Q: How do you manage my booking and how can I see updates?

A: We use an appointment management system called Pet Sitter Plus.  This system has several key features which give us a 360° view of each booking.

• Customer data management including your address, emergency contact, maintenance contacts, cleaning supplies, and pet data like name, age, health status, feeding instructions, etc. 

• Schedule management 

• Key control

• Invoicing and payment documentation

• Appointment documentation including: appointment check-in and out, photos, and sitter/walker comments

Having this data means that we never miss an appointment, never have confusion about instructions, and always have the information necessary to keep your home safe and your pet healthy and happy.
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Q: How much do you charge for extra pets?

A: We charge the same rate regardless if you have one pet or one hundred (though we might be concerned if you have 100 and will certainly advise you if the time you have booked is adequate.)  We have ad hoc, weekly, and monthly subscriptions to meet your needs.   

 

Q: Do you charge extra for weekends and holidays?

A: We NEVER charge extra for weekends and holidays.  We want to build long-term relationships with our customers based on mutual trust and respect and that starts with fair and transparent pricing.
 

Q: Do you offer discounts?

A: With the same idea of fair and transparent pricing, we don’t offer “packages” or discounts for extended holiday bookings.  The only discount we offer is for regularly booked dog walks.  We do this under our “Frequent Floofer” plan for people booking 3 or more walks a week.  Please do contact us for more details if this applies to your needs.​

 

Q: When do I meet and give the keys to the Team Member?

A: Once you've been signed up in our appointment management system and have requested your appointments, we will identify the sitter available to cover your request and send you your invoice for deposit.  After the deposit is paid, we will set you up with a "Meet and Greet" appointment at a mutually convenient time with your assigned regular team member. 

At the Meet and Greet appointment you can pass a key to your sitter. We strongly suggest you make a copy of your key to put on file with us, or we will make other arrangements to exchange keys.  We're flexible.

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Q: How do I know the person that is visiting my pets is honest and qualified?

A: We are careful to vet our team members.  Each team member has had a background check and some have provided Abu Dhabi Police Clearance Letters.  They are also upstanding and known members of the pet community in Abu Dhabi and come with references.

We also do continuing education with our team members to be sure that they are learning new key skills.  Lastly, they are backed by a whole team of pet care experts right on the other end of messenger if something comes up that they are not familiar with.

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Q: How much notice do I need to give?

A: For new customers, we absolutely prefer 48-72 hours notice so that we can get you set up in the system and all the necessary done.  For return customers that we have a key handling plan with, we request a minimum of 48 hours notice. 

If you need to book over a holiday time, please be sure to make your booking as early as possible to ensure our availability.  Availability is on a first come, first serve basis.

We do know that last minute things come up.  Please give us a call for last minute requests.  An additional charge for late booking applies.

 

Q: What time do you visit? 

A: When you request your booking, you can choose the time frame you’d like your visit to take place.  For dog visits we absolutely take into consideration the time that it has been since they have last had the opportunity to toilet and will set an appropriate time to visit.  For cat visits, we will do our absolute best to visit within the requested time frame, but we might contact you for an exception. 

Pets on time-sensitive medications will be visited at the exact time requested, with additional charge.

Please keep in mind that, while we do our best to keep our schedule, our team members may arrive up to 30 minutes before or after the scheduled time.  We work with many different variables including pet health, access, and traffic. 

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Q: How do I know you've visited and my pet is okay?

A: Our appointment management system requires that your team member acknowledge the appointment on their schedule each morning.  This tells us that they are aware of the appointment and allows us to check in with the sitter to make sure all is well if they have not. 

When the sitter arrives and leaves your appointment, they will have a GPS tracked check-in and check-out. 

The sitter should, during or not long after your appointment, upload and send the services report.  This report will include an arrival and departure photo of your pet, comments from the team member about your pet’s health or behavior, any food or water changes, and litter box cleaning. 

Sometimes cats are hiding so well that we cannot find them.  If that’s the case, the sitter will note in the comments and take a photo of a common area of the home.
 

 

Q: Do you offer every other day visits on vacation bookings?

A: No.

Vacation bookings for dogs should include no less than 3 visits a day. Every dog deserves three opportunities to relieve themselves each day and some attention to let them know that they are loved and cared for. 

Vacation bookings for cats should be daily.  We know many cats would “be fine,” but when a cat gets ill, they often go downhill quickly.  Moreover, your cat should be better than “fine” when you return.  They should be their best selves, living their best life which includes daily mental stimulation, litter box cleaning, water changing and love (if they’re in the mood.)​

 

Q: Is The Pet Sitting Co. LLC a registered company?

A: The Pet Sitting Co. LLC is a fully licensed company in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.  Our CN is 2862810.  You can verify this on the TAMM Abu Dhabi website.

Don't be fooled by other companies that provide you with Free Zone or Dubai licenses.  In order to be insured and operate in Abu Dhabi, a company must carry an Abu Dhabi license or Abu Dhabi branch license.  Companies that are operating in Abu Dhabi without license here are operating outside of DED regulations and you have no protection under consumer protection laws and limited rights in the Abu Dhabi courts.

Also don’t be fooled by a license.  Pet care, sales, supplies, and grooming are very under-regulated in the UAE.  All it takes to get a license is money and time.  Please do investigate a company, even us!  

• Make sure that license is valid by checking the TAMM website. 

• Ask around to make sure that the company has a good reputation.  You can ask in other pet enthusiast groups on Facebook or amongst your friends and local community. 

• While no company can satisfy every customer, a 4 or 5 star rating on Facebook and Google can help you make a good decision.  

• Ask questions.  An honest company will never shy away from the hard questions.

And lastly, don’t be fooled by individuals who claim that they have a free-lance license.  These individuals have generally gotten a visa from a manpower company, are working on a visit visa, or have taken a visa from a freezone company in Dubai.  This means that they are not properly licensed, not paying vat, and you have no legal recourse if something goes wrong.
 

Q: Someone told me that they work for you, is it true?

A: We hope so!  But there have been a few occasions where individuals have used our name to fleece people.  Here’s how to know: 

• Our team members are not responsible for pricing, arranging appointments, advertising, or other similar activities.  Some of them comment and tag us on Facebook and other social media platforms, but then will refer you back to the office directly 

• Our team members will absolutely never ever contact you from their personal mobile number.  Our official phone number is +971 52 854 5674 and our admin carries the number +971 55 550 0738.  Both of these Whatsapp accounts are set up for business and come with our professional responses.

• Our team members are employees and will offer you no services outside of our appointment management system and official account through, Pet Sitter Plus.

• If in doubt, please just ask us!

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Q: What if we have a doggie door or cat flap?

A: Because of our liability insurance policy and best practices in pet sitting, it's our policy to keep all cats indoors and all dogs in a secure enclosure or on a leash.  If you have a free living cat that lives outdoors all of the time, or your dog or cat must simply have access to the outdoors, we will require you to sign a waiver.  This is because of the risks to the security of your home but also there are individuals who make a living off of stealing dogs and selling them.

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Q: What happens if there's an emergency?

A: As a routine part of registration we have you sign a Durable Power of Attorney which allows us to transport your pet to the vet in the event of a life threatening emergency.  This document is fully revocable later.  It stipulates your pet's name, our procedures, and a maximum spend before contacting you.  ​

 

Q: How do I pay?

A: We are working with the bank and our app developer to establish an API for secure online payments through our booking system.  In the meantime, we prefer bank transfer, but payment can be made in cash prior to the visit by deposit at the ATM or drop-off at our offices.

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Q: What are your Terms and Conditions?

A: They're a bit lengthy to put here, but many of them have been mentioned above.  Please, please, read them!

The most up to date copy is available upon booking in our system.  You'll be asked to digitally sign them.  A downloadable copy is available upon request.