Why Hire a Professional Dog Walker?
When you hire a dog walker, you want the peace of mind of knowing that your dog is well cared for and that they will show up when you need them. Have you wondered what the benefits are to hiring a professional company versus using a friend, neighbor, or hobbyist? We hope to shed some light on the benefits of hiring a professional dog walking company in this article.
Professional dog walking company vs tech company
When it comes to caring for your pet, it may seem obvious to you that you only want what is best for them. After all, your pet is a part of your family and deserves to be treated as such! However, with so many different dog walking companies (and pet sitting companies) out there, how can you make the best choice for you and your dog?
One way is to avoid apps like Wag! and Rover. There can be very good dog walkers and pet sitters on these apps, but it is important to remember that these are NOT pet care companies, they are technology companies designed to pair people looking for a dog walker with dog walkers looking for dogs ( and pet sitters with pets needing a sitter). The people on the apps are technically Independent Contractors, expected to carry their own insurance and follow all the rules of a small business. Some do, most are not.
In 2018, Rover stopped offering insurance, instead opting for the Rover Guarantee. This guarantee means that the walkers/sitters are not protected if they are injured on the job; but more importantly, it means that there is little protection for you if something goes wrong while our dog or pet is in their care. The internet has plenty of horror stories, but allow me to share a personal experience with Rover.
A number of years ago, a family member moved to Atlanta, with their dog ( a very large, people loving, dog reactive pittie). Since they arrived in town on a Sunday and needed to be traveling for work that week, they went on Rover and hired a sitter for 10 days. They met with the sitter, and everything seemed to be going well- she got along well with the dog and the dog seemed to like the sitter.
My family member, travelled for 10 days and came home to a disaster. There was a note from the sitter, that she had left THREE days prior due to a family member having a medical emergency. She locked the dog in the bathroom with extra food and water. When this family member returned, there was the mess caused by the dog not being let outside for three days, and much more.
In a panic, the dog chewed through the bathroom door, shredded the carpet in the apartment and damaged furniture. When this family member called Rover and filed a complaint that over $3000 in damage was done, all they did to "resolve" the issue was to remove the sitter from the app.
The family member never recieved a dime in compensation, they did not refund the money that was paid out to the sitter, and the poor dog had anxiety issues from the trauma for many years after that! That is not the kind of care any pet owner is looking for.
As I stated above, there can be good sitters and dog walkers on the apps, but the truth is that the apps have no skin in the game- it does not impact them if service is great or poor- it's a numbers game for them; but your pet it not just a number. your pet is special and deserves the best care. That is where a local company can help!
Local, professional dog walking or pet sitting companies hire W2 employees, they do not use Independent Contractors. We can cover why this important later in the article, but for now, know that it is a big deal for you. In addition, a professional dog walking company will provide personal service, have insurance (to protect the walker and you) and they care because their reputation is tied to their service.
One thing you should ask any company you work with is do they utilize independent contractors or employees. There is a difference. Independent contractors are not employees of the company. Technically, they should own their own business, carry their own insurance and have control over their own schedules.
Employees are covered by the businesses insurance, they are trained by the business and are given their schedules. They are accountable to the business. Technically, an independent contractor should not do the primary function of the business. For example, at Milwaukee Paws, our dog walkers are employees, we perform background checks, complete training with them and supervise them. On the other hand, we utilize an accountant and web developer as independent contractors.
Employees provide consistency to the business. In addition, they are covered by Workers Compensation insurance if they are injured while working. Our insurance also covers you if your pet is injured or has an incident while in our care (with the exception of dog bites, in Wisconsin, the owner is always liable for a dog bite, even if the dog is in the care of another).
Another reason to use employees- we train our staff to be safe and to things how we want them done to protect the pets in our care and our staff. For example, earlier this month, we did a training with Cassie Hoelzl from Thrive fitness discussing safe body mechanics for dog walkers!
Dog Walking with a personal touch
When you hire a professional company, like Milwaukee Paws Pet Care, they should provide personalized care. After all, your pet is as individual as you are!
When we do our meet and greets, we not only ask things like how will we access the house, but also things like "what makes your pet nervous?" "What does your dog love to do?" and "where does your cat like to hide?". These questions help us develop a personalized care plan that is catered to you and your pets preferences.
Our team lives in the neighobrhoods we serve so they are able to comfortably navigate neighborhoods, residential buildings and area attractions (like hiking trails and parks). We know the hidden gems to take your dog for adventures and decompression, including less populated trails, dog friendly stores and more!
In addition, our team is focused on providing you with peace of mind. When you are traveling, we bring in packages, and have the ability to water plants, take out the trash and bring in your mail. On daily visits, we are happy to feed your dog and we wash and refill water bowls at every visit!
Communication is key with a professional dog walking or pet sitting company
Sometimes, people wonder why they should not just use the neighbor next door or a friend. That is absolutely an option, but a professional company, like Milwaukee Paws Pet Care will communicate with you at every visit. Our team uses a software to alert you when they start your visit, and you get a detailed report card after every single visit.
Click here to see an example of a typical report card after a visit!
We also have staff availalble to answer any questions that come up while you are away from home so that you can rest easy and know that your pets are well cared for and happy! We work tirelessly to keep the lines of communication open between our clients and our team. Our team even has a private communication app so that we can easily and effectively communicate while in the field- ensuring that our collective knowledge is used to problem solve and provide the best care!
Because we care, we can accomodate last minute requests!
We understand that life happens, and when it does, the last thing you want is to be worried about your pet. For that reason, Milwaukee Paws Pet Care offers on demand requests of visits with as little as 1 hours notice. Our professional team strives to ensure that all visit requests are covered as quickly as possible, providing you with peace of mind! While most companies cannot acomodate last minute requests, a benefit of working with us is that we can! In fact, in 2024, we declined fewer than 20 visits and completed over 10,000 visits!