A Pet Care App Is Easy. So Why Hire a Professional Pet Care Company Instead?

There’s a reason pet care apps are popular. You can open your phone, scroll through profiles, find someone nearby and send a request. When you need pet care, especially at the last minute, that kind of convenience can be really appealing.

So why would you choose a professional pet care company that asks you to start with a phone call, complete an onboarding process and meet before your first service?

Sometimes, the easiest way to find someone isn’t necessarily the best way to build the kind of pet care relationship you want to rely on again and again. The professional pet sitter vs. pet care app decision really comes down to what kind of care relationship you’re looking for.

What’s the Difference Between a Pet Care App and a Professional Pet Care Company?

Well, for starters the pet care apps are a marketplace. The big apps may do a background check and all, but that doesn't mean they're insured. The app they use also really does not provide any guarantee of anything. Solo sitters and walkers NEED to be separately insured.

We've all heard plenty of horror stories about the apps, and on the flip side, there are amazing providers on them! That duality exists in many places like: healthcare, beauty (nail/hair salons), etc.

It's been mentioned in another blog post, but even Kim, the owner of The Pet Bestie, is still on some of the apps, because we know not every pet parent wants to work directly with our business. Working directly with The Pet Bestie is, however, where we can provide the full system of care that's been built for you and your pet.. And that's because... (cough cough, that was your cue to keep reading into the next section 😂).

You're Hiring a System, Not JUST Finding a Pet Sitter or Dog Walker

You may be pleasantly surprised to know just how much work has been put into the systems at The Pet Bestie. Like... insurance! Ok? you're thinking... and so? Yeah, I hear you.

We are insured by Business Insurers of the Carolinas which includes:

• Liability coverage: if something in your home is damaged on our watch, we don't just pretend it never happened. We tell you and we carry commercial coverage specifically design for pet care businesses who work inside of clients' homes.

• Key replacement: A lock box is always going to be the best for ensuring accurate and secure exhange of your keys, but if we do happen to lose your key, our insurance policy can cover the cost of a lost key, rekeying locks, or replacing locks and installation when necessary.

• Bonding coverage: You’re inviting us to care for your pet and into your home, that’s no small thing! Our bonding coverage provides financial protection for clients in the event of covered theft of their money or property by an employee of The Pet Bestie. We hope to never ever have to use this, but it’s important coverage for ANY company to have.

• Lost or stolen pets (our worst nightmare): While we never expect a pet to go missing while in our care, we are prepared for if it happens. Our insurance provides specific coverage for lost or stolen pets. It might be something you’ve never even thought to ask if a pet care provider or company had... because who expects THAT to happen? Again, we don’t expect it to happen, but we will be prepared if it does.

• Vet expense coverage: Yep! Our insurance includes coverage for certain vet expenses if your pet is injured while in our care.

• Property damage: Pretty self explanitory, but, if we accidentally damage covered property while caring for your pet, we have coverage specifically designed to respond to that situation rather than leaving you to figure it out alone.

We have an actual onboarding process, there are policies and agreements in place and acknowledged before anything goes wrong, and we now send new clients a welcome packet which includes a page that outlines what we need from you before care begins.

We utilize Time To Pet, which keeps all vital home, pet, emergency and care instructions in one place rather than scattered, which ensures we follow directions you care about.

Speaking of Time To Pet, every single visit has documentation sent directly to you in the form of a report card where we’ll tell you everything you need to know (yes the good and the bad)!

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  The Pet Bestie's welcome packet for new clients

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  The Pet Bestie's new client welcome packet

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  The Pet Bestie welcome packet new clients

Managing pet care with The Pet Bestie means that the care itself isn’t supposed to depend on someone remembering everything. I mean, could you? It means having intentional systems in place that consider you, your pet, and ensure we do exactly what we say we will!

What Happens When the Plan... Doesn't Go To Plan??

While systems may handle what can be anticipated, judgement handles what can't. While we do try to be prepared and anticipate as much as possible, well, we're only human, and we do work with animals after all.

One thing about pet care is there’s always something new to learn and adapt to. It’s really important to continue to be open to education and new ways of learning about animals. Our Fear Free certification is one we got this year! And it’s one we’re proud of.

Being Fear Free Certified means that we are equipped with a science-based understanding of animal body language, behavior, enrichment, training basics, dog walking, and even administering medications in ways that help reduce fear, anxiety and stress.

Being Fear Free Certified also means that we place an enormous value on making sure cooperative care is involved. That means that we aim to ensure your animal is a willing, active participant in their care: from the walk we take, the medications we may provide, or even just petting them! It’s what can make or break the relationship with your pets and us as the providers.

So being Fear Free Certified as it relates to things not going to plan means that we have tools in our back pocket to utilize when your dog plants themselves in the middle of the sidewalk and refuses to walk further. Or, it might mean we employ Fear Free tactics in trying to entice your cat to learn to be at least willing to take their medication (so long as Churu is involved, for example).

When things don't go to plan, it also means we have well thought out systems in place like:

• Extreme weather policy: if it's too hot or too cold, we adjust and shift the visit (mostly for dogs) to ensure their safety and ours.

• Emergency vet policies and your preferred vet's info on file so that should something happen, we know exactly what to do and follow a protocol.

• Prompt and direct communication: if we see something unusual and out of the ordinary, we'll mention it to you in the Time to Pet report card, or call you if it's an emergency. You will not be left wondering how things went, and continuity of communication revolves around the detailed instructions you leave in Time to Pet, ad well as us reporting to you what happens during each visit and walk.

• Backup & access planning: if something prevents care from happening as expected, we have procedures around access, scheduling, and emergencies rather than figuring it out from scratch in the moment.

Consistency Is What Changes The Quality of Pet Care

Cali the cat

Seeing the same animal, whether that be weekly or while your'e on vacation year after year, it means we get to know and understand what their baseline is. We'll know that they aren't feeling like themselves or greeting us how they normally do. There's some kitty clients we have who always greet us by getting up on a credenza and poking their head briefly outside of the door as we enter (see photo evidence, lol). But if Cali (the cat) weren't to do that one day, we would most definitely be worried.

Basically, we recognize when something is "off" or different, we TELL you about it, and we partner together to reach the best solution for your pet and for you.

Yes, Professional Pet Care May Cost More

Apps may make it easy to compare individual providers and prices, but a professional company may cost more because the price has to support the infrastructure. And cheaper isn't inherently bad. Some people genuinely just need a person for occasional care and an app may serve them perfectly well.

But someone looking for an ongoing relationship, continuity, established processes, insurance, education, documentation, etc. is purchasing something different. They're buying something that's priceless: peace of mind, and assurance. Not to mention a new set of besties for your pet!

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  a multi-colored cat with green eyes during a drop in visit with the pet bestie in menlo park ca

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  bella the pitbull relaxed and sitting on a recurring weekly walk with the pet bestie

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  a churu treat spread out on a plate for a cat during a drop in visit with the pet bestie

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  Eloise the dog jumping in the air to play during a visit in redwood city

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  Tofu the cat sitting in a fuzzy bed during a visit with the pet bestie in san carlos

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  Arnold the dog on a sunset walk in redwood shores with the pet bestie

Professional Pet Sitter vs. Pet Care App: Which Is Right for You?

Apps are convenient and there are excellent individual providers on them. If you're looking for an ongoing care relationship with established systems, documented information, professional protections, consistent standards, etc., that's where a professional company becomes meaningfully different.

Looking for Professional Dog Walking or Pet Sitting in Redwood City?

Look no further! If you'd like to explore what professional pet care looks like, book a call here. We'd love to learn more about you, your pet, and show you what good pet care looks like.