In-Home Pet Sitting & Dog Walking
Please Verify Whether Or Not You Reside Within The Service Area: Click HERE
Cobb County's Exclusive PSI & NAPPS Certified Professional Pet Sitter since 2005
You are moments away from receiving FREE pet sitting or dog walking; if you wish to skip the introduction, scroll down to the light blue section titled ‘Rates, Prices, F(r)ees’
Looking for a pet sitter? V.I.People & Pets is here to help you keep your pets happy and healthy. If you live in Kennesaw, Acworth, or Marietta, we offer a great way to care for your pets, at your own home, and while you are at work, away from home on business or pleasure, sick, recovering from an injury or otherwise incapacitated, or just need the day off. Always on-call and on-demand; count on me rain or snow, and when you have any last-minute emergency.
Why you should choose a local, professional at-your-home pet sitter instead of kenneling/neighbor’s child/friend/family member/hobby pet sitter:
Pet owners should not have to impose on friends and family to check in on pets while out of town; while this might be a cheap option, it will usually end sour with a side of resentment. Experience and reliability go a long way, especially when unforeseen circumstances arise.
Kenneling can be a headache for both you and your house pets; Cats are especially stressed by forced removal from their familiar home territory and they dislike changes in their routine. This is not an affordable option when multiple animals are involved.
Considering a large petsitting agency? Don’t forget to consider that payment is rigid and difficult with these companies, high employee turnover, and you just never know which potentially wishy-washy sitter will be entering your home.
With a local in-home pet/dog sitter, you are guaranteed your pets are following their usual routines as well as receiving individual attention. Let's face it, we're all happiest sleeping in our own bed! Choosing V.I.People & Pets means you are choosing Cobb County's Exclusive PSI & NAPPS Certified Professional Petsitter who is trustworthy (see all my shining 5-star reviews at the bottom of each page!). These certifications provide pet sitters with a broad-ranged and in-depth program in pet sitting. The curriculum includes topics in pet care, health, nutrition and behavior, as well as business development and management, and a complete Pet First Aid course. You are guaranteed quality care; Animal and dog lover since forever!
Insured/bonded since 2005. If your pet is sick and needs to go to vet, or is attacked, or attacks, or darts into oncoming traffic, etc- friends/family/neighbors/hobby sitters do not carry insurance to cover unforeseen incidents
Isn't it worth a little more to ensure your pets and home are in safe hands? If something goes wrong, wouldn’t you prefer a pet sitter that is fully insured, with years of experience? When you hire a professional pet sitter, it creates a business relationship with clear expectations for you and your pet sitter. We become quite fond of any and all pets we care for and we’ll provide excellent service! Its my profession to provide loving care to pets and homes.
Now listen closely and tune in to your pet!…Your pet is trying to tell you she doesn't want to be caged up in a loud, concrete environment where sickness looms and stress/anxiety awaits. She’s telling you she needs all the love and attention we all know she craves. In exchange for the unconditional love your pet provides, you owe it to her to hire an established and dependable pet sitter; Someone capable to get the job done above and beyond your expectations by unconditionally loving and caring for your pets while you cannot.
Our Pledge To You:
Because we know how much you care about your pets, we promise to always take care of them with kindness and compassionate attention. We promise to offer you the peace of mind that comes from knowing that we will always take care of your beloved companions as if they were our own.
So, whether you're away on business or vacation, or just working long hours, you can rest assured that V.I.People & Pets will provide professional and loving care and companionship for your pets.
Relax, and don’t worry! Your pets are in good hands. We promise!
Pet Sitting Services Offered
Lots of TLC; belly rubs? Yeah, we do that!
Fresh food, water and treats
Clean out slimy water bowls.
Regular exercise and play time
Walks and potty breaks
Administration of medications and supplements as needed
Litter changing/cage cleaning
Clean up pet accidents
Vet transport in case of injury/illness
Additional attention your pet may require
We are delighted to provide these complimentary house sitting/crime-deterrent services to make your time away from home as worry-free as possible:
Newspaper and mail retrieval
Bring trash cans out/in for collection
Plant watering (added fee if total visit exceeds 30 minutes)
Lights/blinds/curtains/TV/radio adjustment
Other requests considered
Hours of Operation
7:30am - 10:00pm
No service on weekdays after 3:15pm and before 7:15pm
No service between 12:00pm Christmas eve and 3:00pm Christmas day
Routes can change dramatically on a daily, and even hourly, basis. Routes are planned night before or morning of, and usually never sooner. In order to get to everyone in a timely manner, it is most feasible to generally work within a 3-hour window. It is certainly possible to break route and get to your pet within any requested 1-hour window, but there will be an extra $4/visit ‘insurance’ fee to guarantee your preferred timing. (When Available)
Payment Policy
For regularly-scheduled 3+ times per week clients, payment is to be made on or before 8a.m. day-of first scheduled visit for the current week.
For pet sitting and non-regular dog walking (<3x/wk), a 50% deposit is due before your desired dates are added to calendar. Remaining payment is to be made on or before noon of the day before first scheduled service.
Rates, Prices, F(r)ees
INITIAL ONBOARDING CONSULTATION / REGISTRATION
I drive to your home to get acquainted, learn your pets’ routine and finalize paperwork; your determined pet sit/dog walk rate will apply as a charge for this visit. Please note that service dates are required before booking the consultation, and deposit for those dates, is also required during the consultation.
Initial onboarding and in-home consultation time shouldn't take longer than 30 minutes. All new-onboards receive ONE FREE VISIT! Any additional consultations/meetings billed at normal pet sit rate.
PET SITTING / DAILY DOG WALKING
--Large dog breeds over 40lbs accepted if no leash-walking required, and if leash-walking is necessary, then little-to-no leash-pulling/leash-reactiveness to other animals/people.
--Congrats on factoring pet care as part of your travel/vacation budget--
Pet Sitting- For your pets’ health and safety, cats must be seen at least once every 24 hours (see FAQ for 15 reasons why). For dogs, 2 visits per day is mandatory (every 12 hours). 3 visits a.m./mid day/p.m. is the most comfortable option for your pets.
Daily Dog Walking aka The Pit Stop- We’ll recharge their batteries while you're at work or away, and let them empty out their tanks so you don't need to worry.
$23 per visit/walk, each visit is typically 20-30 minutes (this is base rate for 1 pet), AND
All new onboards receive 1 FREE visit/walk (10th visit). *Temporary/last-minute/holiday bookings excluded*
1 FREE visit for referrals (honored after they spend $100 on services)
ADDITIONAL AND/OR CHALLENGING PETS
$2 per additional pet (or tank if fish/turtles/frogs/etc)
$3 extra per visit per puppies less than 1yr old, (reactive) leash-pullers, jumpers, scratchers, bite/nippers, lungers, generally untrained/uncooperative/rambunctious pets
A reasonable number of extraneous pets from other households are welcome: $12 base-rate fee added per visit. All other fees as normal. This type of arrangement must be discussed with V.I.People & Pets ahead of time, since all proper paperwork will need to be completed and made available on or before first visit. Absolutely no aggressive or skittish pets allowed
1-HOUR-WINDOW ARRIVAL TIME
$4 extra for specific arrival-time requests less than a 3-hour window. More info in FAQ
EXTENDED VISIT
$12 per 15-minute interval
MEDICINE/SUPPLEMENTS
$2 per visit for pilling/supplements/topical application for up to 5 ‘doses'/2 dogs. $4 when more
$4 per visit for any meds that require jaw manipulation. $8 when more than 2 pets require jaw manipulation per visit
$11 per injection/chemo per pet
‘LAST-MINUTE’/DAY-OF/INTENSIVE-LABOR JOBS
$4 extra per visit for any same-day scheduling requests.
10% ‘last-minute’ fee added to total invoice for pet sitting when scheduling requests and/or deposit payment made less than 5 days (non-holiday)/less than 10 days (holiday) including less-than-3 days/week dog walking requests.
15% for high-exertion jobs including kennels, increased manual labor, skilled-type jobs including handyman work.
Other Rates & Services
HOLIDAY CHARGE
Time-and-a-half per visit on these ‘major’ holiday days: New Year's Eve & Day, Valentine's Day, Easter, Mother's Day, Memorial Day, Father's Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve & Day, federal holidays
TRANSPORTATION TO VET OR GROOMER
$34 one-way vet transport pick-up/drop-off, plus any vet costs. Includes quick potty break. Includes up to 30 minutes of time. $34 minimum charge
$50 clean-up fee for any pukers/poopers/peers inside vehicle.
After the first 30 minutes, $24 per half hour to wait at vet/run errands. Emergency transport is $28 per half hour
$8 extra for first and last half hour whenever out-of-(blue)-boundary service
Any requests to occur before 10am or after 8pm incur time-and-a-half charge
$5 extra for any day-of scheduling requests
OUT-OF-BOUNDARY SERVICE
$5 extra per visit. Locations within a mile or two outside boundary lines considered. See boundary HERE
ADDITIONAL EXPENSES RELATED TO PET CARE
Reimbursement for purchase of supplies plus $24 per half hour trip charge ($24 minimum charge)
CANCELLATION/REFUND POLICY
It is not unusual for trip plans to change at the last minute. However, please understand that V.I.People & Pets turns away business in order to accommodate your requested scheduled services.
Please be mindful that you are not just paying for pet sitting; you are also paying to reserve scheduled times that cannot be resold when canceled/rescheduled.
A 50% deposit is required AT TIME OF BOOKING, to secure your desired calendar spot, which becomes nonrefundable/nontransferable when cancellations/reschedules are made less than 5 days before 8am of first scheduled service day.
Since holiday travel is a peak service time for pet care (2 business days before major holidays, on major holidays, and 2 business days after major holidays, as well as any time between Christmas and New Year, and Cobb Schools Spring/Fall/Winter breaks), the 50% holiday pet sitting deposit becomes nonrefundable/nontransferable when cancellations/reschedules are made less than 10 days before 8am of first scheduled service day.
All return home early/leave late will be charged 50% for each scheduled pet sit that is canceled. Day-of return early/leave late are nonrefundable, including any cancels after 8pm the night before.
No single-visit refund will be provided when notification of cancel/reschedule occurs day-of or while already en route to your residence.
For regular 3+ days per week daily dog walking clients: cancellations made after 4pm on the day prior to scheduled service will incur a 50% cancellation fee.
All refunds under $300 will be issued as a credit for future service.
See FAQ for more details on both payment and cancellation policies.
KEY COPY
$24 plus cost of keys
KEY PICK-UP/DROP-OFF
$24 Key pick-up/drop-off (if not done during initial consultation or last scheduled visit)
LOCKSMITH CALL
$24 per half hour plus locksmith’s fees
RETURNED CHECKS
$30 plus bank fees
COLLECTIONS
In the event an attorney and/or collection agency is needed, all fees related to collecting outstanding balances will be due for reimbursement
INCIDENTALS
Reasonable fees to be determined…
