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Animal Sitters
Want to be a Petsitter?
You can earn £50 - £300+ per week depending upon the services you offer. The three main services are: petsitting in your home (if suitable), petsitting in the owners home, and daycare and dog walking. There are various other associated services, such as delivery/collection, grooming, training etc. You can choose to "sit" on occasional weekends, or make it a full time occupation with many regular clients.
Pet-Sitters.biz operate a worldwide directory matching pet owners with pet services, including a large UK section. Pet sitters list their services and experience and once registered, your profile is not only listed on the site but emailed to all pet owners who have requested Email Notification of new pet sitters in their area.
Free Trial Membership available or get Gold Membership for only US$19.00 for 12 months listing, including unlimited free updates.
Pet-Sitters.biz is dedicated to pet sitters who provide home visit services (not live-in). If you wish to register for live-in pet sitting (house sitting) please visit http://www.housecarers.com/
The National Association of Registered Petsitters sets the standards for private pet care in the UK with more than 3500 members and can provide everything you need to start your own business at minimal cost, including forms of authority, terms and conditions, advice notes and information, printed cards, Registration Certificate, and 12 months listing in the National Register of Petsitters. Also included in the cost is £1 million Insurance and, if required, an optional informal "course" in the comfort of your own home given by one of their Representatives covering practical information on Petsitting, including: Quoting Charges, Payments, Bookings, Terms and Conditions, Public Liability, Third Party and Animal Insurance, Responsibilities, Accidents, The Animal Boarding Establishments Act 1963, Advice and Tips for members, additional services, etc, etc,.
To be a registered petsitter, you must be reliable, trustworthy and experienced at caring for pets. They do not teach people about how to care for pets since it is a basic requirement of membership.
Please note they are not an agency and do not directly provide you with work. They do however enlist your name, telephone number and services you offer on the National Register of Petsitters so that subscribers can contact you direct and also explain how best to promote your services economically. If you need additional work they can also put you in touch with agencies who need sitters.
Many professional petsitters join, particularly for their insurance which is the best available, for a listing on the Register, and for the prestige and credibility gained from membership of a National Association. Existing members include Animal Au Pairs, Sitting Pretty, TLC PetSitting, Dog Holidays, Faithful Companions, Pet Nannies, The Dog House, The Home Service, Two Oaks National House and Pet Watch, Home from Home, Home Alone, Animal Aunts, Housewatch, Petz, Paws4Thought, Armchair Dogs, Pet Pals, and many more nationwide.
For more details, visit http://www.dogsit.com
Or if you've already set up your own pet-sitting service, why not do what Helen Beswick has done, and create a website to promote your services. See http://www.k9playtime.co.uk/ for details.
Another one to take a look at is London pet sitting a family run business in West London, UK which also offers dog walking and strives to replace the care that you provide at home with a professional and loving alternative. Sister sites are found at http://www.london-dog-walking.com and http://www.london-cat-sitting.com
Recommended Reading
The Professional Pet Sitter : Your Guide to Starting and Operating a Successful Service Lori Mangold, Scott Mangold
After explaining in straightforward style what is expected from a professional pet sitter, the authors present an extremely detailed guide on starting and operating a pet-sitting business. Everything from acquiring a business license and planning marketing strategies to keeping records and making service calls is detailed here. Forms are included for client file cards, service agreements, and more.
