Here are the answers to some of our most popular questions:
- How do I Get Started? You can call Don’t Leave Me This Way Pet Care office 801-201-9335 and we will be happy to discuss your pet care needs. You can also fill out the contact form to the right and we will contact you shortly. We will then set up a complimentary meeting between you and one of our professional pet sitters or dog walkers. This meeting will help familiarize the sitter with your pets and home, and give you an opportunity to go over the pet(s) routine and special dietary and exercise needs.
- Tell Me About Your Pet Sitters? We are first and foremost, pet lovers. We are knowledgeable about pets’ health and general well-being and trained in pet care. We have many references available upon request, and you can also read our posted testimonials and Google Reviews.
- What Happens at the Initial Consultation? The initial meeting is approximately one half hour. The owner and/or a representative will go over all of your pet’s needs and answer all of your questions. Please have three sets of working keys ready at this meeting to avoid a key pick-up charge. Please test your keys prior to the meeting. We request that you schedule the initial consultation well in advance of your scheduled visits. Once you receive your login credentials, you can go to “Client Login” complete your profile information for yourself and your pets, and schedule online. Shortly after, you will receive a confirmation and total. If you need to make changes you may do so at any time by logging in to your account.
- Is There a Charge for Key Pick Up or Drop Off? Yes. There is a $15 charge for key pick up or drop off. Please have three keys ready at initial visit to avoid additional pick-up or drop-off fee.
- How can I Be Sure My Keys and My Home Are Safe With Don’t Leave Me This Way? We will gladly provide references from many of our satisfied customers. Your personal information, along with the contents and layout of your home, will always remain confidential. Keys are coded anonymously and kept in a secured location using our keysafe location system. We are very familiar with various types of alarm systems. Your alarm codes are kept confidential.
- How Do I pay For Service? Cash or Check in advance of scheduled services.
- Does the Pet Sitter I Meet Personally Take Care of My Pets? You will always meet the Pet Sitter(s) who will care for your pets. Your pet sitter will know your pet’s needs before pet sitting begins. No one but the sitter will enter your home.
- Will I Get the Same Pet Sitter Each Time I Travel? We will make every effort to assign the same pet sitter, however, a pet sitter could be already fully booked or have a scheduled vacation. In such case, we will introduce you to another pet sitter who you will be equally satisfied with to provide the best pet sitting service you expect from us. It’s always good to have a backup plan – we’ve got you covered.
- What Will Be Done During the Pet Sitting Visits? During dog sitting visits, we will walk, feed, play, replenish and clean water bowls, and also bring in the mail, newspapers, and packages, and water house plants according to your requests. We also take trash barrels in and out. Also, to give your home a lived-in look, we can alter lights and blinds. During the cat sitting visit, we clean out the litter box, and spend time with your kitty. If your pet is being medicated, we can also administer most medications as long as it does not pose a threat to us.
- Do Your Dog Walkers Take Dogs Off-leash On Walks? For your pets safety we do not offer off-leash walks. Although your dog may be very responsive to you, he/she may not yet have created that bond with the dog walker.
- Will You Take Care of My Outdoor Cat(s)? We cannot be responsible for the care of your outdoor cat. Safety is a major concern and cats that remain outdoors are at risk for getting hit by a car or attacked by another animal. Please do not ask us to ignore an outdoor cat if we are caring for other animals in your home (such as dogs). If you have an outdoor cat, we will gladly accept the assignment if the cat remains indoors during our entire visit.
- Can I Have a Family Member or Neighbor Stop by to Share in the Care of my Animals? No. Third-party access poses many problems and causes confusion with pet care such as over feeding, missed feedings, unlocked doors, etc. We do not to provide service to clients interested in having third-party access.
- What Does it Mean That You Are Insured? We carry liability insurance through Pet Sitters Associates, LLC. This protects you in the event that we are liable for accidents that occurred while caring for your pets. All reputable pet sitting businesses should carry liability insurance and you should ask to see a Certificate of Coverage.
- What Does it Mean That You Are Bonded? A dishonesty bond protects you from loss in the event that something is stolen from your home. We get many questions regarding how a dishonesty bond works. A dishonesty bond applies after the establishment of proof that the accused party has, in fact, committed a criminal act. After payment of the claim to the client up to the limit of the bond, the insurance company seeks restitution from the guilty party. You should confirm that any workers who enter your home carry a dishonesty bond.
- How Many Pet Sitting Visits Should I Schedule For My Pets? Well, that depends. For most dogs, we recommend a minimum of two visits per day. If you have cats, one visit a day for a healthy cat is recommended. If your pet is not yet house trained, a puppy (or kitty), elderly, or there are special conditions, then we suggest more visits per day.
- What Times Do Pet Sitters Make Their Visits? When you schedule online you will be given “time blocks” to choose from throughout the day. This ensures flexibility for the pet sitters’ route. If you need an exact time, there is an additional $5.00 charge and we will try to accommodate your request, if possible. Our usual pet runs are from 7:00am-9:00am, middays between 11:00am-2:00pm, dinner time visits between 5:00pm-8:00pm and overnights are from 9:00pm-6:00am. We can add a late night visit on special request. Your pet would not go longer than 12 hours between visits. If your dog was visited at 8pm, the visit the following morning would take place no later than 8am.
- Will You Administer Medication? If you are not able to administer medication yourself, we will attempt to give medicine orally if it can be hidden in food or done without harm to the pet sitter. Regular medications for daily clients should be administered by you to reduce any stress on the pet. Insulin injections can be performed at an additional cost.
- What Types of Payments Do You Accept And When am I Expected to Pay? We accept cash and personal checks at time of reservation for the first booking. Thereafter payment is due at the time of scheduling and receipt of invoice. Your reservation is not complete until payment is made.
- Will I be Charged For Visits if I Return Home Early From Vacation? Please keep in mind that we have reserved the time for your pet family and have declined services to other clients to book your time slot. Early returns are nonrefundable.
- What is Your Cancellation Policy? Our cancellation policy can be viewed when completing online information and reservations.
- What is your refund policy? We do not provide refunds under any circumstances, however; we will provide credit for future services if proper notice is given.
- Should I leave a gratuity for my pet sitter? Absolutely! Pet Sitters are service providers similar to servers in restaurants, hairdressers, etc. Gratuities are not expected, but are very much appreciated.
- Can I Change or Alter the Pet Sitting Contract/Agreement to Suit my Needs? No, we govern our business by the pet sitting agreement and it cannot be altered. We cannot negotiate the prices on request, or alter the legal contract in any way. We feel it is important to provide the same excellent service to all of our clients and, therefore, will we not make exceptions to the contract for clients that make these requests. Using the same guidelines for everyone maintains fairness for all of our respected clients.
- Should Don’t Leave Me This Way Pet Care be Notified When I Return Home? Yes, please call or email us upon your arrival to let us know that you arrived safely and your pets have their “pet parents” home to care for them. Since the safety of your pets is of the utmost importance to us, if we do not hear from you upon your return, we may continue services and your account will be charged for the continued service.
- Can I Provide Services for Don’t Leave Me This Way Pet Care? We are always looking for reliable, loving people to become a Pet Sitter. Please complete and submit the questions provided by clicking on “Join Our Team” on the home page. If you are an existing client of ours and considering a working as a pet sitter, we would especially like to talk to you.
