Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Do you offer full-time traditional employment?
A. No. This is not traditional employment, but an independent contractor position. While there are set mid-day dog walking routes (Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.), assignments are also offered on an as-needed basis, and pet sitting assignments are usually available. Contractors are paid on a “per-visit” basis. Please do not apply if you’re looking for traditional employment or full-time hours.
Q. Should I apply if I already have a full-time job?
A. This is not the type of job that you will be able to do if you already have a full-time job. Mid-day walks are scheduled for every weekday between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Q. How much of a time commitment will I need to make?
A. Our clients and their pets bond very closely with their pet caregivers. If you wish to be a mid-day dog walker, we ask that you commit to working every weekday during the core hours stated above, which is typically a four-hour daily commitment.
Q. What if I have school or other appointments during the day?
A. We ask that if you commit to a regular weekday dog-walking route, you honor your commitment by scheduling appointments and classes outside dog-walking hours.
Q. What if I need to take time off?
A. We hire contractors for specific set routes and do not have extra people on hand to provide coverage when someone takes time off. Because of this, we encourage contractors that have set weekday dog-walking routes to schedule appointments for outside the dog walking day (before 10 a.m. or after 2 p.m.). If that isn’t possible, we ask that contractors provide as much notice as possible to allow us to arrange coverage. It is your responsibility to communicate your availability to the office so that we can mark you off. When you are marked off, the scheduling system will not allow us to put any assignments on your schedule.
Q. What do I need to be able to do this job?
A. In addition to a reliable vehicle, smartphone and daily access to the internet, you will also be responsible for providing your own dog waste bags. We suggest you carry a towel for wet paws, paper towels for unforeseen messes, and have good waterproof gear. You will be provided with keys and access codes where appropriate, but those items remain the property of Sierra Stroll Pet Care, Inc. You will also be granted a secure login for our web-based schedule, which you can access from your smartphone.
Q. How much driving will I be doing?
A. We try to schedule assignments as close to home as possible for our team members.
Q. How will I know what pets to visit and when?
A. All scheduling is done using a web-based scheduling system that contractors access using a secure login. All pet care and house information is available to every contractor for animals assigned to them. All visits are listed on the smartphone app along with the owners’ requested time windows, and contractors mark in and out of each visit right from their phones.
Q. How long are dog walking and pet sitting visits?
A. Dog walking visits are between 20 and 30 minutes in length. We encourage you to spend more time whenever possible, particularly for pet sitting visits, which are always a minimum of 30 minutes in duration. Your time management skills will be very important!
Q. What about inclement weather – rain, snow, etc.?
A. Regularly-scheduled mid-day dog walks are performed in all kinds of weather. In heavy rain, icy conditions or extremely hot temperatures, we take dogs out long enough to do their business and return them to their homes, spending the remainder of the visit time indoors. Contractors can spend this indoor time brushing, drying off, or playing with the dogs, and we also encourage photographing of the pets to share with owners on social media. We follow the Federal Government for service suspension in snowy conditions, so when the Federal Government is closed, we do not perform any mid-day dog walks. HOWEVER, pet sitting visits go on as scheduled regardless of the weather as long as the pet sitter can safely reach the client’s home.
Q. Can I bring anyone with me when I visit the animals?
A. Because of bonding restrictions and our clients’ expectations of security and trust, no one other than the dog walker/pet sitter is to enter any client homes.
Q. Will I receive a steady paycheck?
A. As an Independent Contractor, you will be paid on a “per visit” basis. If you commit to a weekday dog-walking route, you will have a fairly set schedule and your pay will therefore also be rather consistent. Keep in mind that in the business of living things, schedules do change – owners stay home, major holidays suspend regular walks, and we follow the Federal Government for inclement weather service suspensions.
Q. How much money will I make?
A. Because you are paid for each visit you successfully complete, your pay will depend on how much work you perform. Contractors are paid 50% of what our clients pay for service, plus holiday fees and any gratuities they may earn. Cash tips go directly to the contractor, and gratuities added by clients to their checks will be applied to contractors’ payment checks.
Q. Will I receive benefits such as healthcare, sick and vacation pay, or pension?
A. Our pet caregivers are independent contractors, not employees, so they do not receive fringe benefits of any kind. As an independent contractor, you control your income as you are paid for each visit you successfully complete.
Q. How often will I be paid?
A. Contractors are paid every week.
Q. Will taxes be deducted from my checks?
A. No. Independent contractors are responsible for their own taxes, and will receive a Form 1099 at the end of each calendar year.
Q. Will I have to work on holidays?
A. Sierra Stroll Pet Care suspends all regularly-scheduled mid-day walks on six major holidays – Christmas Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and New Year’s Day. We always have holiday pet sitting assignments available for the summer and winter holidays, and any visits performed on those days carry an additional $10 holiday fee charged to the client on top of the normal pet sitting rate. We pay our pet sitters 100% of holiday fees.
Q. What is pet sitting and how does it work?
A. Pet sitting consists of visits performed several times per day in the client home, according to the clients’ needs. We space daily visits as evenly as possible for the well-being of the pets. We typically visit dogs three times each day, and visits include walking, feeding, any medication administration required, and bringing in mail, packages, etc. We cycle interior lights, and we also take out the trash on the last visit of the service. During pet sitting assignments, our contractors supply the only companionship pets will receive while their owners are away, so visits are always a minimum of 30 minutes in length.
Q. How many assignments can I accept?
A. You will have the flexibility to take on as many assignments as you would like and can comfortably handle. Schedules vary from day to day and week to week depending on the needs of our clients. At any given time, you may be handling from only one assignment up to multiple assignments per day. When requesting pet sitting assignments, please take into consideration any previous commitments you have, as our clients prefer assignments to be handled by one pet caregiver from start to finish.
Q. What will I be provided in order to do the work?
A. You will be provided with keys and other necessary access for each assignment. You will also be given Pet Care Journals and access to our scheduling system. These remain the property of Sierra Stroll Pet Care, Inc. and you will be required to return them to the company when requested, and of course, surrender them if and when your contract with Sierra Stroll Pet Care ends. We suggest you keep good all-weather gear on hand, as well as extra pens, an extra leash, and any other items that may make your role more effective.
Have questions not answered here? Email us.