Why should a pet owner use a pet sitter?

Nearly all pet experts would agree that keeping a pet in its own environment is less stressful on the pet. They are able to continue their regular routine, diet and do not have the trauma of being moved to an unfamiliar location. By staying home they will not be exposed to germs, bacteria and parasites.

What is a Meet and Greet?

Before starting services, we must meet you, your pet and your home. We require this not only to make sure we are a good fit, but to also learn about your pets’ routines, location of food, treats and supplies, and to go over our policies, the portal, and collect keys or give you a lock box.*** While our meet and greets are complimentary, we do charge for same day* meet and greets ($25).

What does it mean to be “Bonded and Insured”?

A dishonesty bond gives you peace of mind that you will be reimbursed if anything is stolen from your home. Anyone that has workers enter their home should be sure that they have a dishonestly bond.
We also carry a liability insurance policy that protects from financial loss in the event that we were liable for accidents that occur while caring for our clients pets. Any responsible, professional business should carry liability insurance.

What do you mean by “staying connected to your pets”?

By using our Pet Care Journal, pet parents will receive journals for every visit. This will let pet parents know what time the visit occurred and whether their furbaby was fed, went to the bathroom, received meds, along with other notes that occurred during the visit and a personalized message about the visit. Many Pet Care Journals will also include a photo of the furbaby.**

Do you board animals in your home?

iCare4pets sitters do not bring pets to their own homes. We believe pets do best in the comfort of their own homes. If you are worried about your pets being home alone during the night consider our overnight service.

How do I get started using your service?

Please fill out the “Request a quote” button, or feel free to give us a call 407-733-4944. We must schedule a meet and greet before services can begin. We will also set you up on our client portal.

How do you handle my keys?

iCare4Pets manages a LOT of keys! Sitters will only have the keys on them that they are using that week. The rest of the time the keys are maintained in our key lock box at our office. We tag our keys using the name of the pets. We require 2 keys for every house***, one remaining in the office lock box and the other with the sitter when there are visits that week. This is in case there is ever an emergency and an alternate sitter needs to have access to the pets, or if anything were to ever happen to the key.

Is there a minimum or maximum number of visits for my pets?

While the number of visits is up to you, we do require a minimum of 2 visits a day for dogs. We have a maximum of 4 visits a day. We do require a minimum of every other day for animals (such as cats or reptiles) not requiring daily visits.

What are the time frames I should expect my pet to be seen?

We can visit the home up to 4 times a day. Depending on the number of visits will depend on the time frames.

The “Morning” visits are from: 7:30AM-9:30AM
“Mid Day” visits are from: 11:00AM-3:00PM
“Evening” visits are from: 4:00PM-6:00PM
“Good night” visits are from 7:00PM-9:00PM

Dogs must be visited at least every 12 hours (twice a day) though we HIGHLY recommend 3 visits a day.

Cats may be seen every other day but we HIGHLY encourage at least once a day visits.

Our visits are untimed. This means that we are there for the amount of time your pets need.

Will you let me know how my pet is doing while I am away?

iCare4Pets prides themselves on the sense of connection they give their pet parents to their pets while they are away. We fill out a journal after every visit and often include photos. You will receive these in your email. You will also be able to reply to the journals. If you need to contact us immediately for any reason please feel free to text us at 407-733-4944.

What happens if there is inclement weather?

In Florida our most common weather issues are extreme heat and thunderstorms with occasional chance of hurricanes. During the summer we cut our mid day walks short (10-15 minutes) due to heat, but do provide time or play or cuddles. During downpours and thunderstorms we still let the dogs go potty outside but in case of extreme winds or lightening, for the safety of the walker and the dogs, walks will be short. We will also provide time inside for play or cuddles. If you are out of town and there is a chance of a hurricane, we will coordinate with your emergency contact. It is important that the contact person be local. Often with hurricanes there are curfews in place that do not allow us the option to drive. When this happens, we will contact the emergency contact so that they can either take the pet(s), or if they live close enough, can go to the house after the storm passes. Because hurricane possibilities are given with advance notice, a plan will be put in place in advance. Pet owners will be kept in constant contact and updated as plans go into place. It is recommended that each family develop an inclement weather plan complete with supplies for them and their fur babies.

Will my pet always have the same sitter?

Our professional pet sitter team is steadily growing so that we can continue to provide stellar service as our clientele continues to grow. While we try to keep the same sitter with the same pets, if something arises and the primary sitter is not available then we will use a another equally qualified sitter. Since all of our clients information is safely stored within the Precise Pet Care server all of our team members have access to their assigned clients information. It is not necessary for clients to meet with the back up sitter, but if they would feel more comfortable doing so we can schedule a meet and greet with them. The cost of this meeting is $15. This will cover the sitters time and expenses of driving to the client home.

What kind of pets will you care for?

Here at iCare4pets we care for ALL types of domesticated pets and farm animals. This includes: dogs, cats, birds, small mammals (rats, mice, hamsters, guinea pigs, hedgehogs, ferrets etc…), reptiles, amphibians, and farm animals (chickens, ducks, horses, pigs, sheep, cows etc…). If you do not see your pet listed, feel free to contact us to see if we care for that type of pet!

Do you give medication to pets?

While we are caring for your pet, we will do the best we can to pill or give injections or other medications to your pets. With our “untimed”, “no hidden fees” visits, there is no additional cost for medication.

What happens if a pet in your care becomes ill or injured?

We will first contact the client and then their emergency contact. If the client agrees to have the pet taken to the vet then we will transport the pet to the clients vet. We already have a vet release form on file, so if we are not able to get ahold of the client, we will contact their vet to get a recommendation on how to proceed.

Will you care for my pet that is aggressive or has a bite history?

If your pet has aggressively bitten someone in the past or is aggressive, then no we cannot care for your pet. Unfortunately, this would be too much of a liability concern. If your pet shows signs of being fearful or untrusting, such as growing or hissing, in the past or during our meet and greet then we can try to work on designing a plan that will allow us to properly care for your pet without putting them in too much distress and keeping the safety of the sitter in mind. We can do additional visits prior to the start of scheduled services in order for the pet to become more comfortable with the sitter. If at any point the sitter feels it is unsafe to do the service, we reserve the right to discontinue service without notice.

Are there any fees associated with visits on the holidays?

Yes, there is a $5 per visit surcharge on the following holidays:

New Years Day, Easter, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas day, and New Years Eve.

All surcharges go directly to the sitter.

What forms of payment do you accept?

We accept Credit Card and Debit card payments. We accept Visa, Master Card, Discover and debit cards. We discourage payments of cash and check as we do not want our sitters to have to worry about picking up payments, and it reduces the manual processing of invoices.

Cash gratuity is greatly appreciated and all tips go to the sitter performing the visits.

When is my bill due?

Holiday reservations must be paid within 24 hours of when they are reserved. This is so we can be sure to hold a spot for you on our schedule.

All other vacation services are due when the invoice is sent. We do have a convenient auto pay option where the system will automatically charge your card 3 days after the invoice is sent.

Services may be canceled if the invoice has not been paid 7 days after the due date.

What if I am late to pay my bill?

Services may be canceled. A $25 late fee may be added for those wanting to continue with scheduled services 7 days after invoice is due.

What is iCare4pets cancelation policy?

While we understand what it’s like to have a busy and ever-changing schedule, reservations are made to plan iCare4pets sitter availability to clients. iCare4pets DOES NOT GIVE REFUNDS OR CREDITS for vacation or holiday pet care. Clients returning home early will be required to pay for the reserved amount of time scheduled including travel time. If more than 72 hours is given for trip cancellation with a valid reason, (family emergency, etc.) a credit will be applied, valid for one year. For Daily Visits (those doing daily visits Monday- Friday) cancellations will be credited to the following invoice. Clients are required to pay for any and all same day cancellations*.

Do we receive credits for referring people to you?

Yes! iCare4pets appreciates you spreading the word about our services. For every person you refer that has completed visits, you will receive a $15 credit. Please make sure to have them tell us you sent them!

Can clients schedule directly through the sitter or through email?

This is NOT allowed. For your pets safety, all scheduling must be done through the portal. All of our sitters are on the go throughout the day and we do not want any visits to be forgotten or a misunderstanding on the dates/times. For this reason all clients must schedule through the portal. Also, our sitters are under non-compete agreements and therefore cannot accept bookings directly from clients.

What if I have a last-minute request?

We understand things come up last minute and while we cannot guarantee last minute availability we will do everything possible to service your last-minute requests. We do have a $5 per visit last-minute booking fee for visits scheduled after 7PM the day before or on the same day.

What happens if I am delayed on my return?

Please let us know as soon as you know there will be a delay so that we can schedule extra visits.

Do I need to do anything once I am home?

iCare4Pets requires that you let us know once you are back so that we know you have arrived and that your pets are being cared for.

What type of clients do you work with?

iCare4pets works with pet parents in Apopka, Altamonte springs, Longwood and parts of Lake Mary that are looking to stay connected with their furbabies while they are working long hours or traveling.

Why should I choose iCare4Pets over another pet sitting company?

iCare4pets was founded by Carrie Wallick because she wanted to create the type of care for other pet parents that she would find suitable for her own furbabies. She has made sure her company maintains a professional work ethic, providing a personalized service, and allowing pet parents to stay connected to their pets.

How does someone become a member of the iCare4pets pack?

We are always looking to add mature adults to our pet care pack. We work with sitters who have practical experience in the pet care field and see their time with iCare4Pets as part of their career path. We are also not afraid of hiring retired military personnel, teachers, stay at home moms and people with special needs. We look for the best fit for our company and our clients.

We have an extensive screening process, which includes a written email screening, personality test, phone interview, multiple face-to-face interviews, and reference checks followed by a thorough background check performed by Acutraq. All sitters are then hired on a trial basis until we have followed up with enough clients to ensure that they are a perfect match for iCare4Pets. All sitters employed by iCare4Pets sign and promise to abide by our code of ethics.

Sitters attend an orientation where they learn about the standards of iCare4Pets and the policies and procedures that we follow to put our mission of “keeping pet parents connected to their pets” into action. This is closely followed by shadow training. This is a period of following the lead pet care provider during the course of a regular work day. Shadow training periods vary depending on the qualifications of the new employee.

Once the shadow training period is over, the rolls will be reversed. The lead pet care provider will take the shadow position to watch (and correct if necessary) and make sure the sitter is following all guidelines.

When an employee has successfully completed their trial period, they maintain daily communication with the office and their clients, and are required to post a journal of their visits on our secure database in Precise Pet Care at the completion of their day.

We understands how uncertain things are right now. We are continuing to provide peace of mind to pet parents in our service areas. We are working with local and state law enforcement as well as hospitals and clinics to make sure we can provide support for anyone who needs to work (whether that is in or out of the home.)

Cancellations for trips due to the COVID 19 will be credited to your account. We have made temporary adjustments to our cancellation policy. If you have a trip coming up that gets cancelled, don’t forget to cancel it in the portal so we don’t show up and startle you.

We have heard from many of our clients that working from home poses many challenges. The main one is finding the time to walk their dog(s) while holding down their daily work load plus jumping from one Zoom meeting to the next. Side walk and door step pick ups are also done for any client who would like to have their pet service, but do not wish to have someone come into their home. If you find that you are in need of our services, simply place a request in your client portal. If you need a pet errand to get supplies or a pet taxi to get your pet to the vet or groomer, you may also schedule this in the client portal.

If you would like to support us as a small business, but do not need service, please feel free to do any of the following:

Buy gift certificates or walk packages that can be used in the next year in your client portal.
Give us a written rave review on Google, Yelp, Facebook, Thumbtack or Bring Fido.

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook. Share our posts if you like them.
Emergency pet care in case you get sick. Anytime you are ill and either cannot return home from a trip or end up in the hospital and need last minute, emergency pet care, we are here for you. Someone just needs to get in touch with us to begin services until you are well or until someone else can step in. If you know someone who might be worried about this and is not our client, please let them know we are always accepting new clients.

A meet and greet is currently done on a case by case basis. Sidewalk and door step meet and greets are becoming the norm (to reduce unnecessary risk/exposure) so that our clients have someone in place in case they become ill. New clients will have to complete our online registration process so we have the proper information for their pets and their homes.

For those of you that are on the front line: doctors, nurses, EMTs, law enforcement, fire fighters, grocery store clerks, pharmacists, techs and the many I have not mentioned, please stay safe. Know that we are here to help get our community through this difficult time.