FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

We understand you are hesitant to leave your beloved babies in the care of someone else.

That’s natural for a loving pet owner!

We want you to feel 100% comfortable with allowing us to provide quality care to your pets, so any questions you have, ask away!

Here are some frequently asked questions from pet owners such as yourself.

While you’re at it, feel free to visit our testimonials page for more information from satisfied customers who’ve been in your shoes!

What Are Your Business Hours?

Business hours are:
Monday – Friday: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Saturday -9:00 a.m. – 3 p.m.
During this time we return calls, fill schedule requests, etc.

What Are Your Service Hours?

Pet sitting and dog walking visits are done between 7:00 am to 11:00 pm. Overnight visits are also available from 8:00 pm to 7:00 am.

Why Should We Use Paws & Not The Teen Down The Street Or Neighbor Next Door?

Can a teen handle a medical emergency involving your pet? What if your house was broken into, the water heater leaked or the cat escaped outside? Are they honor-bound to care for your baby and meet your exact expectations? Does their reputation in the community depend on making sure you are 100% happy with the care of your most precious possessions? There are about 15 or so other 100% valid reasons…all of which can be found by clicking here.

Will You Take Care Of My Pet Without Meeting Them Or Me?

No, we do require a completed profile in our customer service system, payment information, deposit and initial consultation before taking care of your pets. We know you don’t want a stranger in your home you haven’t met anyway…do you?

How Do I Become A Client?

In three easy steps, you can become a Paws Pet Care Client. Click here

Can I Tip My Sitter?

YES! 100% of all tips left for Paws Pet Care pet sitters go to them. Your sitter(s) care for your pets with a great deal of love and frequently go “above and beyond” the call of duty. If you were provided with great service it is appropriate to tip your pet sitter 10-20% of the total bill if you wish to do so.

What Do You Do On A Typical Visit?

It depends on what service you want. We can do whatever you want in the time that you contract us to be there. We offer 20, 30, 45 and 60-minute visits. Our pet sitting visits can include: Feeding per your instructions, fresh water, clean bowls, dogs walked (always private dog walks…never pack walks), love and playtime, brushing, quick potty breaks and overnights, litter box, bird cage (etc.) cleaned, mail and newspaper brought in, plants watered, lights on and off. And of course, lots of TLC.

Do You Always Visit At The Exact Time We Ask?

We book your visits within a 2-hour time block and will be there during that time. If time is critical, please let us know.

What Kind Of Animals Do You Care For?

We care for most domesticated animals, as long as they don’t pose a danger to our pet sitters. We do not care for any animals that have a history of biting, fighting or attacking other animals or people.

What If There Is A Medical Emergency With My Pet When I’m Gone?

Medical emergencies can and have happened. Please make sure your veterinary information is up to date in your profile. In the event of a medical emergency, your pet sitter will call you immediately while seeking emergency veterinary care. Should your specified veterinarian be unavailable, we will take your pet to Metropolitan Animal Hospital, Blue Pearl Animal Hospital or to whatever animal hospital that you specify. Transportation fees may apply.

What Is Your Policy For Keys – Giving, Storing & Returning?

We ask for two methods of entry to your home to be provided to us at your Get Acquainted visit. It is up to your discretion to provide two working methods of entry. If you don’t provide two methods of entry and there’s an emergency with your sitter (who has the only key) then it’s going to disrupt your service schedule. We ask that you make sure that all keys, garage codes, garage door openers, keypads, etc. are in working condition prior to leaving. It’s super stressful for you to get a phone call saying that your garage door battery died and we can’t get in. We can hold your keys for you in our secure, professional grade key safe for future visits if you wish for us to keep them. If you wish to have your keys returned to you:

1. We can leave them for you at your home for your return wherever you specify or
2. We can mail them back to you. Please allow 5-7 business days to receive them or
3.You can pick them up at our home office. We can coordinate a time together or
4. We can drive them back out to you for a $25 trip fee.

How Do We Request Or Cancel Visits?

We send you an email with instructions on how to access your own private profile. Once you are familiar with our system (LeashTime), we ask that you use the system to book (and make changes to) appointments. If you need to cancel, login and request the cancellation, call the office at 502-802-5052 or email info@pawspetcareathome.com. You can request visits the same way.

Sitters CANNOT make changes to your schedule.

What Is Your Cancellation Policy?

Daily/Weekly Visit (services booked 1 or more day a week regularly)
A 24-hour advance notice is required for cancellations on all days in order to receive a full credit towards future services. Any cancellation made outside 24 hours will not be refunded or credited. If a cancellation has not been submitted and our sitters arrive at your home to provide care, your account will be charged the visit fee. Acts of God (weather, illness, etc) will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Vacation Travel Services
Non-Holidays – A seven (7) day advanced notice is required for cancellations on vacation visits in order for your deposit to be refunded.

Holidays – A 14-day advanced notice is required for holidays in order for your deposit to be refunded. Any cancellation made outside of 14 days will not be refunded or credited. Acts of God will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Early return does not constitute refund for services not used as sitters cannot be booked for other clients services.

Can We Request Last Minute Services?

We try hard to accommodate everyone’s requests. We do ask for 24 hours notice for additions to a daily/weekly client’s schedule and at least 1-week notice for vacation schedule requests. We cannot guarantee these last minute service requests can be filled, but we work hard to accommodate all requests. It helps if you are willing to be flexible with using more than one sitter. There will be a $10 surcharge per visit assessed for same-day visit requests and they are subject to sitter availability.

How Do You Invoice? How Can I Pay My Bill?

We send invoices each time you request visits. There is a “Pay Now” button on the invoice. We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover. You can also log into your account in LeashTime, click the “Account” link in the main navigation and enter payment information if your card expires or you need to change it. We process payments as noted below:

Daily/Weekly/Monthly Services– If you are a client that receives services on a daily, weekly or monthly basis your credit card will automatically be processed on Sunday of each week for the previous week. If you would not like for your credit card to be automatically processed, we accept payment in full at the time of scheduling.

Vacation Travel Services – A 50% nonrefundable deposit is required at the time of service requests to hold your vacation dates. The balance is due on the first day of service and will be charged automatically if not paid in full.

Do You Have Any Surcharges?

A $5 service fee per visit is applied to each visit for holidays including but not limited to: Thanksgiving Week (day before, day of and after Thanksgiving), Christmas Week (Monday through New Years Day), Memorial Day weekend, Fourth of July weekend, Labor Day weekend, Thunder Over Louisville, Oaks Day and Derby Day. We also charge a $10 convenience fee for visits requested with less than 24 hours notice.

What Should We Do About Our House Alarm?

If you have an alarm, please contact your alarm company and tell them you have hired Paws Pet Care, LLC. Please provide the code to deactivate and activate the system and password in case of accidentally setting off the alarm. If you are uncomfortable giving Paws Pet Care this information, please set up a temporary code and password for our purposes.

Can I Book Services Directly With My Sitter?

We have a non-solicitation policy with all our sitters and walkers. You can communicate with your sitter(s) either by phone or text during our business hours or on the weekends if they are caring for your pet(s) however all services must be booked either by LeashTime scheduling software, phone or email. Our sitters contract with Paws Pet Care, LLC. They are bound by legal contract to not take our clients on as their own and not do side work for PPC clients.

Where Can I Read A Full List Of Your Policies/General Service Contract?

A full copy of our policies is available by clicking here.

Oops! We Forgot To Buy Litter, Food, Etc... Will You Pick It Up?

We will always do what’s needed for your pet’s health, safety, and wellness. Any additional necessary costs such as food, litter, cleaning supplies or other necessary items that contribute to the health and well-being of your pet will be purchased by your sitter and billed directly to your account. We will retain a receipt. A $35 trip fee will be applied.

Are Your Sitters Bonded, Insured & Background Checked?

Absolutely. All Paws Pet Care sitters are experienced, bonded, fully insured and background checked.

Do You Provide References?

Yep. Also, we have over 55 “A+” Reviews on Angie’s List, over 30 “Five Star” reviews on Google and reviews lots of other places on the web. Do a quick Google search for “Paws Pet Care Louisville, KY” and see what comes up!

Do We Get To Meet Our Sitter?

Yes! In fact, we insist on it. We offer free “Get Acquainted” visits to our new clients, and to our existing clients when there is a sitter change. The goal of this meeting is for the client to explain all the home and pets routines and make sure both parties are the right fit for each other.

Do We Get The Same Sitter Every Time?

Our goal is that you have the same sitter each time but the beauty of our business model is that we have over 30 local, qualified bonded, insured and background checked professional sitters that are experienced and waiting to help you out with your pets. If we need to send out a new sitter or a fill-in then we give you the chance to meet them (unless it’s an emergency, in which case we jump right in and notify you immediately). It’s always free, too! Your Get Acquainted visit with the new sitter is also free.

What If Something Happens To My Sitter While I’m Gone?

Your service schedule will never be interrupted. If an emergency happens with your sitter, Owner/Manager Beth Buster will know immediately, as she is monitoring all scheduled visits ALL day in LeashTime, our state-of-the-art software. In the event of an emergency involving your sitter, a backup sitter will be dispatched immediately to take over care of your pets and you will be notified. As a side-note, this is why it is SO important that your profile is kept updated…so any backup sitter will be able to access your pet information in the event of a sitter emergency.

Do You Have A Minimum Visit Requirement?

Yes! Our visit minimums are veterinarian recommended and industry standard. All dogs must be visited no less than three times in a 24 hour period. All cats must be visited at least every other day. Cat visits once every 24 hours are veterinarian recommended.

Will You Text or Email Me Updates While I’m Away?

Yes! We offer to send all our clients complimentary daily pictures via text or email once per 24 hours before 9 p.m. You will also get an automated email every time we complete a visit for you. For instance, if we have three visits scheduled, after each visit you will receive an email letting you know that your visit was completed.

Will You Enter My Home If My Neighbor (Friend, Painter, etc.) Is There?

NO! It’s very scary for a pet sitter to come into a house and run into a stranger…or to come in and find that someone else has been in your home. If we get to your home and someone is there we will NOT enter your home. No person should be permitted in your home during the same times our pet sitters are providing services unless special arrangements have been made through the owners/management of Paws Pet Care. This includes cleaning services, repair persons, friends, family and neighbors, trainers, etc.

Will You Job-Share With Family Members, Neighbors or Friends?

We get asked this frequently. We will consider this on a case-by-case basis, but we prefer that, for accountability and liability reasons, no other individual should be providing pet care services at the same time Paws Pet Care is providing pet care services. If something happens to your pet or your home, how can you know who is to be held responsible and accountable if several individuals are providing care?

Will You Get Our Mail For Us, Set Our Trash Out, Etc.?

YES! At no extra charge, (for our vacationing or traveling clients) we will bring your mail in, set your trash cans out on trash day, pull them back in, water any indoor/porch plants, rotate blinds, turn lights on/off, etc. Just make sure you let your sitter know your expectations in your client profile and at your Get Acquainted visit.

Will You Clean Up Pet Accidents In Our Home?

Your pet sitter is happy to properly dispose of pet waste and does their best to clean up any accidents your pet may have indoors with the appropriate cleaner that you leave us. We do request that you provide plastic bags, towels, cleaning products, paper towels, trash bags and indicate where you would like the waste to be disposed of.

Will You Clean Up Pet Waste In My Yard?

As a courtesy, your sitter WILL pick up waste as it occurs during our contracted time if you specify you want them to do so in your profile but please do not expect your sitter to pick up poo that is in the yard before our services are contracted. If they do, they are extra fabulous!

Do You Pick Up Dog’s Waste When Walking?

Yes, we do. We do ask that you provide the bags.

Do You Breed Discriminate?

We work with all breeds and sizes. Bring on the pibbles and ankle-biters! We serve all companion animals, regardless of the breed, but will not provide services to an animal with a history of aggression.

Will You Work With A Pet That Has A History Of Aggression?

No. We ask in your profile if your pet has a history of aggression and it’s very important that you are honest with us about this. Although we are experienced in pet care, we are not trainers or behaviorist. If your pet(s) will not let your pet sitter into your home or prevents your pet sitter from providing routine duties your sitter will contact you for alternate arrangements. Additional charges may apply.

Does My Pet Have To Be Vaccinated?

In general, all pets should be currently vaccinated but we do discuss this on a case-by-case basis with our clients. For instance, should your pet have an illness or valid reason to NOT have vaccinations, we are happy to discuss this with you.

What If My Pet Has Fleas?

For the health of all the other pets we visit on a daily basis, we require all our fur-clients to be free of fleas, ticks, and other pests.

What Do You Do In Bad Weather (Snow, Ice, Tornado, Etc.)?

If severe weather occurs, your sitter will try to carry out your instructions to the best of their ability. Please understand that we will provide service, but not until conditions allow us to reach your home safely.

The best care for your best friend

You can relax knowing your pets are loved and safe in the comfort of their own home.
Call today to find the perfect sitter for you and your furry friend!

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Professional pet sitting & dog walking services provide a safe and healthy alternative to boarding or kenneling your furry friend.