FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How is your service different from part-time pet sitters, errand services, and kid-next-door pet sitting?
First and foremost, we are professionals. That means that this is all we do for a living. Full time. We carry insurance and are bonded. We have trustworthy pet sitters, and we ensure that if anything happens to your personal pet sitter, your pet care will continue, uninterrupted. We have many years experience in caring for pets, we educate ourselves by taking courses to further our knowledge of pets and their care (Pet First Aid course offered by the American Red Cross, regularly reading about things that may present hazards to your pet, etc.) We belong to professional organizations in our field (Pet Sitters International, Professional United Pet Sitters, League of Arkansas Professional Pet Sitters) that keep us informed about pet-related issues and provide us with updated information for improving our services. We truly LOVE what we do. More than a profession, what we do is a vocation. We are drawn to the care of animals, and as such, we are concerned, compassionate caregivers. Unlike the part-timer, the errand service, or the kid-next-door who pet sit for extra cash, we have devoted ourselves to providing your pet the best possible care. We spend a great deal of our income on furthering the quality of our services, and making you and your pet happy! (We leave framed photos of your pets, give them occasional gifts, provide you with important pet care information we feel you may benefit from, and leave you personal notes about how much we enjoy being with your special fur-kid!).

Once I schedule pet sitting visits for my pet, what happens next?
Normally, we will schedule a "Meet & Greet" at least 3 days prior to the first pet sitting visit, to meet with you and your pet. This gives everyone involved (especially your pet!) a chance to be acquainted.

Do you have boarding or kennel facilities?
No. In-home pet sitting is an alternative to boarding. We are committed to providing your pet with the most humane, safe, comfortable, and personal care.

Do you offer doggie daycare?
Not in the traditional sense. We do, however, provide an alternative to doggie daycare, which is suitable for pets that have been turned down by doggie daycare facilities. If your dog needs stimulation and activity to help prevent boredom and destructive behavior, a midday break or dog walk just might fill the bill. The purpose of a doggie daycare is to occupy your dog with acitivies that will enable him to deal with monotony and excess energy. We can fill this need with either a brisk walk or a fun-filled activity such as fetching a ball or frisbee. The result is a happy but tired dog, who is likely to sleep the rest of the afternoon until your return!

Do you charge for the Consultation?
No, we do not charge for the initial phone consultation. The consultation is a vital part of providing our personalized service. We will require your home address and we will ask specific questions, in order to match you up with one of our pet sitters and to be certain we can provide you with the best possible service. During the phone consultation, we will want to know about your particular situation, how many pets you have, what types of pets, whether they are indoor, outdoor, or both. We will need to know if your yard is fenced, and if so, what type of fence you have. We'll also ask whether your pet(s) are on medication, and what type. All of these questions will allow us to calculate your rate. There are quite a few things that we must know before we can schedule your Meet & Greet.

Do you charge for the Meet & Greet?
Yes, we charge a rate equal to what we would charge you for one pet sitting visit. Every visit we make involves time and gas. We must charge for the this service in order to pay our pet sitters. The Meet & Greet requires approximately 30-45 minutes of our time. During this visit, we will provide you with a contract to review and  fill out. We will also complete a checklist which allows us to customize our services for you. This will include such things as when and how much to feed your pet, where your pet prefers to sleep, where you keep your pet's leash and toys, if you want potted plants watered, mail and newspapers picked up, etc. During the consultation, we will also instruct you in the use of the lock boxes we use to secure your keys.

What types of animals do you pet sit?
Puppies, kittens, dogs, cats, ferrets, fish, turtles, mice, rats, hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, chinchillas, non-poisonous snakes, lizards, frogs, pot-bellied pigs, pygmy goats... If you don't see your pet listed here, please call us! (Due to the constraints of our insurance, we cannot pet sit for horses or cattle, unless it is an individual animal that is a pet, and not breeding stock or show stock.)

Must my pet(s) have current vaccinations?
Your pet(s) should be current on all of their vaccinations with the exception of the vaccination for Bordetella (Bordetella Bronchiseptica--common name, Kennel Cough). The Bordetella vaccination is only required if you are boarding your pet(s) in a kennel. 

Will you keep my house keys?
We no longer keep client keys, with the exception of regular (daily) clients. We now use lock boxes to secure client keys. The lock boxes we use are extremely easy to use. They have a combination that the client can choose and provide to us for the times when we visit their pets. The combination can be changed at any time. So, if the client chooses to leave keys in the lock box for someone other than the pet sitter, they can change the combination for that person's use (housekeeper, landscaper, pool boy, plumber, etc.). We charge a one-time fee of $10 for the lock box. Please inquire for more details.

What if you should lock the house key inside my house? How will you be able to re-enter the house to provide care for my pet?
This is why we ask that you provide us with TWO keys to keep in the lockbox. If we should accidentally lock the key inside the house, we will have an extra key that we can retrieve in order to re-enter the house to provide un-interrupted care for your pet(s).

How will I know if you were able to complete all of your scheduled visits with my pet?
When we visit your home each day, we have forms that we leave behind, with notes to show what transpired during each visit. We note the time of day we arrived (AM, Midday, PM), if your pet was fed at that time, how your pet behaved, whether we watered plants, had to clean up after your pet, etc. We feel this is the best way to provide you with a detailed account of our services rendered. Of course, the fact that your house should look pretty much the same way you left it will be a good indication that we have been visiting regularly and performing our duties!

Will my pet receive personal attention?
YES! That is the main focus of our service. Our service is about providing love and affection, so that your pet will not be stressed or traumatized by your absence. Each time we visit your home to care for your pet, we spend quality time with your pet. We take your pet for a walk or outside in the backyard, talk to your pet, and play games. This is the fun aspect of our service, and we enjoy getting to know our charges!  :)

What if my pet should require the care of a veterinarian while I am away?
We hope this will never happen, but we do plan for this, just in case. One of the questions we ask you when we schedule our services, is who your pet's veterinarian is, and whether we have your permission to have your pet treated, should the need arise. We also ask that you inform your veterinarian that you use our service. We have a Veterinarian Release form for you to sign and give to your vet, to keep on file. This form will allow us to have your pet treated in your absence. 

Is your service licensed, insured, and bonded?
Our business is licensed in the city of Springdale. We carry liability insurance (including an additional rider to cover our clients possessions) and bonding, providing protection for your pet and your personal property. 

I am concerned about the security of my home while I am traveling. How can your service help me to feel more secure about this?
First and foremost, our pet sitters are people we know personally and/or have screened thoroughly. Since we know exactly who works for us, we are confident that your pet and your home are in good hands. As a deterrent for burglars, we can bring in your mail and newspaper, put out your trash on trash day (and return cans afterwards). We will open and close curtains, and alternate lights/TV/radio to give your home a "lived in" look and feel.

How are your services billed?
Occasional pet sitting services require payment in advance. Regular (daily) clients pay for services weekly (mid-day potty breaks and daily dog walking), in advance.

What if I need to cancel visits? Will I receive a refund or credit?
Whether you receive a refund or credit depends on several things. If you are one of our regular clients, and we visit your pet several times on a weekly basis, year-round, we are very flexible. Every day clients need only contact us before 8am to cancel for that day, and we will give a credit for the cancelled visit. We realize that due to illness or other emergencies, you may not have the luxury of giving us very much advance notice of a cancellation. For all other clients, we require a minimum 72 hour advance notice of cancellation. We will give a full refund if you cancel with 7 days or more notice. If you cancel 3-7 days prior to start of visits, we will refund you 80% of your payment. If you cancel less than 72 hours before visits start, we do not offer a credit or a refund. Exception: during the holidays, we do not offer credits or refunds for cancellations, unless the cancellation is made 2 weeks in advance. This is due to the fact that we are usually booked up for several weeks prior to the holidays, and once we're full we have to turn away business. If you return early from your trip, we do not offer refunds or credits! If you have questions about our cancellation policies, please call.

Do your caregivers perform their duties alone?
For the most part, yes. However, if the location is far, or an overnight stay is required, we will, on occasion, take a family member or an assistant along. This is for our own safety and peace of mind.