The short answer
Decide which visits you'll offer, check your local business license rules, and buy liability insurance that covers pets in your care, because most general policies don't. US pet sitters averaged about $25 for a 30-minute walk or visit and $97 for an overnight in 2024. Get your first clients from neighbors, vets and groomers, and use an intake form, a signed service agreement, a booking form and a payment form so every pet's details and your terms are on record.
The numbers
| 30-minute dog walk | $25.63 on average (2024)Pet Sitters International |
|---|---|
| 30-minute pet-care visit | $25.49 on average (2024)Pet Sitters International |
| Overnight stay | $96.99 (2024), $110.43 (2026 survey)Pet Sitters International |
| What employed animal caretakers earn | $35,360 a year (median, May 2025)US Bureau of Labor Statistics |
| Business license | Set by your city or countySBA |
| Self-employment tax | 15.3%, once you net $400 in a yearIRS |
US figures, checked on . Rules change by state and city, so check yours before you rely on them.
1 Decide which visits you'll offer
Start with 30-minute walks and drop-in visits in your own neighborhood, then add overnight stays once clients trust you.
Three kinds of visit cover most of what pet owners ask for:
- Dog walks: usually 30 minutes, often on weekdays while the owner is at work. Regular and close together, so they fit around a day job in the morning and evening.
- Drop-in visits: feeding, water, litter, medicines and company for cats and other pets while the owner is away.
- Overnight stays: you sleep at the client's home. The best-paid visit, and the one that needs the most trust.
Starting "typically requires minimal investment compared to other ventures", according to Pet Sitters International. The main costs are a license where required, insurance, and some marketing.
2 Register and get the right insurance
Check your city's license rules, and buy liability insurance that covers pets and property in your care, custody or control.
Structure. As a sole proprietor you're personally responsible for the business's debts; an LLC protects you "in most instances" (SBA). A sole proprietor with no employees doesn't need an EIN, but can get one free (IRS).
License. Local governments set licensing rules (SBA), and many states require self-employed animal care workers to have a business license (BLS).
Boarding at your home. Caring for pets in your own home can need a kennel license. In Pennsylvania, that applies to any boarding kennel, or anywhere 26 or more dogs are kept in a year. Check before you take dogs home.
Insurance. This is where people get caught out. Most general liability policies exclude property in your care, which includes the pet. Look for coverage that includes pets and property in your "care, custody, or control" (Pet Sitters International). Their real claims show why: $24,608 for a dog hit by a car, and $29,832 for water damage from a toilet left running.
Bonding. A bond is not insurance. It repays a client if an employee steals, usually after a conviction, so it matters once you hire (PSI).
3 Set your prices
Charge per visit: about $25 for a 30-minute walk or drop-in and around $100 for an overnight is the US average, and take payment when they book.
In Pet Sitters International's 2024 survey, the average US price was $25.63 for a 31-minute dog walk, $25.49 for a pet-care visit and $96.99 for an overnight stay (PSI). Their 2026 survey put visits of 15 minutes to an hour at $20.64 to $46.26, and overnights at $110.43 (report).
Price per visit, not per hour, so a booking is easy to add up: 2 visits a day for 5 days at $25 is $250. Our payment form does that sum: the customer enters the number of visits and pays by card.
In the kit
Pet sitting payment form
Price per visit × number of visits, paid by card when they book.
Try the form →4 Find your first clients
Word of mouth comes first: tell neighbors, then introduce yourself to local vets, groomers and pet stores, and set up a Google Business Profile.
Word of mouth is the marketing method PSI members use most, and they advise you to "connect with local veterinarians, groomers, and pet stores for referrals" (PSI).
A free Google Business Profile lets you hide your home address and list up to 20 areas you serve, which suits a business that goes to the client.
Send interested owners the booking form link. It asks the dates, the type of visit, how many a day and how many pets, so you can reply with a price straight away.
In the kit
Pet sitting booking request form
Dates, type of visit, visits a day and time windows, confirmed by email.
Try the form →5 Meet the pet and sign an agreement
Before the first booking, collect each pet's health and behavior details and get a signed agreement that covers keys, emergency vet care and cancellations.
Owners should give a sitter up-to-date medical information, vaccination history including proof of rabies vaccination, and care instructions (AVMA). The intake form asks for all of it, one pet per form, with an upload for the vaccination records.
Ask about bites directly. A general question about aggression often gets a flat "no", so PSI suggests asking specifically about past bites or scratches (PSI). Our form asks exactly that, and only asks for details if the answer is yes.
In the kit
Pet sitting intake form
The pet's health, vet, food, medicines and behavior, plus how to get in. One form per pet.
Try the form →"You should never accept a pet-sitting assignment without having a pet-sitting contract," says PSI. Their standards say it should cover liability, payment, cancellations and veterinary consent, and that you should keep keys and alarm codes secure (PSI Standards). The agreement form covers the services, dates, keys, emergency vet consent with a spending limit, and your terms, with a signature.
In the kit
Pet sitting service agreement
Services, dates, keys, emergency vet consent with a spending limit, payment terms and a signature.
Try the form →The whole kit, free
We built these 4 forms for a dog walking and pet sitting business. Each comes with the emails that go out after someone fills it in. Add them all to your workspace in one go, then change anything by telling the agent.
- Pet sitting payment formPrice per visit × number of visits, paid by card when they book.
- Pet sitting booking request formDates, type of visit, visits a day and time windows, confirmed by email.
- Pet sitting intake formThe pet's health, vet, food, medicines and behavior, plus how to get in. One form per pet.
- Pet sitting service agreementServices, dates, keys, emergency vet consent with a spending limit, payment terms and a signature.
Free to start. Unlimited submissions. No card.
Questions
Do I need a license to be a dog walker or pet sitter?
Usually a general business license from your city or county, depending on where you live. If you board pets in your own home, some states need a kennel license: Pennsylvania requires one for any boarding kennel or for 26 or more dogs a year.
How much should I charge for dog walking?
Pet Sitters International's 2024 survey found US averages of about $25.50 for a 30-minute walk or visit and about $97 for an overnight stay. Its 2026 survey put overnights at $110.43.
Is general liability insurance enough for pet sitting?
Often not. Most general liability policies exclude property in your care, which includes the pets you look after. Look for a policy that covers pets and property in your care, custody or control.
Do I need an EIN to start pet sitting?
Not as a sole proprietor with no employees. You can get one free from the IRS if you want one, for example to keep your Social Security number off forms.
What should a pet sitting contract include?
The services and how often, each pet's details, how you get in, payment and cancellation terms, liability, and consent for emergency vet care with a spending limit, signed before the first booking.
Do I pay tax on pet sitting income?
Yes. Once your net self-employment earnings reach $400 in a year, you file and pay self-employment tax of 15.3%, usually as quarterly estimated payments.