Frequently Asked Questions
1. What types of pets do you care for?
Puget Sound Pets most often cares for dogs and cats, but we also offer care for birds, rabbits, gerbils and other small animals. We do NOT offer services for horses, livestock, or for any animal that is illegal to own.
2. If I use Puget Sound Pets for dog walks, will my dog be walked with other dogs?
No. We will only walk your dog with dogs from your immediate family, a dog that is visiting that has been approved for tandem walks, or in situations where you’ve asked for your dog to be walked with one of our canine ambassadors.
3. Can I schedule a specific service time?
We do not accept specific time calls and instead operate using a window’s system. Our standard windows for visiting once daily are as follows: • Morning: 8am - 10am • Mid-Day: 10:30am - 2:30pm • Evening: 3pm - 6pm • Anytime Window: 8am - 8pm • Customized Window: Present a 3-hour option that works for you and we’ll let you know if we can arrange a custom window for you.
4. How do I set up services with Puget Sound Pets?
We start by gathering additional information by asking you to complete the attached Intake Form. We will assess the viability of working together from multiple logistical points including where you live vs our service area, compliance with health guidelines (vaccines, annual veterinary exam, flea/tick prevention, etc), behavioral considerations, medical considerations, and so on. If we feel you’re a good fit, we’ll take you through setting up a Time to Pet account (this is our billing/scheduling software that also sends report cards), and getting you the necessary contracts/veterinary release to move forward. Our final step in onboarding new clients is the intake visit. The intake visit has a member of management coming out to your home to meet you, your pet(s), review navigating your home, location of supplies, emergency contacts, home access, etc. We want to make sure we’re the right fit to provide the care your pet needs, but also to set you up for success. We’ll review our software system to make sure you can operate it with ease, answer any questions you may have, and spend some time getting to know you and your furry family so you can rest easy when PSP is on duty.
5. What is your screening process for staff/what is your hiring process?
We start our selection process by having applicants submit a resume with 3 references. If they have the necessary background, we set up a phone interview to assess their pet care skills/history, communication skills, and the logistics of working with us as a pet care specialist. We prefer candidates with 2+ years experience, but have found that all walks of life can create amazing pet care specialists so don’t limit ourselves to that criteria. Qualified candidates are back-ground checked before proceeding to the next step. The next step is a working interview, which has the candidate going on several walks/visits with the team manager, Jacob. During this portion of the interview, Jacob asks the candidate a variety of questions to gauge their comfort level with pet care, communication style, reliability, leash handling, and “what-would-you-do” in a variety of scenarios they may encounter. The top candidates are hired and start training. Training begins with 2 hours of “pre-reading” to prepare them for the rigors of working with pets. They spend a day at our office reviewing the basics including walking/visit protocols, using our operating software, communication guidelines, emergency protocols, head-to-tail checks, and more! They then spend 2 weeks with Jacob meeting a variety of cats and the majority of dogs we walk each week while also practicing their role as a pet care specialist while directly supervised. After 2 weeks, they are given their final assessment and released as a pet care specialists. Within 6 months of being hired, they are required to become Pet First Aid & CPR certified.
6. What forms of payment do you accept?
We accept credit cards with a 3% swipe fee, ACH transactions with a 1.3% transaction fee, and checks for pre-paid services.
7. Are you insured?
Puget Sound Pets, LLC is licensed, bonded and insured through Business Insurers of the Carolinas.
8. Do you give medications?
Yes, our pet care specialists are trained to administer oral medications to pets who’s temperaments allow for that to be done safely. We additionally have staff members that can administer eye/ear medication, injectable medications, and subcutaneous fluids. All of these services are available by special arrangement at an additional cost.
8. Do you give medications?
Yes, our pet care specialists are trained to administer oral medications to pets who’s temperaments allow for that to be done safely. We additionally have staff members that can administer eye/ear medication, injectable medications, and subcutaneous fluids. All of these services are available by special arrangement at an additional cost.
9. Suppose my pet becomes ill while I'm away, how do you handle that?
Our backgrounds in veterinary medicine make us uniquely qualified to support your pets regardless of what comes up and we further set you up for success by certifying each of our team members in Pet First Aid & CPR within 6 months of hiring. At the time of intake, we discuss your pet’s medical conditions and medications and make sure we have a thorough understanding of your pet’s medical history. We ensure our notes remain up to date by asking for updates before each trip, or every 6 months for dog walking clients. We also ask for completion of a thorough veterinary release to help us support you and understand your wishes in the event of a medical issue. If your pet does need veterinary care while you’re away, we will begin by notifying you of our concern and the action we advise or will be taking depending on the situation. Whenever possible, we aim to take your pet to their primary vet to ensure they are with those that are most comfortable with their history and care, but have access to local emergency/specialty hospitals should the situation warrant that. If we are unable to get in touch with you, our next step will be connecting with your emergency contact(s). If we are unable to get in touch with them, we will keep trying you both while deferring to your veterinary release for immediate needs. We will stay onsite to support you and your pet as a liaison until discharge or hospitalization and will work together to ensure your pets get what they need and that you're kept informed and in the driver’s seat for the duration of the situation.
10. I have a house alarm, is that a problem?
Not at all, we frequently serve clients with house alarms.
11. Should I tip the pet sitter/dog walker?
Absolutely. Our team of pet sitters go above and beyond for you and your pets. While gratuity is not required, it is something that goes along way in showing the sitters/dog walkers you appreciate their care and dedication to your pets. Showing them you value their commitment and dedication via gratuity is the best way to ensure you have a sitter that is wiling to work with you when you need them.
12. How far in advance do I need to reserve for pet sitting services?
The amount of notice we need varies due to time of year and type of reservation. High demand services such as overnights, should be booked with as much notice as possible.
13. What areas do you service?
We offer dog walking & pet sitting services in the greater Seattle area including Ballard, Fremont, Capital Hill, Queen Anne, Greenlake, Greenwood, Wedgewood, U-District, Shoreline, Columbia City and Renton.
13. What areas do you service?
We offer dog walking & pet sitting services in the greater Seattle area including Ballard, Fremont, Capital Hill, Queen Anne, Greenlake, Greenwood, Wedgewood, U-District, Shoreline, Columbia City and Renton.
14. When is payment due?
Payment is due every Tuesday for services provided the previous Monday-Sunday. A 20% non-refundable deposit is required upon scheduling of any non-recurring services.
14. When is payment due?
Payment is due every Tuesday for services provided the previous Monday-Sunday. A 20% non-refundable deposit is required upon scheduling of any non-recurring services.
14. When is payment due?
Payment is due every Tuesday for services provided the previous Monday-Sunday. A 20% non-refundable deposit is required upon scheduling of any non-recurring services.
15. What is your cancellation policy?
Our cancellation policy varies by service type and time of year (Holiday vs. Non-holiday). Non-Holidays: • Recurring Services: ○ 72 Hours Notice • Non-Recurring Daytime Services (Daytime & Overnight): ○ 21+ Days Notice: No Fee ○ 5-20 Days Notice: 25% of booking total ○ 11-14 Days Notice: 50% of booking total ○ 8-10 Days Notice: 75% of booking total ○ <7 Days Notice: 100% of booking total Holidays & High-Volume Date Ranges: • Recurring Services: ○ MLK Jr. Day: Before the last Monday in December ○ President’s Day: Before the last Monday of January ○ Week of Spring Break: Before March 1 ○ Memorial Day Weekend (Friday-Monday): Before May 1 ○ Independence Day: Before June 1 ○ Labor Day Weekend (Friday-Monday): Before August 1 ○ Indigenous People’s Day: Before the 2nd Monday in September ○ Veteran’s Day: Before the 2nd Monday in October ○ Week of Thanksgiving: Before November 1st ○ Week of Christmas: Before December 1 ○ Week of New Year’s: Before December 1 • Non-Recurring Services (Daytime & Overnight): ○ 29+ Days Notice: No Fee ○ 22-28 Days Notice: 25% of booking total ○ 14-21 Days Notice: 75% of booking total ○
16. How do you facilitate home entry?
Puget Sound Pets recommends the use of a lockbox/code system in place of standard keys where possible. This practice ensures uninterrupted access to your home even if we have to send a last minute replacement to cover services. Alternatively, we can use transitional house keys. We need two copies (or a suitable back up method to gain entry should the traditional key fail) for all out of town clients. Most client prefers to exchange keys at the initial meet and greet as any key exchanges outside of this visit incur a $20 fee each trip needed for the exchange. If a client opts to leave a hidden key on location, Puget Sound Pets is not liable for any damages that incur as a result.
17. When and how are my keys returned to me?
If you’re planning on scheduling again, we recommend keeping your keys on file so last minute trips won’t pose a problem. If you need your keys returned, we ask for 7 days notice to make arrangements. You’ll have the option of requesting a return directly to you for $25 or scheduling an appointment to retrieve them from our office at no charge.
18. What are your hours of operation?
Pet Service Hours: 24/7, 365 days/year Office Hours: Mon-Tues: 10am-4pm Wed: Closed Thurs-Fri: 10am-2pm Sat/Sun: Closed
19. What holidays do you observe and how do you handle them?
Holidays are invoiced at 1.5x a family’s standard rate if services are needed over a date range that includes holidays. Holidays impacted by the surcharge are as follows: • Memorial Day • Independence Day • Labor Day • Thanksgiving & Black Friday • Christmas Eve & Day • New Years Eve & Day We also have “high volume” booking dates which are not holidays, but date ranges that have a higher number of pet sitting requests due to annual travel patterns such as Spring break. Such date ranges are invoiced at 1.25x a family’s standard rate if services are scheduled over high volume date ranges and include the following date ranges: • MLK Jr. Day • President’s Day • Week of Seattle School District’s Mid-Winter Break • Week of Seattle School District’s Spring Break • Memorial Day Weekend (Sat/Sun) • Labor Day Weekend (Sat/Sun) • Indigenous People’s Day • Veteran’s Day • Week of Thanksgiving (excludes Thanksgiving & Black Friday) • Week of Seattle School District’s Winter Break (excludes Christmas Eve, ChristmasDay, New Years Eve & New Years Day) We require additional notice of cancellation for recurring and non-recurring services scheduled over a date range that includes a holiday or high volume booking date that can be found under #15.