Pet Sitter - Cat Sitting, Dog Walking, and Overnight Sitting

Are you a gig or freelance worker looking to fill up your schedule? Do you love animals (especially dogs and cats)? We need people like YOU to visit our furry clients!

Paws and Claws is an in-home pet sitting and dog walking service. We're looking for big-hearted people who share our obsession for pets and providing amazing customer service! NOTE: You must be based in one of the following areas to be considered: Cupertino, Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, North San Jose.

This job is a great fit for gig workers who want a flexible schedule, can walk dogs during the daytime on weekdays, or who want to care for cats at any time of day!

Get paid to….

• Spend time with dogs and cats who light up when they see you
• Relieve stress by playing and cuddling with furry friends
• Get outside and away from your desk for exercise and fresh air
• Get in your 10,000 steps

Positions (choose one or all three):

• Pet Sitting: Visit our clients' homes 1-2 times per day (morning, mid day, dinner and evening) to walk, feed and care for their pet/s while they travel.
• Overnight/House Sitting: Spend the night in our client's homes; starts with a 1-hour dinner visit, followed by a 9-hour sleeping stay and a 1-hour morning visit.
• Dog Walking: Visit our clients' homes between the hours of 11 AM & 3 PM, Monday through Friday, to walk dogs while their owners are at work.

Basic requirements:

• MUST genuinely love animals! If you don't sincerely love animals and enjoy being around them, job performance will be affected and clients will be able to see it.
• Be physically fit and able to work and commute in all types of weather (even rainy, humid and hot days)
• Be comfortable disposing of pet waste and occasionally cleaning up messes like vomit, hairballs, urine, etc.
• Have a reliable insured vehicle and valid drivers' license
• Must be able arrive at client homes at the time/within the window requested or agreed to.
• Able to provide a current and clean background check - either from recent job, or willing to purchase one
• Be 100% reliable (we'll do our best to cover emergencies but “calling in sick” or dropping out last minute is not an option, as the pets in your care depend on you)
• Must show proof of pet sitting insurance or be willing to pay for discounted coverage through Paws and Claws

Skills Needed:

• Professional training experience not required, but must be familiar with dog and cat behavior and needs:
• Understand how to calm anxious pets
• Encourage shy or withdrawn pets to approach and bond with you
• Identify possible health problems such as ear infections, skin wounds, etc.
• How to avoid/prevent possible fights when taking dogs to parks/public areas
• Understand and know how to prevent and address potential problems such as pets escaping, eating/chewing dangerous items, preventing “potty” accidents, etc.
• Must possess good interpersonal skills in order to build rapport with pet owners
• Good at meeting and starting conversations with new people
• Respond promptly when contacted by clients
• Identify, understand and address potential concerns clients may have
• Build a trusting and comfortable interpersonal relationship with pet owners