Pet Sitters Australia

A pet sitter looks after your pet while you're away or at work. Depending on the booking, they care for your pet at their home (boarding), stay at your home (house sitting), or drop in to feed, water and check on your pet (home visits).

On PetCloud, pet boarding at the sitter's home costs from $50 to $85 a night per pet, house sitting from $50 a night, doggy day care from $45 a day, home visits from $45 and dog walking from $30 for 30 minutes. Sitters set their own prices, shown on each listing.

Overnight pet boarding at a sitter's home costs from $50 to $85 a night per pet on PetCloud, and house sitting, where the sitter stays at your home, from $50 a night. Prices rise in peak periods such as Christmas, Easter and school holidays.

Search for sitters by suburb on PetCloud, or post a job with your dates and your pet's needs and let local sitters apply. To check a sitter is trustworthy:

• Look for verification badges, and a national police check if they'll have access to the inside of your home
• Read reviews from confirmed bookings
• Look for the training badge from PetCloud's Pet Professional Training Course
• Meet at a meet and greet, and use the Property Safety Checklist if your pet is staying at their home
• Book and pay through PetCloud, not in cash or by bank transfer

Check four things: government-issued identity, a police check, pet care training, and reviews from confirmed bookings. Then meet the sitter, ask about their experience with pets like yours, and check your property together for escape routes and hazards.

Ask about their experience with your type of pet, what a typical day looks like, how they handle medication or special needs, what they'd do in an emergency, how often they'll send updates, and which refund policy they use.

Sitters on PetCloud can complete identity verification and a police check, and their listing shows which verifications they hold. A police check isn't a guarantee on its own, so also read reviews and meet the sitter before you book.

No. PetCloud's platform, training, and framework focus on prevention of pet injury, escape, or illness, while insurance focuses on claims after an incident has occurred. Pet owners are responsible for vet bills during a booking, so check what your own pet insurance covers. Sitters on PetCloud are independent, so if insurance matters to you, ask your sitter whether they hold public liability insurance.

You pay when you confirm the booking. Your payment is held securely and released to the sitter after your 24-hour quality check window at the end of the booking. A booking fee of 10%, capped at $40, applies.

Each sitter chooses their own refund policy, shown on their listing. Depending on the policy, you need to cancel with 1 day's notice by midday, 7 days' notice or 14 days' notice for a full refund. In peak season, most policies don't allow for change of mind.

Look for identity and police check verification, reviews that only come from confirmed bookings, secure payment that's held until after the booking, and a vet-endorsed training option for sitters. PetCloud has all four.

Sign up as a pet sitter on PetCloud, create your listing, set your own rates and complete your verifications. Sitters on PetCloud are independent contractors who choose the jobs and services they offer.

Pet boarding means your pet stays at the sitter's home. Pet sitting is broader: it can mean boarding, a house sitter staying at your home, or a sitter visiting to feed and check on your pet. Boarding is priced per pet per night, from $50 to $85, while house sitting is a flat nightly rate from $50.