Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Are you insured, bonded and licensed?
We are city licensed and insured and bonded through Pet Sitters Associates (Member #50835). We are happy to provide proof upon request.
Please pay close attention to the 'Broadened Coverage," as you chose a pet care provider. It is required that we carry liability at a minimum, Pet Day Care insurance is required anytime a pet stays in a sitters home (even one pet, even for one day), and broadened property damage means we are 'bonded' too. Our employees are also covered under our policy.
We are city licensed and insured and bonded through Pet Sitters Associates (Member #50835). We are happy to provide proof upon request.
Please pay close attention to the 'Broadened Coverage," as you chose a pet care provider. It is required that we carry liability at a minimum, Pet Day Care insurance is required anytime a pet stays in a sitters home (even one pet, even for one day), and broadened property damage means we are 'bonded' too. Our employees are also covered under our policy.
How do I set up a Meet & Greet with PGP?
Setting up a meet & greet is as easy as 1, 2, 3!
1) Contact us via text, email, phone or online (see the contact us page right here on our website with you name, email address, and a note telling us what kind of service you need.
2) We'll email you a link to complete your new client profile, Once your profile is complete ...
3) We'll schedule a time to meet in person at a complimentary meet & greet so we can meet your fur babies and learn all about their routine! Additional meet & greets due to no-shows or same day cancellations are scheduled at our regular visit rates. ALL IN PERSON MEETINGS FOLLOWING THE MEET & GREET ARE CONSIDERED UPDATES ABOUT CARE AND ARE CHARGED AT OUR PET SIT VISIT RATE (NO EXCEPTIONS). IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO UPDATE CARE AT NO CHARGE, you can do that at anytime online on your client profile or via email.
What happens at a Meet & Greet and how much does it cost?
The meet & greet is scheduled after your profile is completed (the profile allows us to know that we're able to provide service to your address and your animals). The initial meet & greet is complimentary and it's an opportunity for us to meet each other and your pets - for you to feel comfortable with the way we interact with them (and you). Additional meet & greets due to no-shows or same day cancellations are scheduled at our regular visit rates.
You'll show us the location of food, treats, medication, leashes, carriers, etcetera and go over your pets specific routine and quirks. If we're the perfect fit for you and pets, then we also pick up two (2) sets of house keys and go over alarm systems, identify surveillance cameras, water shut off valves to your home and breaker boxes in the event electricity goes out.
What are your business hours? While we may work 365 days a year from early morning to late night, our "office hours" are from 9 AM to 5 PM Monday through Friday. All non-emergency voice mails, texts, and emails will be returned within one business day. We prefer text messaging so we can respond when we are not with our four legged clients. If you do not hear back from us, chances are we did not receive your message (we're very, very good about returning messages) so please contact us again.
How is billing handled? Can I tip my pet sitter?
We provide simple invoicing through PayPal, click and pay with most major credit cards (including AmEx). Payment by CHECK must be received two days prior to scheduled care, overnights are always invoiced and due at time of reservation. Tipping is never expected and is always greatly appreciated. You are free to leave cash tips for your dog walker or pet sitter; for clarity it's best to leave a little note indicating the cash is a tip. You may also submit a tip by clicking through on your invoice link to paypal and entering the amount of your tip with a note stating it's a tip for your pet care associate.
We bill through Paypal, which helps us with accurately reporting revenue and paying our quarterly taxes to the IRS. Playing by the rules is important to us as a business, and we bring that integrity to you as a client and to our employees. Additionally, we use a professional payroll service that helps us navigate the complexities of state and federal taxes and requirements such as Workman's Compensation insurance (which we carry for all our employees), FICA and other payroll taxes.
How do I know when you've visited my cat?
We communicate everything on web based interfaces. When we visit your pet, we 1) post photos on Instagram and/or Facebook 2) Update our online client management system with a completed visit and leave notes about your pets visit. The easiest way to contact us during our daily visit times is by sending us a text and we'll respond when we're in between or finished caring for our fur clients. You should follow us on Instagram and/or Facebook at pridey girl petcare to see updates as we post them. You may log into your profile at anytime to view notes and request visits.
What is your cancellation & refund policy?
In order to take excellent care of our clients we are there for you, by reservation, every day of the year. Most holiday weekend reservations are full and closed about two weeks prior to the holiday (sometimes sooner). If you're planning a vacation or travel for work, please let us know when you do, planning ahead will give you peace of mind.
Details are below.
a) "Non Holiday" pet sit visit and/or dog walk visits - cancellations require 24 hours notice and must be made via email. Client agrees to provide at least 24 hours' notice in order to receive a credit and/or refund to his/her account.
b) "Overnight & Round the Clock Care" CANCELLATION POLICY -
Unlike pet sit visits, overnights are scheduled and reserved exclusively for you. We forgo any family plans or dates with friends and turn away requests for other overnights once the dates are reserved for you, thus we have a stricter cancellation policy for these reservations.
· 14+ Days - No charge, refund in full
· 7-14 Days - 25% of total is due (75% refund)
· 3-6 Days - 50% of total is due (50% refund)
· 48 Hrs or less - 100% of total is due (no credits, no refunds)
Cancellations that include major holidays (as listed on our website) require 14 (fourteen) days notice for credit or refund, no credit or refunds will be given for reservations for holidays with less than 14 (fourteen) days notice.
c) "Holiday" Cancellation & Refund Policy - Cancellations that include major holidays (New Years Day, Easter, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Years Eve) require 14 (fourteen) days notice for credit or refund, no credit or refunds will be given for reservations for holidays with less than 14 (fourteen) days notice.
We postpone our own family celebration when we book reservations on major holidays. Because of this, we have a strict 'no refund,' 'no credit' policy for any reservations that include a major holiday that are cancelled with less than 14 days notice. For overnight care reservations, we reserve our personal time in the evenings in order to be there for your pets; often times we will turn down other overnight jobs, too. For these reasons, overnight reservations have a separate cancellation as policy, requiring more notice to cancel and receive a full refund.
How do you handle pet related emergencies?
We are pet first aid certified, which means we have the basic skills to triage your pet in the event of an emergency while we transport them to a doctor. Our first choice is to use your personal veterinarian, however, in a life threatening emergency, or if your Vet is unable to see your pet immediately or is closed, we will use Pet Emergency & Specialty Center on Jackson Drive in La Mesa OR the closest available emergency veterinary hospital so your pet can be stabilized and receive immediate treatment. We will always try to contact you immediately so that you are able to make treatment decisions with emergency personnel or doctor.
Why do you recommend daily visits? My cat doesn't even like strangers.
Based on industry standards, we created a once daily visit recommendation to ensure that your cats and home are safe while under our care.
Some of the things that can go wrong in a day without a visit include: burst water pipes, break ins, cats getting trapped in A/C ducts, cats becoming critically ill overnight, pets getting trapped in bathrooms with no litter box or water, water bowls spilling over and animals going without water for over 12 hours. (These are all actual events that have happened to pet sitters!)
Do you provide service to my address?
We serve the following areas (be mindful of our geographic borders):
91942 & 91941 - La Mesa (West of 125)
92119 - Lake Murray Area
92120 - Del Cerro
92115 - Rolando, College, College Estates
92116 - Kensington (East of 1-15)
Some areas in the zip codes listed are not included in our service area. We can let you know right away by looking up your home address whether your location is include in our area.
As a Client, how is my information and schedule managed?
We use a web based client management software program called Leashtime. Our system allows you to request schedules, cancellations, and changes form anywhere in the world. Of course, you can always text or email schedule requests directly to us, too, if that's more convenient.
Our system means that we have your pet and home information at our finger tips even in emergency situations when you call for last minute service! Your pet will get their personalized care every time!
What are your guidelines for Overnights in my home?
Care of our Client Homes is a priority; we treat your home and property with respect during all of our assignments. We are discreet and professional, we are in your home as service providers not 'house guests.' Below are our standards of care for your home for Pridey Petcare employees:
· Please be respectful in our client homes. We're there as a service provider (not as house guests).
· Basically our philosophy is to 'pack in and pack out,' of our client homes when we have overnight assignments.
o We bring our own towels (or shower at home first), make the bed, in areas we use we vacuum or sweep and wipe counters. We clean food bowls, take out inside trash, replace trash bags, and wash and put away any dishes we use on our last day,
· Bring our own food & beverage for all assignments.
· Be sure all doors are locked and alarms engaged every time we leave the home
· No overnight guests are permitted on overnight assignments. NO smoking or drinking alcohol during assignments.
Why should I hire a professional pet sitter?
More and more pet owners are using the services of professional pet sitters to take advantage of the benefits in-home pet care provides:
• Cats experience less stress at home, following their own daily routines.
• Diet and exercise routines are uninterrupted.
• Travel trauma for owner is relieved.
• Pet's exposure to illness is minimized.
• Untrained or unwilling friends/family/neighbors need not be called. No more imposing!
• In-home professional pet care provides added peace of mind.
• Professional pet sitters are insured, bonded and can deal with other (unexpected) issues - such as emergencies, picking up supplies or transporting your pet as needed.
• Your home is more secure: Mail and packages are brought in, trash/recycle taken to curb and back in, lights and blinds rotated, home is checked each day so if a pipe bursts or another emergency occurs, it can be handled in a timely manner.
Not all pet sitters are created equal, nor are they all professional. In hiring a pet sitter, it is important to make sure you have chosen the right person to care for your beloved animal. Are they a good personality fit? Do you like their communication style (are you a texter and they only like phone calls or vice versa)? Who actually provides service to your pet and home, does the sitter sub-contract to others? At Pridey Girl Petcare, husband and wife team Ty and Christine do 98% of all visits and have two trusted, mature employees who handle the business during family vacations or emergencies (you know and trust who is in your home).
Setting up a meet & greet is as easy as 1, 2, 3!
1) Contact us via text, email, phone or online (see the contact us page right here on our website with you name, email address, and a note telling us what kind of service you need.
2) We'll email you a link to complete your new client profile, Once your profile is complete ...
3) We'll schedule a time to meet in person at a complimentary meet & greet so we can meet your fur babies and learn all about their routine! Additional meet & greets due to no-shows or same day cancellations are scheduled at our regular visit rates. ALL IN PERSON MEETINGS FOLLOWING THE MEET & GREET ARE CONSIDERED UPDATES ABOUT CARE AND ARE CHARGED AT OUR PET SIT VISIT RATE (NO EXCEPTIONS). IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO UPDATE CARE AT NO CHARGE, you can do that at anytime online on your client profile or via email.
What happens at a Meet & Greet and how much does it cost?
The meet & greet is scheduled after your profile is completed (the profile allows us to know that we're able to provide service to your address and your animals). The initial meet & greet is complimentary and it's an opportunity for us to meet each other and your pets - for you to feel comfortable with the way we interact with them (and you). Additional meet & greets due to no-shows or same day cancellations are scheduled at our regular visit rates.
You'll show us the location of food, treats, medication, leashes, carriers, etcetera and go over your pets specific routine and quirks. If we're the perfect fit for you and pets, then we also pick up two (2) sets of house keys and go over alarm systems, identify surveillance cameras, water shut off valves to your home and breaker boxes in the event electricity goes out.
What are your business hours? While we may work 365 days a year from early morning to late night, our "office hours" are from 9 AM to 5 PM Monday through Friday. All non-emergency voice mails, texts, and emails will be returned within one business day. We prefer text messaging so we can respond when we are not with our four legged clients. If you do not hear back from us, chances are we did not receive your message (we're very, very good about returning messages) so please contact us again.
How is billing handled? Can I tip my pet sitter?
We provide simple invoicing through PayPal, click and pay with most major credit cards (including AmEx). Payment by CHECK must be received two days prior to scheduled care, overnights are always invoiced and due at time of reservation. Tipping is never expected and is always greatly appreciated. You are free to leave cash tips for your dog walker or pet sitter; for clarity it's best to leave a little note indicating the cash is a tip. You may also submit a tip by clicking through on your invoice link to paypal and entering the amount of your tip with a note stating it's a tip for your pet care associate.
We bill through Paypal, which helps us with accurately reporting revenue and paying our quarterly taxes to the IRS. Playing by the rules is important to us as a business, and we bring that integrity to you as a client and to our employees. Additionally, we use a professional payroll service that helps us navigate the complexities of state and federal taxes and requirements such as Workman's Compensation insurance (which we carry for all our employees), FICA and other payroll taxes.
How do I know when you've visited my cat?
We communicate everything on web based interfaces. When we visit your pet, we 1) post photos on Instagram and/or Facebook 2) Update our online client management system with a completed visit and leave notes about your pets visit. The easiest way to contact us during our daily visit times is by sending us a text and we'll respond when we're in between or finished caring for our fur clients. You should follow us on Instagram and/or Facebook at pridey girl petcare to see updates as we post them. You may log into your profile at anytime to view notes and request visits.
What is your cancellation & refund policy?
In order to take excellent care of our clients we are there for you, by reservation, every day of the year. Most holiday weekend reservations are full and closed about two weeks prior to the holiday (sometimes sooner). If you're planning a vacation or travel for work, please let us know when you do, planning ahead will give you peace of mind.
Details are below.
a) "Non Holiday" pet sit visit and/or dog walk visits - cancellations require 24 hours notice and must be made via email. Client agrees to provide at least 24 hours' notice in order to receive a credit and/or refund to his/her account.
b) "Overnight & Round the Clock Care" CANCELLATION POLICY -
Unlike pet sit visits, overnights are scheduled and reserved exclusively for you. We forgo any family plans or dates with friends and turn away requests for other overnights once the dates are reserved for you, thus we have a stricter cancellation policy for these reservations.
· 14+ Days - No charge, refund in full
· 7-14 Days - 25% of total is due (75% refund)
· 3-6 Days - 50% of total is due (50% refund)
· 48 Hrs or less - 100% of total is due (no credits, no refunds)
Cancellations that include major holidays (as listed on our website) require 14 (fourteen) days notice for credit or refund, no credit or refunds will be given for reservations for holidays with less than 14 (fourteen) days notice.
c) "Holiday" Cancellation & Refund Policy - Cancellations that include major holidays (New Years Day, Easter, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Years Eve) require 14 (fourteen) days notice for credit or refund, no credit or refunds will be given for reservations for holidays with less than 14 (fourteen) days notice.
We postpone our own family celebration when we book reservations on major holidays. Because of this, we have a strict 'no refund,' 'no credit' policy for any reservations that include a major holiday that are cancelled with less than 14 days notice. For overnight care reservations, we reserve our personal time in the evenings in order to be there for your pets; often times we will turn down other overnight jobs, too. For these reasons, overnight reservations have a separate cancellation as policy, requiring more notice to cancel and receive a full refund.
How do you handle pet related emergencies?
We are pet first aid certified, which means we have the basic skills to triage your pet in the event of an emergency while we transport them to a doctor. Our first choice is to use your personal veterinarian, however, in a life threatening emergency, or if your Vet is unable to see your pet immediately or is closed, we will use Pet Emergency & Specialty Center on Jackson Drive in La Mesa OR the closest available emergency veterinary hospital so your pet can be stabilized and receive immediate treatment. We will always try to contact you immediately so that you are able to make treatment decisions with emergency personnel or doctor.
Why do you recommend daily visits? My cat doesn't even like strangers.
Based on industry standards, we created a once daily visit recommendation to ensure that your cats and home are safe while under our care.
Some of the things that can go wrong in a day without a visit include: burst water pipes, break ins, cats getting trapped in A/C ducts, cats becoming critically ill overnight, pets getting trapped in bathrooms with no litter box or water, water bowls spilling over and animals going without water for over 12 hours. (These are all actual events that have happened to pet sitters!)
Do you provide service to my address?
We serve the following areas (be mindful of our geographic borders):
91942 & 91941 - La Mesa (West of 125)
92119 - Lake Murray Area
92120 - Del Cerro
92115 - Rolando, College, College Estates
92116 - Kensington (East of 1-15)
Some areas in the zip codes listed are not included in our service area. We can let you know right away by looking up your home address whether your location is include in our area.
As a Client, how is my information and schedule managed?
We use a web based client management software program called Leashtime. Our system allows you to request schedules, cancellations, and changes form anywhere in the world. Of course, you can always text or email schedule requests directly to us, too, if that's more convenient.
Our system means that we have your pet and home information at our finger tips even in emergency situations when you call for last minute service! Your pet will get their personalized care every time!
What are your guidelines for Overnights in my home?
Care of our Client Homes is a priority; we treat your home and property with respect during all of our assignments. We are discreet and professional, we are in your home as service providers not 'house guests.' Below are our standards of care for your home for Pridey Petcare employees:
· Please be respectful in our client homes. We're there as a service provider (not as house guests).
· Basically our philosophy is to 'pack in and pack out,' of our client homes when we have overnight assignments.
o We bring our own towels (or shower at home first), make the bed, in areas we use we vacuum or sweep and wipe counters. We clean food bowls, take out inside trash, replace trash bags, and wash and put away any dishes we use on our last day,
· Bring our own food & beverage for all assignments.
· Be sure all doors are locked and alarms engaged every time we leave the home
· No overnight guests are permitted on overnight assignments. NO smoking or drinking alcohol during assignments.
Why should I hire a professional pet sitter?
More and more pet owners are using the services of professional pet sitters to take advantage of the benefits in-home pet care provides:
• Cats experience less stress at home, following their own daily routines.
• Diet and exercise routines are uninterrupted.
• Travel trauma for owner is relieved.
• Pet's exposure to illness is minimized.
• Untrained or unwilling friends/family/neighbors need not be called. No more imposing!
• In-home professional pet care provides added peace of mind.
• Professional pet sitters are insured, bonded and can deal with other (unexpected) issues - such as emergencies, picking up supplies or transporting your pet as needed.
• Your home is more secure: Mail and packages are brought in, trash/recycle taken to curb and back in, lights and blinds rotated, home is checked each day so if a pipe bursts or another emergency occurs, it can be handled in a timely manner.
Not all pet sitters are created equal, nor are they all professional. In hiring a pet sitter, it is important to make sure you have chosen the right person to care for your beloved animal. Are they a good personality fit? Do you like their communication style (are you a texter and they only like phone calls or vice versa)? Who actually provides service to your pet and home, does the sitter sub-contract to others? At Pridey Girl Petcare, husband and wife team Ty and Christine do 98% of all visits and have two trusted, mature employees who handle the business during family vacations or emergencies (you know and trust who is in your home).
Our Service Area Includes*
92116 - Kensington
92115 - College Area (N. of University), Rolando and Talmadge
92119 - Lake Murray (S. of Navajo Road)
92120 - Del Cerro
91942 & 91941 - La Mesa (W. of 125)
92116 - Kensington
92115 - College Area (N. of University), Rolando and Talmadge
92119 - Lake Murray (S. of Navajo Road)
92120 - Del Cerro
91942 & 91941 - La Mesa (W. of 125)