What will happen at my initial consultation, and how much does it cost?

There is never charge for your initial consultation, and there is NO obligation to hire us after your initial consultation. As much as this consultation serves the purpose for us to get to know you, your pet, and your pet’s needs, it also allows you to get to know and feel comfortable with us. At your consultation, you’ll meet Victoria and any other pet-sitters that might be involved in the care of your pet(s) and home. You'll have a chance to introduce us to your pet(s), explain your pet’s routine, and show us where important things like litter boxes, food bowls, leashes, or where kitty’s favorite hiding places are located. We'll also spend a few minutes getting to know your pet(s) and making sure they feel comfortable around us. We want you to feel confident leaving your pet(s) in our care. You can expect the consultation to last about half an hour or less.

What kinds of pets do you care for?

Dogs and cats are America’s most popular pets, and they definitely make up the majority of our clientele, but we have experience caring for a wide variety of pets: fresh water and salt water fish tanks, birds, scorpions, hamsters, chinchillas, guinea pigs, rabbits, frogs, lizards, turtles, snails, ducks and snakes (just to name a few!)

What does it mean when you say you’re bonded and insured?

Our bonding and insurance is in place to protect your pet(s) and your home while they are in our care. While we don’t anticipate any problems while caring for your pet(s), our insurance policy with Pet Care Insurance would cover any incidents of damage to your home/property or loss/injury of your pet(s) in the case of any negligence on our part while caring for your pet(s) and home.

Who will be watching my pet? Will my pet’s sitter change frequently or stay the same?

Got Paws sitters work as a team in order to provide the best amount of coverage and flexibility around our clients’ schedules. That being said, typically your pet’s sitter will remain consistent with those you meet at your initial consultation. If for any reason we need to send an alternate sitter you haven’t met before (such as your regular sitter being stuck in bed with the flu), you’ll be made aware beforehand.

Will you train or discipline my pets in my absence?

Got Paws sitters are not qualified to provide formal training and we will not physically discipline any pet(s) in our care. We will, however, enforce any rules you might have in place (like keeping Fido off the couch) and any commands your pet might be in the process of learning through positive reinforcement.

What happens if there is an emergency with my pet/home while I’m away?

The paperwork we require of each client to fill out at the initial consultation provides us with all the pertinent emergency contact information we would need in the case of an emergency with your pet(s). In addition to performing any first aid and/or transporting your pet to your listed veterinarian, we will make all attempts to get in contact with you and/or your emergency contacts. In the event that we cannot get in contact with you or your emergency contacts, Got Paws will authorize veterinary treatment of your pet as needed up to up to the amount of One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00). If there is an emergency with your home (say—a pipe bursts while you’re away), the Got Paws team will act accordingly to stabilize the situation (turning off the waterline), and make all attempts to get in contact with you or your local emergency contact to await further instruction on how to proceed.

Do you have references?

We sure do! You can read our reviews on Yelp! Or, you may contact us for additional references.

I don't have any pets, but am still looking for someone to take care of my home while I’m away. Will you do that?

Of course! While pet sitting is our specialty, we also provide reasonably priced house sitting services. We’ll water your plants, bring in your mail, take out your trash, rotate lights, and anything else to give your home a lived in look while you’re away.

Do you board dogs?

We are not a boarding or kennel facility, however some of our sitters do occasionally host dogs in their own home. Dogs must meet certain criteria (size, temperament, current vaccines, potty trained, neutered, etc). Call us to discuss your specific needs and details. **NOT AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME**

What does a typical Dog Walk/Visit Visit look like?

Our Dog Walk/Visits are 20 minutes, or longer, depending on your pet’s needs. We will spend our time walking (brisk or a stroll depending on their needs), or backyard fetch if they prefer, and of course giving lots of love and affection! We’ll also check and refresh water bowls and clean up any accidents. Please note that because of liability reasons, we will never walk your dog off-leash.

What does a typical Pet Sitting Visit look like?

Our Pet Sitting visits combine the best of our pet and house sitting services into 25/30 minute long visits (If your pet requires more than 2 visits a day additional visits will be approx 15/20 min long). In addition to providing daily feedings and fresh water, walks, affection, and playtime, we’ll also take care of cleaning litter boxes, cleaning up accidents or excrement in the yard, and administering medications as necessary. We'll also water any plants, take out the trash, bring in the mail and newspapers, and rotate lights and blinds.

What hours are Got Paws team members available?

Got Paws team members are typically available at any time between 7:00 am and 7:00 pm, 7 days a week. When you book a pet sitting appointment with us, you’ll let us know your preferred visit time, but we’ll also ask for you to be flexible by providing a 2 hour (or more) window in which we can arrive. We’ll do our best to accommodate your request, If your preferred visit time falls before 7am or after 7pm, then we will assess an extra $10 “after hours” charge (not applicable to Extended Paw Time).

Should I tip my Pet Sitter?

Nothing extra is ever expected, but is always appreciated. Our sitters work hard to ensure the safety and well-being of your pet(s) at all times, and they will often go above and beyond the call of duty. If you think they have done an outstanding job, we know they would greatly appreciate a tip. Sitters also receive a bonus from Got Paws for each Yelp review that positively mentions their name, so that is also a good way to show your appreciation!

Key Exchange

Ideally, we would like you to keep your keys on file with Got Paws. 2 copies, one under lock and key with your primary sitter and one held at the office in case of emergency. This saves on extra and unnecessary key swapping, shuffling and exchanging that can lead to confusion.

If you prefer not to keep your key on file your options for our entry are:

*Electronic door or garage code

*A lock box placed on your property when you need service, available on Amazon for just under $20 or can be purchased from Got Paws for $20

*Hide-a-key contraptions (sneaky rocks, sprinklers and fake thermometers) can be purchased from Got Paws for $20

*Hide your key in any sneaky spot on your property, if you are comfortable with that, never under the doormat please

*In person key exchange ($20)