We would like to discuss the differences between hiring an individual Dallas dog walker or pet sitter to care for your pets versus hiring a company that has a team of staff working for them.
We know there are a lot of choices available to you when you are looking for a dog walker or pet sitter. Regardless of who you choose to hire, we want to make sure you make an informed, educated decision that best suits your needs, and are comfortable with any possible risks associated with that choice.
So let’s start by asking this–why should it matter to if your pet sitter works by themselves or if they work as part of a team?
Emergencies. Well, if you hire an individual to care for your pets, who will take care of your pets if an emergency comes up for that individual? If the individual’s car breaks down, they get in an accident, they get sick or even have a death in the family—these are all reasons that an individual might not be able to complete service with your pets. What would happen to your pets if these things happened to your caregiver—would you even be notified of these emergencies? That can be scary to think about. But I can tell you these types of things happen all of the time.
Bonded and Insured? Another factor to consider when you hire an individual to care for your pets is whether they are bonded and insured? While an individual may appear caring and trustworthy, theft and property damage can occur while they are caring for your pets—and if they are not insured for these things YOU will be responsible for all losses. In addition, if they are injured while caring for your pet, you could be responsible for paying their medical expenses. Do you want that responsibility?
100% Availability. If you choose to hire an individual to care for your pets, keep in mind that it is unlikely they will be able to care for them EVERY SINGLE TIME you might need them. Individuals take time off, get sick or possibly even get overbooked with requests from other clients—-all scenarios that equate to their not being able to take care of YOUR pets when you might need them. If that happens you will need to be prepared to find someone else to step in, which may be difficult if it is with short notice. This is not the case with a professional pet sitting company that has a team of local Dallas dog walkers and pet sitters.
Managers and Backups. One more thing to keep in mind—individuals that walk dogs or sit for your pets do not typically have a manager on duty or a backup in case they need assistance. Having been in the industry ourselves since 1992, we can tell you that pet sitters and dog walkers need assistance regularly–because things like sticky doors or hard-to-turn locks happen, unexpected home emergencies happen, and pets get sick and sometimes you cannot reach the clients to determine the best course of action. When things like this happen, it really helps to have someone with experience to discuss how to resolve such issues and even have a second set of eyes and hands-on site with you if need be to help handle the situation.
We know there are many wonderful, skilled individuals that walk dogs in Dallas and pet sit out there. We just want to make sure that you have considered some of the risks that come along with hiring a single individual to care for your pets. Also, keep in mind that hiring a professional pet sitting company that is bonded and insured, has a team of walkers and sitters, managers on duty, and clear protocols for handling emergency can be a great solution for those of you that simply aren’t willing to accept the risks that come with hiring an individual.
