters are considered independent contractors that may or may not come with the added protections of training, licensing, references, bonding, insurance and/or background checks.
Without these extra measures in place, you the homeowner may become liable should anything happen to not only your pet, but the sitter themselves should anyone get injured or damage occurs to your home. It will be up to the individual enlisting the services of the hobby sitter to do a background check, ask for references and put in place all protections needed to keep the home and pets safe while you the homeowner are away. Average cost $10 – $30
Rover, Wag, & Care.com
Rover (and other similar online platforms) is a technology company with a large network of dog walkers and pet sitters and connects them with pet parents. It’s similar to finding a date online. Through an app, you peruse profiles and prices of literally hundreds to thousands of locals that deem your town their service area. The process begins with your search. Once you connect with someone that seems to be a fit for you, you have the opportunity to meet in person. If that meeting goes well, you then will book your visits and pay via Rover’s online secure platform.
Activity and care notes can be logged on the app by the sitter. Each sitter gets reviewed by Rover and they are offered – but not required – to submit to a general background check at the sitter’s cost. Pretty much anyone can sign up and provide pet care services on this app. The same precautions you would take when screening a potential mate online through a dating app, you will also want to screen your potential pet care provider. While not insured per se, Rover comes with some guarantees should your pet become injured in Rover’s care after you pay a deductible. Read the fine print. Average cost $15-30
Neighbor
Neighbors are also a viable option. They’re convenient and can run over in a jam. There’s the possibility that you have already developed a rapport with them and trust them. They may be the most cost-effective option for pet care and if budget is a concern, a neighbor might be your only option. Similar to a hobby sitter or walker, safeguards in place may be more minimal than any of the other options. Other than trust and convenience, it’s pretty much a gamble that nothing will go wrong while you are away. Average cost $0 – $10
Professional Pet Sitter & Dog Walker
Many people nowadays will opt for a professional pet sitter such as us at Space Coast Pet Services. There are many benefits to choosing a professional service that is operating under state and local regulations. Our company operates with the idea of “custom care without clocks”. This means we stay as long as your pet needs us. We don’t charge extra for loving care, medication management, extra sniffs or whatever else they pet may need at the time.
We are a bonded, insured, and background-checked team of professional pet sitters and dog walkers. We are trained to handle emergencies and other unexpected things that come up and have all completed a course in basic Pet First Aid & CPR. We’ve run the gamut of what might go wrong and we can roll with the punches. We also provide ongoing training to all staff to ensure the quality of care is always the best available to pet parents.
Additionally, we operate on safety, honesty & integrity as our livelihood depends on our reputation and the best care for your pets. After registering on our client portal, which is also available via an app, care is just a few clicks away when you need it – even with short notice. All visit notes, photos and pet updates are sent to you as the pet parent immediately at the completion of each visit/service so you know in real-time how your pet is doing. Average cost $20-40
Interested in learning more about what pet care options we can provide? Contact us today to learn more about how we can provide you with peace of mind while also providing the best of care to your pets while you are away.
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