Pet Care International considers Professional Pet Sitters among the most competent in the world.  Several factors separate Professional Pet Sitters and Dog Walkers from the hobbyist sitter.  Professional Pet Sitters always carry active insurance and an honesty bond through credentialed insurance providers.  You are turning over your pets, belongings and home to a pet care provider—insurance and bonding should be a must on your requirement list.  Professional Pet Sitters should also utilize integrity and competence in their business practices, with a charge to provide high quality customer service and compassionate care to pets. 

Professional Pet Sitters Do the Following:
•    Carry insurance and bonding
•    Have colleagues who support them
•    Maintain appropriate licensing and other laws, if applicable
•    Have an emergency preparedness plan
•    Have policies and procedures to guide their business
•    Have responsible key management practices and policies
•    Handles complaints swiftly and professionally
•    Keeps emergency contacts and vet release on file
•    Can make responsible and professional decisions about complex care needs
•    Can follow feeding and medication instructions
•    Provides care within their expertise and not beyond
•    Have payment and cancellation policies in effect
•    Have professional phone, email and communication skills
•    Are like the postal carrier: through rain, snow, ice and hail, your pet sitter should make their visit or have an emergency plan in place
•    Have affiliation with Pet Care International and/or other institutions who model best practices and are leaders in the field


For the safety of your pet and property, make sure your pet sitter and dog walker meet these basic requirements.

What is Professional Dog Boarding?

Dog Kennel
A dog boarding kennel is a place where dogs are housed in a shelter, usually by way of crates, fencing and other caging systems.  Crated facilities can be the perfect fit for some dogs; but for other dogs, kennels can be very noisy and stressful.  Many dog kennels have crate-free day care options for doggie daycare, this gives your dog time to stretch his legs and play with friends during the day.  Urban kennels often only have indoor space, forcing your pet to potty indoors, which can also be stressful and painful on your pet.  If you do your homework, you’ll be able to find the right solution for your dog. 

Family-Style Boarding
Crate-Free Boarding
Home-style boarding is often a crate-free, cage-less pet boarding option for dogs and cats.  Crate free dog kennels can be in large storefronts with residential type furniture or a luxurious home with all the comforts your pet is used to.  Some family-style boarding options allow you to rent entire bedrooms, while others are community style.  Either way, this option is perfect for many pets.  Of course it isn’t appropriate for aggressive dogs and dogs that aren’t socialized. 

Host Family
This is similar to family-style boarding but your pet goes into a host-home and lives with the family as one of their own.  This type of boarding option is not commonly available and can be hard to find. 

If you have other boarding types not yet listed here, then let us know and we’ll update the information quickly.