Working as a petsitter: Everything you need to know

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How to become a petsitter

Working as a petsitter has become an increasingly popular role as the petsitting industry expands. If you’re someone who loves spending time with animals, has at least a few spare hours a week and is confident and capable handling animals alone then petsitting could be the perfect job for you.

Deciding to become a petsitter requires more than just a love for animals however as there are practical issues involved, such as recognising your skills and abilities and figuring out what type of petsitting you want to offer, how regularly you want to work and more.

The next step is also to decide how to market your services and how to find employers as there are dedicated petsitting agencies or you can work as a self employed petsitter. To find out all about the best ways to launch your career as a petsitter and all the advice your could need about petsitting, check out our ultimate guide on how to become a petsitter here.

Benefits of working as a petsitter

Petsitting is becoming more and more popular as both a part time and full time job and the petsitting industry is the fastest growing part of the care sector in the UK. The profession is favoured by many people looking for part time jobs as a way to make a supplementary income as it is easy to manage alongside other commitments such as university or family schedules.

If you decide to become a self employed petsitter, working on a freelance basis, you are able to set your own hours, work as often or as irregularly as you would like, set your own rates and decide what type of petsitting work you would like to take on. The flexibility of the role as well as the large amount of control you have over your employment means that it is a great part time job for those with an already busy schedule and is why it is favoured as one of the best part time jobs around.

Petsitting is not only beneficial from a practical point of view but there are also so many personal advantages including improvements to your mental and physical health. Dog walking in particular has countless health benefits and through petsitting you are able to earn money whilst also gaining personal benefits! Check out all the advantages to becoming a petsitter here for more information.

How much can I earn working as a petsitter?

Petsitting can be a far more lucrative role than many people realise as if you work as a freelance petsitter you are able to set your own wages and decide how much you charge for your services. For an hourly rate, dog walking in particular can be extremely lucrative as some dog walkers can earn up to £25 an hour.

The average rates for petsitting varies of course depending on a number of factors including your location, the demand for petsitters in your local area, your experience, the type of care and service you are offering, the type of animal you are looking after, the number of animals you are required to care for at once and more. Local competition from petsitting agencies and other freelance petsitters will also affect the average wages of petsitters so it is always important to check the going rates of other providers when setting your price to ensure you remain as competitively priced as possible.

Whilst of course the average rates will vary slightly, we’ve compiled an information guide about prices for different services to help you best market yourself as a petsitter, so check out our guide on how much you could earn working as a petsitter here.

Find a great petsitting job!