FAQ | A Friend 4 Paws

Features & Benefits

24/7 Personal Support

Every client is provided with the personal contact information for our founder. Should you not be able to reach your sitter for any reason, you are encouraged to call or text her in case of emergency and she will see to handling the issue personally.

Fully Insured

We provide all of our sitters with full pet sitter insurance coverage. Any damages, injuries, loss, or other issues that can occur on the job will be covered at no cost to you. Hopefully you won't need it, but it's here just in case for that extra peace of mind!

Enhanced Home Safety

We value safety above all else, which is why we have instituted our strict sitter background check. With our overnight service, you can ensure an extra level of safety as we will not only care for your pets, but the safety of your home, mail, and packages as well!

Daily Updates

We know how hard it is to be away from your pets! To help keep you connected, our sitters will provide you with a daily update including either a photo or video of your pet to ensure you know they are safe and looking forward to your return home!

Pet Routine Maintenance

In order to keep your pet as comfortable as possible during our stay and to avoid any interruptions to your regular routine, our sitters commit to providing your pets with the same sleep, diet, and exercise schedule that is usually in place when you're home.

House Care

As an added bonus, not only will we ensure the safety of your pets and home, we will also bring in your mail/packages, take our your trash, water your plants, and of course clean up after your pets so everything is in order when you arrive home!

Meet-and-Greet

Before you book a stay with us, you will have the opportunity to speak with both the company founder and your sitter over the phone and/or video call and will also be provided with an in-person meeting with your sitter at no extra cost to you!

Discounts & Rewards

Our priority is taking care of our clients as if they are family! We generously offer discounts and rewards such as every new client gets 15% off their first booking, 5% off stays of 5 nights or more, and a 5% off reward for leaving us a review or referring a new client!

What services do you offer?

We offer Overnight In-Home Pet Sitting, Drop-by Visits, Extended Daytime Pet Sitting, Private Walks, and House Sitting. Our packages include a combination of our services that we feel will maximize your pet's care while you're away and provide you with the most peace of mind. Our most popular booking is our Standard Overnight Package which includes a 10hr Overnight + 2 Drop-in Visits for 12 hours of total coverage. View our services or book online here.
What duties do you cover at our home during the booking?

When we stay overnight and even drop-in, we will provide feeding, fresh water, pet waste clean-up, and playtime for your pet as well as additional duties as requested such as plant watering, bringing in mail/packages, and taking out/bringing in trash cans. You can always speak with us if you have any added requests and we will see what we can do for you!
How often will my sitter update me about their stay?

Daily! Even a couple times a day if requested. We are committed to your peace of mind and therefore always send a daily update with a photo of how your pets are doing! We are always accessible to you if you want to reach out for additional updates as well and most sitters will even provide multiple photos a day, some videos, and cute behavioral updates for you to enjoy. Most of our clients prefer these updates via text message, however if you prefer e-mail updates you can request those with your sitter.
How does the Meet-and-Greet work?

Your first Meet-and-Greet as a new client will be a phone and/or video call with our founder. She will ask you about your pets, their needs, your expectations, answer all of your questions, and get to know you before matching you with a sitter. Next, you will be able to schedule an in-person meeting with your sitter in your home where they will meet you, your pets, and get all the details necessary for their stay or visits. Both of these initial Meet-and-Greets are absolutely free of charge for clients within our covered locations radius. If you wish to schedule an additional Meet-and-Greet with your usual sitter as a returning client to go over any changes, arrange for a key pick-up, etc., there may be a small fee for your sitter's time and travel; however, if you'll be booking with a sitter that is new to you, no cost will apply.
How do you retrieve, store, or return my house key?

There are a few options for this! You are never required to store your keys with us as your comfort is the most important thing. We do have a key lockbox to store a copy of our client's keys so the sitter can pick them up from our founder before their stay for you, otherwise, you can choose from one of two other options. You can arrange an in-person key pick-up and drop-off with your sitter for $10 each or provide us with a safe storage option such as a lockbox to store your keys outside of your home allowing us to access them when we arrive and to put them back when we leave.
If my pet needs to go to the vet, will you take them?

Of course! The health and happiness of your pets is our top priority! If your pet gets sick while you're away, has an ongoing issue, or for any other reason, we will drive your pet to the vet and make sure they get the care and attention they need! We suggest leaving an emergency credit card behind or having one on file with your vet, but if not, we will cover the medical expenses (with your approval) and accept reimbursement after the fact.
How many dogs can you walk at once?

We only offer private walks, so your dog or dogs will not be walked with dogs from any other household. We feel this provides better safety and attention to your pets, which is a top priority for us! Each sitter has their own preference based on what they can handle at once. When you get matched with a sitter, you will speak with them directly about your needs and make sure they can cover everything as needed!
Do you accept last minute bookings?

We prefer to accept our bookings at least a week in advance and ask that our clients do try to schedule our stays as early as possible to ensure our availability. In some special cases and emergencies, we may be able to make an exception as long as we have a sitter available to cover you.
What is your refund and cancellation policy?

We will provide our clients with a full refund for any cancellation at least 14 days in advance of the stay, a half refund for cancellations at least 7 days in advance, and no refund for cancellations less than a week in advance. There may be some special exceptions to this rule, however we have structured our policy this way to give our sitters adequate time to find another job or be compensated fairly for blocking of the time in their schedule to be available for each booking.
What happens if my sitter has a personal emergency?

The great thing about working with us is that all of our sitters are trained, insured, and background checked consistently! Should there be a personal emergency and your sitter needs to leave for any reason or can't make their appointment last minute, we have other reliable sitters to call on who can back them up, including our founder herself! We also require you leave us with the information of an emergency contact just in case we should need it.
Is it safe to have a 'stranger' in my home?

Safety is our biggest priority when it comes to caring for your pets and your home! This is why we make sure to background check, insure, and train all of our sitters as well as offer a meet-and-greet with both our founder and your sitter at no cost to you! When you work with A Friend 4 Paws, you become part of the family and you can be assured that you and your pets will be treated as such.
Are your sitters insured and why is this important?

Our pet sitters are fully insured for liability covering you, your pets, your home, and our sitters in case of any damages, losses, or issues that may come up during your booking. We highly recommend whether you choose to work with us or not that you choose a sitter with insurance coverage.
Will the same pet sitter be staying in my home for the duration of the booking?

In most cases, yes! We hope to give you the opportunity to cultivate a strong relationship with your sitter and we know how much peace of mind it brings to have your regular sitter stay in your home for the full duration you are away. However, should there be a case of a personal emergency or scheduling conflict, we would arrange with you to have another one of our trained sitters cover the portion of the booking your regular sitters cannot. If you would like to prepare for this ahead of time, we would be happy to discuss with you meeting more than one of our sitters so you can also secure a regular backup sitter option to utilize when needed and possible.
Do you have any experience with rare or exotic pets?

Each sitter will have their own preferences and experience with different pets! While we mostly work with dogs and cats, we also have sitters who will work with rabbits, lizards, turtles, birds, etc. Feel free to reach out and ask us if you are unsure! There's a first time for everything, even if we've never sat for your type of pet before, we love animals and are open to meeting with you to see if we can meet your needs!

"Your Pet's Second-Best Friend"