Frequently Asked Questions
General
What area do you service?
We currently serve Fuquay-Varina (27526), Willow Spring (27592), Angier (27540) and Raleigh (27603).
What are your operating hours?
Office hours for communication are 9am – 5pm Monday – Friday. Service hours for providing dog walking and pet care are 6am – 9pm Sunday – Saturday.
How do I set up my account?
The Pet Professionals, LLC (TPP) utilizes a comprehensive software system called Precise Pet Care (PPC) to streamline our scheduling, invoicing and communication needs with every client. A mobile app is available for both Android and iOS devices to keep you fully connected.
Once you have filled out our Contact Form and scheduled your first Meet & Greet with our pet sitters, an invitation link to your account and temporary password will be emailed to you. Clicking that link will take you to the Account Registration Page where you’ll have the opportunity to choose a password and enter the Invitation Code to create a login connected to your existing profile. You can find additional help here.
How do I schedule a visit?
To request services, click the Client Login located in the top right of our website menu. Log into your TPP account and visit the Scheduling > My Schedule page. Click the Request Service button. Enter the Dates for your request and choose how often they will Repeat. If you would like continuing service and do not know when it will end checkmark “Ongoing (no end date)”. You can find additional help here.
Payments
How do I pay my bill?
We accept credit card, PayPal, cash and check payments.
You can pay your invoices online using a credit card or PayPal conveniently using the Make a Payment page from your TPP account.
You can pay your invoices directly from the invoice using the Pay Now button at the bottom of your printable invoices. You must login to access this page. From the Payments page, you can pay multiple invoices at once, make partial payments, and add gratuity to payments. You can find additional help on making online payments here.
Do you charge extra on holidays?
There is a $7 surcharge for all visits performed on major holidays. (New Year’s Eve/Day, Easter Sunday, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve/Day)
What happens if I leave later than or return earlier than expected? Will I get a refund?
Unfortunately, no. We set aside time in our schedule for your visit and have potentially turned away business from other clients.
What is your cancellation policy?
We request a minimum of 72 hours’ notice of cancellation to receive a full refund. Cancellations within less than 72 hours will be credited to your account for future use. Cancellations that come on the same day as service or after service begins cannot be refunded or credited.
Because of the high demand for holiday reservations, we request a 10-day notice for all cancellations. Cancellations 10 days or more in advance will receive a full refund. Cancellations of less than 10 days will receive an account credit. Cancellations on the day of service or after services begin will not be refunded or credited.
Pet Sitters
Who will be at my home?
Security of your home is one of our topmost priorities. That is why only our employed pet sitters who have passed a national criminal background search, completed training and have been assigned to your visits will be in your home. It is against our company policy for any outside individuals (not employed by The Pet Professionals) to be onsite with our pet sitters. That includes children, friends, or family members of the assigned pet sitter.
You can see the bios and photographs of all our pet sitters here.
Are your pet sitters insured and/or bonded?
Our pet sitters are fully insured and bonded by Business Insurers of the Carolinas.
Do I need to provide you with a house key?
We require at least one form of entry to your home provided prior to all booked services. That can be a house key, garage door opener, or electronic door code. If we are using an electronic form of entry (anything other than a physical house key), there MUST be a secondary key in our possession or stored at home (hidden or lockbox) that out pet sitter can access in the event of a power outage or battery failure.
While we prefer to hold onto physical keys or use a lockbox at your home, we can always return keys to you when your visits are completed. Please note that key pickup/drop-off fees will apply in the event we need to pick up or return a key or garage door opener.
Can I tip my pet sitter?
Absolutely! You may leave a gratuity tip at your home to be picked up. While tips are never expected, our valued pet sitters are always appreciative of any tips you feel called to provide.
Services
What services do you offer?
We offer drop-in pet sitting at your home, mid-day dog walks and vacation/relief farm care services. You can view a full list of all our services here.
When are your services performed?
Pet sitting and farm care services are available from 6am – 9pm. Mid-day dog walks are available between 11am – 2pm.
Can you spend the night with our pets? Can our pets spend the night with you?
No, we do not provide overnight care in your home or ours. We have found that the majority of pets are far more comfortable in their home, display fewer stress reactions and act out less frequently when they are in their home environment.
What if my pets run out of food/supplies/medicine?
It is important to adequately plan for your pets’ visits while you are away, including making sure they have enough food, medications, supplements, treats and litter before you go out of town. However, in the event you run out of any necessary supplies, our pet sitters are happy to make a quick shopping trip on your behalf. You will be billed for the cost of the item(s) and for the pet sitter’s time at an hourly rate of $25/hour (minimum 1 hour for roundtrip shopping trip). A copy of the store receipt will be provided to you for your records.
What if my pet has an accident in my home? Will you clean it up?
Of course! We will gladly clean up any pet messes or accidents to the best of our ability. During our initial Meet & Greet, we will go over where you keep cleaning supplies in your home and your preference for their use.
What if my pet has a medical emergency?
All clients are required to provide a phone number for themselves, an emergency contact, and their veterinarian. We also ask that all clients complete a Veterinary Release form within their Client Portal. In the event of a medical emergency, we will contact you while on site. If we cannot get in touch with you, we will reach out to your emergency contact and all other phone numbers provided in your client profile.
It is always our preference that all emergency care decisions remain between you and your veterinarian. However, if we cannot get in touch with you, we will use our best judgement to assess the situation and transport your pet to the nearest veterinary hospital. We will work with your vet to make all care decisions in the best interest of your pet using their guidance.
Your Veterinary Release provides us with your permission to seek medical care, as well as the dollar amount you authorize us to spend on your behalf. We will continue to reach out to you and the emergency contact listed in your profile to update and alert you to the current situation at hand.
Rest assured; we will do all that we can to provide the very best care your pet requires in the moment.
What happens in severe weather?
In the event that our pet sitters are unable to reach your home due to road obstructions or severe weather events (tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, fire), we will reach out to your emergency contact whom you have already provided us in your profile and ask that they take over care of your pets until such time we can resume our schedule of visits. We will do everything in our power to make sure your pets are cared for in these extreme situations and will, of course, be in communication with you throughout the entire situation to keep you updated.
What animals do you care for?
Our pet sitters are experienced at handling a wide range of animal species. We proudly provide care for traditional household pets such as dogs, cats, fish, pocket pets (hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs); farm animals such as horses, goats, cattle, pigs, chickens, and ducks; reptiles; birds; legally owned exotic pets.
If you have an unusual pet and would like to ask us about care, please give us a call to discuss the details.
Can we skip the Meet & Greet if I need a pet sitter ASAP and don’t have time to schedule one in advance?
No. We do not take on new pet clients without meeting them first. We will make every attempt to accommodate a short notice request to meet your needs and start visits immediately if we can do so.
Do you provide updates when you visit my pet?
Yes! At the end of each of our visits with your pets, you will receive a journal update emailed to you. Journals include a short paragraph visit summary from your pet sitter and photos they take of your pet during the visit. You will find a text window within the journal which you can use to submit a response directly to your pet sitter and maintain communication with them.
Why should I use a pet sitter instead of boarding my pet in a kennel?
Kennels and other group care providers present an element of risk of injury and illness to your dog simply through the nature of group environments. They may have little direct human contact or time outside of their cage or kennel run. Such environments can breed a lot of stress on your pet.
With one of our experienced pet sitters, your pet can avoid unnecessary risk and stress by staying home where they are most comfortable, secure, and familiar. Our pet sitters will follow their normal routine, take them outside for walks, provide ample play time and shower them with lots of love and attention.
In addition to the customized care that we provide your pets, your home will also be looked after and have a lived-in appearance during your absence. This has been shown to significantly secure your property and reduce break-in attempts.