What areas will you visit?
We primarily service Coral Gables and Coconut Grove, however depending on services needed and time of the year, we may have availability in other areas including Brickell, Midtown, Kendall & South Miami, Cutler Bay, and Miami Beach. Availability, particularly for new clients, is on a case-by-case basis depending on our current sitters' schedules and locations. Not sure if we can visit your area? Give us a call and we’ll see what we can do!
What types of animals will you care for?
What types of services do you provide?
PAWS provides care for all breeds, sizes, and ages of dogs, cats, and small animals such as rabbits, ferrets, hamsters, birds, and even pigs! We primarily provide dog walking, cage-free home boarding, overnight sitting, and home vacation care.
Please see "Services" for details and pricing.
What are the PAWS office hours? What hours will you visit homes?
Our normal office hours are 7 days a week, 9am to 7pm. Unless there is an emergency, we will return all phonecalls immediately when normal business hours resume. All boarding drop off and pickup is strictly within office hours.
Our sitting visiting hours, however, are 7 days a week, 8am to 10pm. Customized appointments outside of these hours may also be available with prior scheduling and additional fees.
Will I be able to meet my sitter before services begin?
Absolutely! In fact, the Meet & Greet is required for all first-time PAW Pals.
This will give you the opportunity to meet your sitter, see them interact with your pets, discuss your specific sitting needs, discuss any questions or concerns, and overall to give you a sense of security.
How do I schedule a Meet & Greet?
Please first create your PAW Portal account. You can find this under the "Join Us" tab. Once this is completed, we will follow up with you to gain more information regarding your sitting needs, send you the necessary forms, and arrange a time that works best for a meeting with one of our sitters who can best accommodate!
Will I always have the same sitter that I first met?
We make every effort possible to make sure you will always have the same sitter or boarding host who lives nearest to you and/or you feel most comfortable with, however we cannot guarantee this. As per the nature of the idustry, our schedules are very different each day and we must effectvely organize clients based on time and location to ensure all clients are seen during their requested timeframes. All of our sitters are experienced pet care providers and are fully covered under the PAWS bond and insurance, thoroughly interviewed and backround checked.
What should I be prepared to provide at the Meet & Greet?
The Meet & Greet is the time to go over all of the specifics of your sitting needs and really get to know your sitter beforehand.
At the time of your Meet & Greet, we request that you be prepared with two sets of keys to your home, including any fobs or parking permits necessary, any gate/alarm instructions, be able to show us specific feeding, walking, medication, and cleaning instructions, and be prepared to show us your pet's favorite hiding spots or any behaviors we should be aware of. You can expect your consultation to last 20-35 minutes. If you will be bringing your dog for home boarding, you will not be required to provide anything at the Meet & Greet. Just bring your pup along to meet your sitter and see where he/she will be staying!
Do you have references available?
Due to privacy reasons, we typically will not give out previous customers' contact information, but feel free to check out our Yelp page to read our 5-star reviews from some of our PAW Pals. 90% of our clients come from word-of-mouth and referrals! We are also happy to provide you with proof of current bonding, insurance, and incorporation.
How do I know I can trust PAWS in entering my home?
PAWS is fully insured and bonded to give you the peace of mind that you are protected from theft, damage to your property, or any accidents that may arise. Our sitters are thoroughly background checked, go through a formal training process, and have years of prior sitting experience with exceptional references. Absolutely no one will ever be allowed in your home other than a PAWS sitter unless you have given prior permission.
In addition, your keys are anonymously coded and can never be connected to your name or home address. Only your assigned sitter will be able to connect your key to your identity. We make every effort possible to make your home appear lived in while you're away, as well as continuing all security measures asked of us. We are glad to go over all security measures specific to your home and needs, and discuss how we can make you feel most comfortable at the time of your Meet & Greet.
How are my keys handled?
Your keys are coded for your confidentiality and kept in a secure lockbox. Your name and address are never linked to your keys, for safety in the event they were to be misplaced. We require you provide us with two sets of keys; one for your regular sitter and one to keep in the office in case of emergencies.
Do I have to sign a contract?
Yes, you will be required to sign our PAWlicies before any services may begin. This is for the benefit and safety of all involved, including you, your pet, and your PAWS sitter to make sure all requirements and policies are understood and agreed upon, as well as to inform you of important points that may not have been thoroughly covered during your Meet & Greet. For your convenience, you will sign electronically when creating your PAW Portal account.
Will you keep me updated on how my pet is doing while I’m away?
Of course. What makes the services we provide more unique than a boarding or daycare facility is the close contact we keep in touch with our PAW Parents. All clients away on vacation will receive daily photo updates from your sitter through your PAW Portal account (which you will receieve directly to your email). All daily walking clients will be able to log in and view the time your walker checked in and out of your home, which is GPS stamped for your certainty. This is to give you the peace of mind that your sitter arrived each day during the planned upon timeframes. Feel free to check out our Instagram page as well to see your pets featured from time to time!
How much attention does my pet really get?
How can I regularly schedule services?
We do not offer walking for multiple clients at once. Your dog(s) will receive one-on-one care with their PAWS Sitter. Additionally, we do not ever assign more than four dogs to each boarding sitter at a time, however with the exception of peak holiday dates, sitters will not usually have more than two dogs staying with them at a time. PAWS understands that the more attention your dog is given, the less likely they are to engage in destructive behaviors due to separation anxiety and the fewer dogs your pet interacts with, the more safe they are and the less likelihood for any accidents to occur. We know that the pups who receive the proper individual human attention throughout your absence are the happiest, most content pups when their PAW Parents arrive home.
Requests for bookings can conveniently be scheduled through your PAW Portal account. In addition, you may call, text, or email PAWS to schedule a service. For last minute, time-sensitive bookings, please text or call to schedule at (305)-916-3048. Your sitter will not accept bookings individually under any circumstances.
What is Time to Pet? Do I have to use it?
Time to Pet is an advanced professional pet sitting software that makes it easier to schedule, change information, and pay directly through a portal connecting to Katie and the PAWS staff. You will also be able to receive daily updates through the portal.
This program helps PAWS stay organized with all of our records, schedules, and payments to ensure we don't miss a beat. All PAW Pals will be required to have an account to ensure we have all your updated contact information, veterinarian information, etc. You will always receive invoices & receipts through the portal, which will be sent directly to your email. While you have the option to conveniently schedule services yourself, you can always give us a call or email and we'll be happy to schedule services for you.
What is your cancellation policy?
At this time, there is no penalty for cancellations on walking services. For boarding, there will be a 30% CANCELLATION FEE. Please keep this in mind once you schedule with us. We do not offer refunds, however all cancellations will receive a full credit on their PAW Portal account to use towards future services!
How far in advance do I need to schedule?
The sooner you book an appointment, the more likely we will have availability and be better able to serve your requests. We understand life happens and things come up last minute, so we will do our best to accommodate last minute appointments, however cannot guarantee last minute and/or same-day availability. In addition, same-day requests will have an extra $5 charge. Last minute requests are strictly for emergency purposes only - we are not able to provide consistent "on-call" walking/sitting as we have full set schedules of clients each day. We book up far in advance for holidays and it is recommended to book several weeks in advance for availability.
Is there a minimum number of visits per day required?
All animals have different schedules, needs, and requirements. Therefore, it just doesn’t make sense to us to require anything. You know your pet’s daily routine and needs better than anyone, so we want you to receive only the service you request and feel is necessary for your pet. Therefore, we do NOT have a minimum number of visits required per day. However, we do recommend at least two visits per day for dogs and one visit per day for cats, in order to assure your pet is receiving adequate exercise, feeding, and to prevent potty accidents or destructive behaviors due to separation anxiety.
What should I leave for my sitter while I’m away, or what should I bring for an overnight stay?
Please make sure your sitter is provided with enough food and water, waste bags, cleaning spray, extra cat litter, leashes, medications, and anything else that will make your pet most comfortable such as a bed, favorite toys, etc.
What are your prices?
You can find a list of all our services and pricing on the Services page. Looking for something not listed? Get in touch with us! We’ll see what we can do and offer you a customized price to match the services that fit your needs better.
Do you offer any discounts?
Follow our Facebook and Instagram page to keep up to date on pop-up promotions. Our current PAW Pals will also always receive a $15 credit (good for any services) for EVERY new PAW Pal they refer! We also use our rewards points system, PAW Points. Your sitter will leave a PAW Points loyalty card with your Pupdates Log from time to time. Once your sitter records all the dates on the card, you receive discounts towards future services!
I can send my dog to doggie daycare for $20 a day. Why should I choose you?
In addition to in-home sitting being a far safer alternative for your dog than doggie daycare (risk of injury, contracting sickness), the quality of care and attention PAWS provides is far superior quality of care and attention compared to a kenneling location.
Because doggy daycares will have so many dogs in one place with only a few kennel attendants, dogs are not given the individualized attention that PAWS prides ourselves on. You also do not know what other dogs your pup will be interacting with on a given day.
In terms of boarding, overnight facilities will often provide small suites. These facilities are typically not supervised throughout the night. With PAWS, you are paying for cage-free boarding in a home environment with supervision throughout the day and night. Your dog will be lounging on the couch, sleeping in bed with your sitter, playing at the park, swimming, or whatever else you'd like, rather than enclosed and likely afraid. We are the ONLY home boarding company in South Florida that provides daily adventures for boarding guests such as taking dogs for hikes, swimming, and even kayaking at no extra charge.
From a business standpoint, you must also consider several factors that go into both a dog daycare business and an in-home pet sitting business. In-home pet sitters travel to YOU, so we have transportation costs. In addition, doggie daycares will have 15+ dogs together at the same time, so they are able to profit from all of them at once. Because we primarily travel to your home and give your pet individualized attention, you must consider the fact that we cannot see other clients during that time, so as a result, the price will evidently increase.
Lastly, while it may seem like a cheaper option to board your dog in a kennel or send them to daycare during the day, we are the only sitting company in Miami that does not charge for additional pets in your home (and extra boarding pets are half off). Therefore, if you have multiple pets, you're saving even more by choosing PAWS services!
All PAWS sitters are also trained extensively in handling signs of separation anxiety to ensure your dog feels comfortable when you leave.
How does payment work?
We accept all major credit cards, which will be charged directly through your PAW Portal account. We apologize - cash, checks, PayPal, and Venmo cannot be accepted. You will receive an invoice upon scheduling services. Payment is to be received in full by the time services begin. You may pay your invoice directly through the email received, or may pay through your PAW Portal at any time.. If payment has not been received by the time services begin, your card will be automatically charged. All recurring weekly walking clients will receive their invoices for the upcoming week on Friday, and cards will be automatically charged the Sunday before each week begins.
Do you offer gift certificates?
Yes! Our gift certificates make wonderful holiday or birthday gifts for the pet-parent loved ones in your life! Our gift certificates can be customized to your desired price, can be used on ALL services, and never expire! Just shoot us an email letting us know how much you'd like to make one for and where you'd like it sent! We'll then send you an invoice and send it right out!
