FAQ

I first started working in the pet industry back in 2010 when I was a freshman in college. I worked for a dog training company who also offered in home boarding. When the company dissolved a few years later, I suddenly no longer had a job. I decided I still wanted to work with animals and so I decided to open Toby’s Pet Care primarily focusing on pet sitting and dog walking. That was back in 2015! It’s crazy how time just flies by. In some ways, I feel like I just started yesterday. Today, I still do what I set out to do many years ago - to create a business of my own where a day’s work was filled with playing, caring for and interacting with all sorts of wonderful pets. I love my “job” and I feel incredibly lucky that I am able to make a living centered on something I thoroughly enjoy.

Having worked for a number of years in the pet sitting industry, I have seen many pet sitting companies come and go. What I bring to the table is unique in the way that this is 100% my full-time job. That means taking care of your pets and giving you peace of mind is my top priority. Toby’s Pet Care doesn’t operate merely on weekends or whenever I have free time, like other pet sitting companies do. My clients receive the best possible pet care because I’m not simply a pet sitter or a dog owner, I’m a pet parent who truly sees pets as what they are - family members.

Just two. Myself and my partner, Ruben. If you'd like to read our Bio's check out our About page. 

Yes - we carry liability insurance for Toby's Pet Care. Our liability insurance covers negligence should it ever occur on our part. Have we ever had to use it? No, because we treat every visit, every booking and every pet and client with the utmost respect and due diligence.

An example of negligence would be losing your keys and our insurance paying to replace all your doors with new locks (has never happened though! 😉

What liability insurance doesn’t cover: i.e. a client going out of town who requests 2 visits a day for their dog (but preferably needing 3 visits) and their dog has an accident on the carpet due not having enough potty breaks.

In such instance, we would recommend adding more visits to the dog’s schedule and we’d be happy to spot treat your carpet with any supplies you might have in hand, however our insurance would not replace your carpet as there was no negligence on our part.

Toby’s Pet Care provides in-home pet care. This means we come directly to you, where your pets are happiest and the most comfortable. We offer these types of services:

Pet Sitting for folks who go out of town and need someone to care for their pets while they are away.

Dog Walking for folks who might work long hours and need their dog to be taken out for a walk.

For a more in-depth overview of our services and their corresponding rates, please visit our Services page.

A New Client Consultation is a necessary & scheduled meeting with Toby’s Pet Care and a new client prior to their departure. This consultation ensures we go over everything in your pet’s routine to provide the best possible care. The consultation lasts anywhere between 15-25 minutes.

Here’s what we will go over:

- Get acquainted with you and go over your pet's routine
- Verify that everything in your client profile is correct and up to date
- Answer any questions you might have

The charge for this meeting is $35 and it is due the day of our scheduled consultation.

No, we do not offer discounts. We do however, have a referral program. If you refer a friend or family member to Toby's Pet Care and they successfully sign up and book, we will give you a $35 off your next booking. 

We offer two lengths of time for our pet sitting and dog walking visits. The first option is between 25-30 minutes and the second option is between 40-45 minutes. Our Almost Overnight service runs from 7pm-10pm.

We provide up to three visits per day per client. Dogs who do not have access to a doggy door do well with 3 visits per day (I.e. a morning visit, afternoon visit and an evening visit)

Most of our cat clients opt for 1-2 visits a day.

Small pets like hamsters, chinchillas, etc. may only need one visit per day.

Each visit is billed individually. (i.e. 3 visits per day at $35 each is $105 a day)

Unfortunately, we are only able to accommodate up to three visits per day per client. If you require more visits we suggest checking with your local vet and see if he or she may have any referrals for you. Oftentimes the vet techs working there also do pet sitting as a side service.

If you adopted your pet from a shelter, it's also a good idea to check with them as they may have a referral for you as well.

We complete all pet sitting and dog walking visits within time blocks.

Here’s how it works: Our clients choose a time block they’d like to book and we complete all visits within that time block. The time blocks are as follows:

Morning - 8AM to 10AM

Midday - 11AM to 2PM

Afternoon - 3PM to 5PM

Evening - 6PM to 8PM

No. Toby's Pet Care does not offer exact arrival times. 

We understand our dog vacation clients may need to be seen first to go outside and potty, and so we give priority to our dog clients that do not have access to a doggie door. You can also request for us to do a pet sitting or dog walking visit towards the start or towards the end of a time block and we'll do our best to accommodate your pet's needs. However, we cannot guarantee an exact arrival time.

9 times out of 10 our clients and their pets do not have an issue with our time block structure as it is flexible enough to accommodate most pet's needs. 

However, in the chance that you require an exact arrival time due to a pet's medication (or any other reason) we encourage you to check with your local vet. He or she may have someone they can refer you to.

For your peace of mind all visits are scheduled through our online scheduling software that ensures no pet is ever left behind. You may log into your customer portal at anytime while you are away to see when visits have been completed and to check for any memos + picture updates.

Yes, we are happy to administer medications in the form of pills or ointments and for willing pets only. If your pet requires medications such as injections or generally runs/hides when given medication, we suggest boarding them at a local 24/7 vet facility.

Toby's Pet Care offers you various ways in which to have access to your home. Here are the options:

Option 1. You use a lock box in which to store 2 copies of your keys. This is the easiest option as you simply place your set of keys in a lock box for us to use during your service period. You can place the lock box on your doorknob or place it in an inconspicuous area. We'll retrieve keys when entering your home and place them back upon our departure. Two keys are needed in case something happens to the first one (we've had a key break on us before!) This option allows you to be 100% in control of your keys. 

Option 2. You give us two sets of keys for us to use during and all subsequent bookings you make. Keys held in our possession are kept in a safe and undisclosed location. Your keys will not be marked with any identifying information leading back to you. This option works best for clients who do not wish to use a lock box and will be using our services frequently.

Option 3. You give us two sets of keys to use during your service period and schedule a key drop off at the end of your service period. If you'd rather not use a lock box and don't wish for us to keep your keys on file for future reservations, you can schedule a key drop off at the end of your service period. We will schedule a time after you return home (usually between 1-3 days) to deliver the keys back to you. When you're ready to book again you will need to schedule a key pick up for us to pick up your keys. This service costs $35 each way. 

Option 4. You may also use a secure "hide-a-key" location. Your keys will be taken from this location to gain access to your home then placed back upon our departure. 

No. All clients who are going out of town and sign up with Toby’s Pet Care are required to book at least one visit a day.

We do this for a few reasons, primarily because so many things can go wrong when pets (even independent cats or outside pets) are left unsupervised.

A few examples are:

Cats may tip over their water bowls and be left without water, they may lock themselves in a room without access to their litter box or food, cats may get sick and worsen during the day(s) we are not there, etc.

Your home may also be subject to accidents such as a toilet or sink overflowing, for example. These type of things seem to always happen when we are away on vacation.

So in our experience, it is always best to have someone checking in on both your pets and home while you are away.

Payment for services is always due on or before the first day of service. You may pay by making an online payment through your client portal, by leaving cash on the counter on the first day of service, or by leaving us a check made out to Toby’s Pet Care. 

No, if paying with a check or cash please leave it on your counter the first day of service. If you forget to leave payment the first day of service you can make an online payment.

Yes. If payment is not received the first day of service there is a $10 late fee added to your invoice for each day that it is late. Please be courteous and leave or submit your payment on time. We’d rather spend time emailing you cute pictures of your pet rather than emailing you letting you know a late fee has been added to your invoice.

Of course. If you feel we have provided excellent care and you'd like to leave us a tip, you are welcome to do so. Tips are never expected but they're greatly appreciated. You can leave a cash tip or you can check the "tip" option when submitting your online payment.