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By Beth Stultz-Hairston, PSI President | May 2024

As we approach summer—typically one of the busiest times of the year for pet sitters and dog walkers—it’s an important time to review basic safety precautions you should be taking. It’s easy to let your guard down when you are very busy— or even because you’ve been pet sitting for a long time and sometimes feel like you are on “autopilot.” But your safety should always be in the forefront of your mind.

If you have a team, make sure you are also clearly communicating your company’s safety policies and procedures (and reminding them often)!

Avoiding Distractions and Dangers on Dog Walks

Do you remember the attack on Lady Gaga’s dog walker, Ryan Fischer, and the theft of her two French Bulldogs in 2021 that made international headlines (and brought the importance of dog-walking safety to the forefront)?  While we don’t like to think of these potential dangers (and fortunately, these types of reports for pet sitters have been rare), it’s important to always be aware of your surroundings—and to also be familiar with any areas you will be walking clients’ dogs.

If you are taking on a client in a neighborhood unfamiliar to you, visit the area and familiarize yourself with the route you will be walking the dog in advance. If any areas of the potential route are secluded or poorly lit, plan an alternate route.

Always be focused on the dog and your surroundings when walking a client’s dog (or your own). While you may pull your cellphone out to take a quick picture of the dog for your client (even then be sure you are in a safe spot to do so), it should be put away otherwise. Talking on your phone or having your earbuds in to listen to music or a podcast may prevent you from noticing a person, other pet or vehicle approaching you.

You may also check recent crime records in your service area to learn of any dog thefts or other crimes you should be aware of and consider seeking out a situational awareness or self-defense training (online and local in-person options are often available) to help you feel better prepared to handle potentially dangerous situations.

Arriving for a Visit and Entering a Client’s Home Safely

You often enter clients’ empty homes during early morning or evening hours, so it’s important to be cautious when you arrive for pet-sitting visits (any time of the day).

If an unexpected vehicle or person is in a client’s driveway when you arrive for your visit, do not stop and get out. Call your client to see if they expected anyone at their home. If they did not (or you can’t reach the client), contact local law enforcement (and do not go back to the home until they have arrived and determined it is safe for you to enter).

Be sure to look for any open or broken doors or window when you arrive. While your first thought will likely be to run inside and check on the pets if you see damage to the home, you should leave the premises, notify the client, and alert local law enforcement (and again, not return to the home until it has been determined it’s safe to do so).

Also remember to lock the doors of your vehicle once you exit it, and then also lock the doors of the client’s home behind you once you enter for the visit. While you are on the visit (or dog walk), always keep your keys and phone with you. This ensures you have quick access to both in the event of an emergency and also prevents you from accidentally locking yourself out of the client’s home!

Assessing Potential Dangers Before the First Assignment

While it’s important to keep the above tips in mind, preparation for a safe pet-sitting or dog-walking visit should actually begin prior to accepting an assignment.

If you are contacted by a prospective client in an area you are not familiar with (although it’s in your service area), you can always do an online search to ensure that the address is valid and is a residential home (and not a vacant home on the market). Also be sure that someone knows where you will be and what time you should arrive/leave when you visit a prospective client’s home.

Do a walkthrough of the home at the initial consultation (“meet and greet”). This allows you to become familiar with the home and where pet supplies are kept, but it also gives you the opportunity to notice any potential dangers you should alert the potential client to, such as broken locks, holes in fences, etc. These dangers should be addressed and fixed prior to your visit.

Also be sure to ask about any others who will have access to the home in the client’s absence and note this in your service agreement. Many pet sitters choose not to accept assignments when family members, friends or service providers may have access to the home. (If you do not accept clients in these situations, be sure to have a written company policy in place that you make clients aware of.)

Other pet sitters have shared that they have many clients with other service providers (e.g., housekeeper, groundskeeper, etc.) who have access to the home, but ask that clients provide information on each of the providers, including a vehicle description and when they will be in the home.

If you accept the pet-sitting request and the first visit will be at night, ask the client to leave inside and outside lights on so you will not be entering a dark home. For multiday assignments, you can alternate lights in the home and turn the outside light on as needed so that you do not have to enter a dark home on subsequent days of the assignment.

PSI members, download this free “Preparing for Your Pet Sitter” handout to share this tip and others with your pet-sitting clients.

Most importantly, remember to always follow your gut instinct. If you feel uneasy during the initial phone call or at the meet and greet (or if you simply feel the job just isn’t a good fit), you do not have to accept the job. This blog post from PSI shares more tips on saying “no” to an assignment.