Employment Opportunities

From Wags to Whiskers, Inc. provides quality care of pets in the comfort, safety, and familiar environment of their own homes. At the same time, we provide additional home services such as watering plants, bringing in mail/newspaper, rotating lights for security, taking garbage/recycling to the curb, etc.

Pet sitters make regular visits to our clients’ homes when they are away on trips, working, or otherwise unavailable. Depending upon pet needs and client requests, 1-4 visits are made each day (20-30 minutes each visit) to perform agreed upon services.

We operate 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. Our normal hours of operation are 6:30 AM to 9:00 PM, with additional fees required for visits made outside these normal hours. Schedules vary from week-to-week and sometimes change on very short notice.

Applicants are expected to have reliable transportation, a cell phone with text messaging service, and daily access to email.

We provide services to homes in the following zip code areas: 23452, 23453, 23456, 23462, 23464 and (parts of) 23320.

We offer  part-time positions as direct employees of From Wags to Whiskers, Inc.  Employees

• are paid on a per visit basis (On average, visits require 45 minutes, including both travel and visit time. The actual time at a client’s home is 20-30 minutes.)
• are paid bi-weekly
• are expected to work some weekends, evenings, and holidays, though a limited number of midday positions are available.
• are responsible for their own transportation, cell phone, and miscellaneous equipment
• are covered by workers’ compensation insurance

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you offer full-time employment, 40 hours per week?
No we do not. Please do not apply if you are looking for full-time employment. All our work is on an as needed basis.

Should this job be considered as primary income?
No, this job is best suited for someone just wanting to supplement their income.

How far will I be driving?
We expect that you will be able to reach a client home on average within 10-20 minutes of your home.

How long are the visits you offer clients?
Visits are 20-30 minutes depending on the pet and the client needs.

Who tells me what time I must be at the home for the pet visits?
We ask clients to provide us a two-hour service window with the middle time point being the most desirable time. You will be given a seven-day schedule with specific visit times.

Will I always be busy?
No. There will be some weeks when you are quite busy, other times will be very quiet and you will have a lot more free time. Our peak periods are during spring break, summer months, and the holidays.

Can I accept or decline an assignment?
You may accept or decline assignments outside of your usual availability hours, discussed at time of employment. You are expected to accept all assignments during availability hours.

What if I become ill or have an emergency?
While we do our best to cover in cases of true emergencies, this is not a job where “calling in sick” is easily tolerated. The pets in your care depend on you to complete your assignments, and ONE no-call, no-show is cause for immediate termination. It’s important to note that pets and their owners become attached to the primary sitter. It is not our policy to rotate sitters in and out of a home. In the event of illness or an emergency, contact the office immediately.

Can I have someone accompany me on any of my pet visits?
No. Only you are insured and contracted by the client to enter their home, therefore only you are allowed in the homes. Adults, children and other pets ARE NOT permitted to enter homes due to safety and liability issues. Adults can ride along with you as long as they stay outside the home. We never know how a pet will react to a child or another adult they do not know.

Will I be paid by the hour?
No. You are paid a fee per completed visit, on a bi-weekly basis.

Is Pet Sitting Right for You?

• Do you love animals and enjoy spending a lot of time with them?
• Do you have considerable experience with pets?
• Are you knowledgeable when it comes to pet care and behavior, and are interested in learning more?
• Are you able to maintain a high degree of patience with pets—even difficult, poorly trained ones?
• Are you able to deal with aggressive posturing of insecure dogs or cats?
• Are you very nurturing, yet able to take charge when necessary?
• Do you stay calm during unexpected difficulties?
• Are you very honest and trustworthy?
• Are you organized?
• Are you self-motivated?
• Are you good at time management and keeping a schedule?
• Are you extremely reliable and able to consistently make appointments in a timely fashion?
• Can you handle abrupt changes in your planned schedule?
• Are you familiar enough with the area that you can take alternate routes to your destination?

Unless you can answer YES to all these questions, pet sitting may not be the right job for you.

TO APPLY

For an employment packet, please send an e-mail to: Jobs@LifeWithDogs.us. Please DO NOT send your resume at this time. In your e-mail, include:

• your hours of availability
• your animal experience
• your residential address and mailing address, if different
• your experience giving medications and any other information that would be helpful in considering you

Please be sure to read the application and fill it out completely. Please MAIL it back to us (do not email).

All applicants are subject to a background check.