Pet Sitter/Dog Walker

Linda’s Critter Sitters, LLC ~ Job Description

In-Your-Home Pet Sitting & Dog Walking www.lindascrittersittersllc.com

JOB TITLE: Pet Sitter

OVERVIEW

• Must be at least 18years of age.
• Must be available to work at least 2 weekends per month
• Must have experience caring for animals. This can include providing food and water, dog walking, scooping litter, brushing and possibly administering medication.
• Able to access e-mail at least twice daily and should be proficient with texting.
• Able to stay current with any emails sent from our office - ex: reading all emails/responding quickly.
• Required to have a Smartphone.
• Must be professional, courteous, communicative, and have a positive demeanor.
• Must have daily access to the Internet and know how to navigate the web.
• Must have a high level of customer service.
• Must be able to handle stressful situations with a calm, assertive demeanor.
• Must have proper grammar, and good spelling.
• Must be able to concisely express themselves.
• Dog walkers should be able to walk 2 dogs at once.
• Must have experience with a variety of animal ages ranging from babies to geriatrics.
• Must abide by our Employee Handbook at all times.
• Are required to attend occasional staff meetings.
• Are required to, at times, pick up and drop off keys and supplies to the office in Glastonbury.
• Are required to meet with clients, with a manager, when necessary.
• Must have a strong ability to follow written instructions, be self-motivated, self manage.
• Must be friendly, confident, and comfortable with meeting new clients and answering questions.
• Must maintain a proactive, meticulous approach to caring for client’s homes and pets.
• Must have a willingness to take direction and develop their skills accordingly.
• Must possess strong attention to detail.
• Must have reliable transportation that can accommodate extreme weather and high gas prices.
• Must have the ability to walk and drive in inclement weather and heat.
• Must be flexible and able to handle change with ease.

Job Description: Pet Sitters/dog walkers provide a wide range of services for owners of a variety of animals which could include dogs, cats, birds, hobby farm animals, and poultry. It's the perfect part-time position for someone looking to supplement their current income.

Sitters may be required to feed, medicate, and give water to animals under their care while keeping their quarters and bowls clean. They are expected to pick up after any animal they care for (i.e. litter box cleaning, pooper scooping, and accidents). They are required to watch the animals closely to ensure they are in good health and are required to exercise animals which may include high-energy dog walks. They are required to write about the animals' health, feedings, behaviors, and medications which they will articulate in notes that are sent to the client. They must be detail-oriented, problem-solving individuals who can easily follow written instructions and who can express themselves in clearly.

We are looking for sitters who are interested in working as pet care professionals. They must be highly motivated and able to self-manage. They must be focused, cheerful, positive, enthusiastic, and have a genuine passion for the care of animals. They must have a very high level of customer service. They must act responsibly while being patient and tolerant when administering care. Since our sitters work in private homes, discretion and respect for the privacy of others are required. Sitters must conduct themselves in a professional manner, have proper grammar, good spelling, and must be flexible.

Sitters must maintain emotional control during stressful situations, which may involve aggressive or sick animals, last-minute schedule changes, changes in care instructions, extreme weather, emergencies, etc. Certain visits may require frequent standing, brisk walking, lifting animals, and potentially dealing with dogs that jump up and have poor manners. Energy, good physical health, strength, animal sense, and stamina are a must. All employees are required to pass a reference and criminal background check and have a valid driver's license as well as a Smartphone. Also, must have a reliable vehicle.

Sitters are also responsible for bringing in client's mail/newspaper/packages, watering house plants, adjusting lights, and taking out the trash while ensuring the client's home is secure and maintained until their return. Must be able to arm and disarm security systems.

Sitters must have a working knowledge of the internet, be comfortable learning new software programs and be able to access and respond to emails at least twice a day (once in the morning and again in the evening), have a Facebook account, and be extremely responsive.

All Employees are required to sign a non-competition agreement.

TIME BLOCKS

Linda’s Critter Sitters is accepting applications for the following time blocks. For any time block a sitter selects on their application, they must be available for that entire block.

Monday thru Friday Mornings (7-10 am) and/or Evenings (4-9pm)

Must be able to work 7 AM to 9 PM two weekends per month

Overnights in the client’s home (8/9 p.m. - 7/8 a.m.)

SERVICE AREAS

Sitters are asked to select one or more primary service area(s) when they come on board with us. We currently serve the following service areas:

Glastonbury and South Glastonbury.

COMPENSATION

Sitters are hired as employees and retain 50% of the billed visit/walk including cancellation fees, and additional pet fees. Sitters also retain 100% of any billed holiday fees and 100% of any tips left for them. In cases where appointments are split between multiple sitters, tips will be split accordingly unless otherwise directed by the client. Training visits/walks are paid at 25% of billed walk/visit. Sitters are compensated for client meetings and sitter introductions, at minimum wage. Overnight visits are compensated at 60% of billed visit. Staff meetings are compensated at a minimum wage, per occurrence. An annual bonus is paid out as well, based on performance and salary for employees who are with us for over one year.

Sitters are paid by direct deposit for visits/walks they have completed every week.

Current prices can be found at: lindascrittersittersllc.com/our-services

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands and work environment described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

Work will routinely require the employee to bend, stoop, kneel, and/or crouch. Employees may experience minor infections and exposure to communicable diseases or infectious bacteria. Sitters may experience physical injuries from bites and scratches by dogs, cats, or other types of pets.

In addition to personalized care, employees are often asked to perform light housekeeping tasks including sweeping in a client's home, washing pet dishes or vacuuming/sweeping around litter boxes. The employee is also required to work in outside weather conditions, including wet, ice, snow, wind, cold, hot, and/or humid conditions.

Sitters may be required to walk at a moderate pace with dogs that may pull.

PETTECH® CPR AND FIRST AID CLASS (Instructor, Jack Liversidge)

Sitter will be required to attend a PETTECH® class and will be compensated.

Please submit a cover letter detailing what makes you a viable candidate for this position.

Job Type: Part-time

Pay: $16.00 - $24.00 per hour

Expected hours: No more than 20 per week

Benefits:

• Flexible schedule
• Paid training

Compensation package:

• Paid per project
• Tips

Schedule:

• Evening shift
• Holidays
• Monday to Friday
• Weekends as needed

Application Question(s):

• Tell us a little bit about your experience with pets.
• Can you work at Least two weekends per month?
• Do you live in Glastonbury or South Glastonbury?

We will only consider applicans from these towns.

License/Certification:

• Driver's License and Reliable Vehicle (Required)

Shift availability:

• Night Shift (Required)

Work Location: In person