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By Beth Stultz-Hairston | July 2024

As a pet-care professional, you make it a priority to always keep pets in your care safe. However, pets can be quite curious and may try to explore beyond the confines of their homes, putting them at risk. Some pets are known “door dashers,” while others may exhibit out-of-character behavior in their owners’ absence.

Here are the top steps you can take to ensure pets don’t escape from their home while you are pet sitting:

Do a security check before (and during) the assignment.

The first line of defense against a runaway pet is to ensure that the home is secure. While at the initial consultation ("Meet and Greet"), do a walkthrough of the home. This will allow you to become familiar with the home and where clients keep their pet supplies, but it also gives you an opportunity to notice any potential dangers that you want to alert the pet owners to—broken locks, fences that aren’t tall enough or holes in fences (which could allow pets to possibly escape), etc. For dogs that are diggers, pet parents may need to bury chicken wire at the base of the fence and/or place large rocks along the base of the fence.  

During the assignment, you want to check for these issues again and, of course, never leave dogs outside unsupervised.  During your visits, be sure that windows and screens are secure. (This can also prevent cats from falling through screens/windows, which can result in high-rise syndrome.)

Also be sure to ask your clients if their pet has ever escaped, and for dogs, also ask if there are any triggers on walks that have caused them to run away/chase.

Prevent pets from “door dashing” or running away.

Even if your clients’ pets aren’t known bolters, it’s always advisable to exercise caution when entering the home, particularly if pets are not crated when you arrive. You can use your body as a barrier to prevent a pet from darting out as you enter or exit the home. Using a baby gate to keep pets away from the front door or having them contained in another room when you arrive can help prevent dashing.

In addition to making the entry way a “boring” place (e.g., avoiding big, excited hellos and goodbyes when you come and go), the Animal Humane Society also suggests—for food-motivated pets—tossing treats away from the door to a specific location (such a dog bed or cat tree) when you arrive or depart, so they learn they will receive a treat if they wait in that spot (and not approach the door).  

On dog walks, always make sure the dog has a properly fitted collar and/or harness to prevent escape and use fixed-length leashes (never retractable leashes!). Be mindful of potential triggers the pet parents have advised you of and select walking routes to avoid other dogs and people when possible. Always be alert on dog walks and avoid talking on the phone or having your ear buds in to listen to music or a podcast, as this may prevent you from noticing a person, another pet or a vehicle approaching.

Also be sure to ask clients about their pets’ training and commands/cues they know, such as “come” and “stay,” and a recall cue. It’s important you make note of the specific commands and cues used for the particular pet.

Provide adequate exercise and stimulation.

Boredom is a common motivator for pets who escape. Work with your clients to ensure that their pets are getting an adequate number of visits and that your visits include adequate enrichment while the pet parents are away.  

Ensure dogs in your care get enough exercise (e.g., walks, or when weather prevents walks, indoor exercise), and provide them with plenty of toys (when supervised). You can find additional ideas for dog enrichment in this post from PSI. Ensure that clients provide scratching posts, climbing trees, and other toys you can use with their cats to keep them mentally and physically stimulated. Read more cat-enrichment ideas here.

Ask if pets are spayed or neutered.

The instinct to mate is another common reason pets are tempted to escape. As the ASPCA shares, spaying or neutering your pet can significantly reduce the urge to roam, in addition to many other benefits.

Some pet sitters and dog walkers require all pets they care for to be altered, unless there are medical or age-related reasons that prevent them from being spayed or neutered.  If you care for pets who are not spayed or neutered, it’s important to be aware of how this can increase their motivation for escape and take extra precautions.

Require pets in your care to have identification.

In the unfortunate event a pet is able to escape, having proper identification can make it much easier to bring them back home. Ask clients to ensure their pet has a collar with an ID tag that includes their contact information.

Some pet sitters—with their clients’ permission—also use temporary tags with the pet sitter’s contact information for pets during their pet-sitting assignment.  Having pets microchipped is also highly recommended as it provides a permanent form of identification that cannot be lost.

Work with your clients to ensure their pets have an appropriate collar that fits properly. This reduces the risk of the collar coming off or becoming snagged/caught on something in the home.

There are also many technological solutions available to help keep track of pets. GPS collars and pet trackers can help you locate pets quickly if they do escape. You may want to discuss these options with your clients.

Want more tips? This previous blog post from PSI shares various tips from PSI members for preventing pet escapes.

If a pet escapes…

While unlikely with the proper precautions, accidents happen—and a pet could escape while under your care (or the care of one of your team members). If this happens, implement your escaped pet policy (which should be a part of your standard operating procedures) right away.

Make sure your team members know the specific steps to take if a pet escapes. This likely involves contacting you (or the office manager) immediately and beginning the search while you notify your clients.

If possible, have someone at the home (in case the pet returns); contact neighbors and provide your contact information in case they see the pets; use the power of social media to share the pet’s photo (this is a good reminder to have recent photos of clients’ pets!); create flyers if needed; and make sure you have contact information for local shelters, humane societies and veterinarian offices to reach out to should you not find the pet that day.

It's also important that you—and your team members—understand the behavior of lost dogs and cats and can respond appropriately to them to ensure the best chance for finding and securing an escaped pet.

PSI offers the following mini-courses about preventing pet escapes and lost pet behavior:

Mini-Course: Preventing Pet Escapes—A Guide for Professional Pet Sitters

Mini-Course: Lost Dog Behavior

Mini-Course: Lost Cat Behavior

These courses are included with a PETSIT PRO subscription, but can also be purshased separately. PSI members, remember to use your discount code!