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By Beth Stultz-Hairston | August 2024

What happens if you can’t complete your pet-sitting visits? When asked this question, pet sitters often say, “I suck it up and complete my visits anyway—there are no sick days for pet sitters.”

While you may be able to complete visits with a migraine, sinus issues or even a pulled muscle, what happens when something unexpected—a seizure, a heart attack, or an automobile accident—occurs?

The reality is anything can happen and having an emergency backup plan is a must for professional pet-sitting businesses. It’s especially important for solo pet sitters who do not have staff sitters who can be easily rescheduled to take over assignments. But regardless of your business structure, an emergency backup plan is a necessary component of your standard operating procedures!

Have a pre-determined, designated backup. 

If you have staff, this may be your office manager or a staff sitter. If you are a solo sitter, this may be your clients’ emergency contacts, or your spouse, partner, relative or friend. It may even be a fellow professional pet sitter in your area.

Keep an “In Case of Emergency” card in your wallet, purse, etc. that indicates pets are in your care and provides emergency responders with your emergency contact’s information.

For solo pet sitters, even if your plan is to have clients’ emergency contacts take over visits, you still must have a point person who is able to access this emergency contact information and communicate with the emergency contacts to ensure they take over the pets’ care.

Whoever your backup may be, it’s important that they fully understand your emergency plan and are able to implement it quickly.

In the event you are incapacitated—or worse—your backup should already know how to access your schedule and client information, whether that be through your pet-sitter software program or through going through your calendar (if you keep a physical appointment book), because you may not be able to provide instructions!

Will your backup simply be responsible for contacting clients to let them know that you cannot care for their pets? If so, make sure your backup knows how to access your client list and/or clients’ emergency contacts.

Will your backup assume your pet-sitting responsibilities? If so, your backup must be able to access your daily schedule, client information and client keys. Make sure you have a detailed plan: Will the backup take over your visits indefinitely, or will they handle your visits for that day only and then contact clients and/or their emergency contacts to assume care of the pets?

It’s important that any individuals included in your emergency backup plan are fully aware of the plan you have in place and are able to implement it should you not be available. You also need to revisit your plan and update it as needed, particularly if staff changes (or relationship changes) impact individuals included in your current plan.

If your emergency plan includes having someone else (not the clients’ emergency contact) take over visits, make sure your pet-sitter insurance policy will cover your backup sitter(s).

Make sure your clients know your emergency plan.

It’s important that you communicate your emergency backup plan to your clients and that they know what their obligations are in the event of an emergency.

If you have a backup sitter, explain that, while unlikely, if an emergency occurs, another individual with have access to their homes and care for their pets. Or, if your plan includes having their emergency contacts step in, make sure clients know they are responsible for providing up-to-date emergency contact information.

While your emergency plan should be shared with all new clients, it’s important to remind clients of your plan regularly—in an annual newsletter, at the bottom of your booking confirmations, etc.

Remember to also check in regularly with clients to ensure the information you have on file for them—specifically their emergency contact information--is up to date and correct, and let them know how to update the information when needed, whether through their profile in your software, by contacting you directly, etc.

Here’s what some PSI members shared about their emergency backup plans…

“I’m basically a solo sitter, so my clients fully understand that they must have an emergency contact as a backup should I not be able to complete/continue pet-care services.

If I’m physically able, I would contact my client and/or their designated backup.

If I was unable, my husband would make the notification. It’s confirmed beforehand that their emergency contact actually knows their role and is available (i.e., in town) to cover visits if necessary.

I’ll add that I also network with trusted local sitters who may also be willing to step in if needed.” -Cynthia J.

“My fiancé has the password to my Time To Pet [scheduling software]. If I am incapacitated, he has instructions to give the information and key box to my senior (experience not age) pet sitters to continue the team management (of my five sitters).” -Lisa B.

“This is what we love about having a team! There is always someone available to cover in an emergency! We have a manager and myself. One of us is always on call. We monitor every message coming through Time To Pet [scheduling software], and the employees know who to contact during their shifts. Whoever is on call would manage the schedule to make sure everything gets covered.” -Justina A.

As a professional pet-care business owner, you must have a contingency plan should an emergency occur. The reality is anything can happen and having an emergency backup plan with a designated backup who can access your business information and/or take over your pet-sitting assignments is vital.

Your clients—and their pets—are depending upon you!