Original Article: https://www.dogster.com/lifestyle/trustedhousesitters-review

Do you find it hard to go away on vacation knowing that your furry friends might not be getting the same care and attention while you’re away? Or maybe you don’t go on vacation at all! I know I find it hard to go away since I have a very nervous rescue dog, and I want him to always feel safe and comfortable. Well, TrustedHousesitters has come up with a solution for those hesitant to leave their pets so they can travel. You create an account, pay a one-time annual fee, and you’re ready to connect with verified, animal-loving pet and house sitters. There’s no need to pay the expensive cost of a pet sitter, all you need to do is provide free lodging so the sitter can travel to you, stay with your pet, and explore the area. While at first, I was a bit skeptical about the idea of letting a stranger stay in my house, the more I learned about the company, the more I was intrigued. As I gathered more information, I started shifting my opinion from thinking I’d never be able to go on vacation again, to wondering how soon I could plan one!

What Is TrustedHousesitters?

TrustedHousesitters is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a website where you can sign up to find trusted, verified people to stay at your house and watch your pets while you’re away on vacation. It’s a global, pet-loving community that allows your pet to stay comfortably in its typical environment and routine, while you enjoy some stress-free time away. The company was founded in 2010 and has been bringing people together through their love of pets ever since. They offer “vacation pet sitting, with love”, and they back that up by connecting pet owners with pet-loving sitters.

TrustedHousesitters is set up to be a win-win for everyone. You get someone to care for your pet, your pet gets to stay in its home and routine, and the sitters get a free place to stay in exchange. This allows the sitters to travel, explore a new area, and bond with your furry friend (or non-furry friend; they offer sitting for all different types of pets including dogs, cats, horses, birds, reptiles, fish, and more). Pet parents can travel more comfortably knowing their pets are in good, loving hands.

TrustedHousesitters could be used by anyone who wants to travel and would prefer that their pet friends stay at home while they are away. Boarding can get expensive and be difficult since you don’t always know what’s going on and how your pet is doing. Paying for a pet sitter can certainly add up quickly, and who wants to ask their friends to do them such a big (and time-consuming) favor? TrustedHousesitters is an awesome alternative.

While this can work for all sorts of pets, nervous or older pets could especially benefit from the low-stress time at home and one-on-one care. Pets (particularly rescues) are also much happier and more content in their home environments – and having an in-home sitter helps to remove the stress and disruption that taking a pet to a kennel/boarding facility can incur.

Overview

Pricing

TrustedHousesitters has several different Pet Parent memberships ranging from $149 a year to $299 a year. For the Basic Pet Parent membership priced at $149 annually, you can get unlimited home and pet care from verified sitters. The Standard Pet Parent membership at $229 provides additional extras, such as a Home and Contents Plan, free video calls with vets, and a Money-back Promise. The most expensive membership for the Premium Pet Parent, priced at $299, provides all that, plus 2 global airport lounge passes and a Sit Cancellation Plan. These memberships are all one-time annual fees, which then allow you to travel and connect with pet and house sitters as often or as little as you like.

What to Expect

Once you sign up for TrustedHousesitters, you’ll be able to browse the site and look at the different pet sitter profiles. Then, once you’re ready, you can choose your membership plan from the options we’ve listed above. You will then need to create your own home listing as someone looking for a pet sitter. The website will have you share photos of your place, your pets, and a brief description of your home. Then, you’ll get applications from their community of pet-loving sitters who would like to stay at your home and take care of your pets. You can look and see the reviews applicants have received from previous pet-sitting jobs and find the best match. After a few message exchanges, you’ll hop on a video call with your sitter to discuss wants and needs, and then enjoy the peace of mind while you are away.

What You Get

TrustedHousesitters charges an annual fee which then allows for unlimited sits and pet sitters. Once you sign up and pay for whichever membership is right for you, you can travel and get trusted people to come pet sit for you as many times as you go away – there are no hidden costs. Every pet sitter is ID verified and sitters in the US have undergone a background check, so you know they can be trusted. You’re also getting an animal lover who truly cares and wants to connect to make memories instead of getting paid in a typical, more transactional way. It’s a win-win for both sides.

In Summary

Key Features

Background Checked Sitters

It sounds a little scary to just let anyone into your house to house sit, let alone to pet sit! That’s why TrustedHousesitters makes sure to take the worry out of the equation. They do ID checks for all sitters, have external references for sitters, and make sure their email and phone are verified to be genuine. US-based sitters also undergo a background check. You can also read real reviews left by fellow pet owner members on the site. Their goal is to make sure that all of their members feel “safe, secure, and supported”.

Home Protection

It’s hard to let someone you don’t know into your home and not be at least the tiniest bit worried about what could go wrong. That’s why TrustedHousesitters offers a Home and Contents Plan. As long as you have an existing home insurance policy, and are a Standard or Premium Pet Parent member, you will be covered for property damage, theft, and public liability up to $1 million. They say it’s “unlikely you’ll need it but it’s there if you do”, which is a great way to help set your mind at ease.

24/7 Vet Advice

To go that extra step to make sure all will be safe and happy while you’re away, TrustedHousesitters also offers a free, 24/7 vet advice line. While Basic pet parent members don’t get access to the Vet Advice Line, their sitters will do so they can also get extra peace of mind when a sit is happening. Knowing that there will be professional backup in case anything goes wrong while you are away is crucial to having a stress-free vacation. While sitters are responsible for monitoring the pets and their well-being during a sit, the vet line could come in handy if a pet becomes more ill or injured than a sitter would be able to help with.

Is TrustedHousesitters Good Value?

After researching the brand and reading up on what their different memberships offer, I definitely think TrustedHousesitters is a good value. Hiring someone to come pet sit can be expensive and adds up quickly. It’s not always an affordable option, so TrustedHousesitters is a great alternative. With the unlimited pet and home care they offer, with Home and Contents Plan and access to 24/7 vet advice, I think the Standard Pet Parent membership is a great bang for your buck. It sounds like a steal considering everything that’s included. It’s a one-time annual fee, and then you can travel and use the pet sitters as many times as you need.

In my opinion, the extra love and attention for your pets is priceless.

FAQ

Why should my pet stay at home while I’m away?

Our pets love their routines, and they love their homes. Animals are happier at home when their pet parents travel and can adjust much more easily to a new caretaker than to all new surroundings and stimuli (like they would experience in boarding). 

What if something happens to my pet while I’m away?

If your pet becomes ill or injured while you are away, and you have a Standard or Premium membership, you’ll be able to have free 24/7 access to the vet advice line. Sitters (regardless of what membership you have) can also call this line for expert advice from veterinary nurses while on a sit, to make sure the pets get the care that they need.

What is the Money Back Promise?

TrustedHousesitters is confident you will be able to find a great sitter and will have an even better experience with them. That’s why they have the Money Back Promise. With the Standard and Premium memberships, if there are no pet-sitting applications to your listing within 14 days of posting, you’ll get your money back.

How do I get started?

It’s super easy to get started on TrustedHousesitters. You’ll pick which Pet Parent membership matches your needs best. Once you create your account, you will upload images of your home (and your pet, of course), along with a brief description to create your listing. Then, just wait for applications from interested pet sitters to roll on in.

Our Thoughts About TrustedHousesitters

My pup Elo is my whole world and he absolutely dictates what I do, where I go, and how long I’m gone. And I don’t think that’s a terrible thing! I signed up for a rescue and the one I got happened to be very, very nervous. Elo has a hard time with more chaotic and unpredictable environments, so places like dog daycares and boarding facilities are not an option for him. He loves his routine and daily schedule. (And will let me know if he should have gotten his snack ten minutes ago.) Because of his anxieties and his desire to be in his comfort zone and routine, I haven’t been able to or willing to board him. I know he will be nervous and shut down the entire time he’s at a boarding facility, and how could I possibly enjoy a vacation if I know that’s how it’s going on his end? I’ve had a couple of my friends dog-sit for a day, but Elo comes with a decent amount of instructions. It’s not quite fair to ask for dog-sitting when those friends didn’t necessarily sign up for a dog with VIP needs. And pet sitters can add up so quickly. It didn’t seem like there was any option that would work for me and my special, anxious pup. I’ve had to alternate vacations with my parents so that someone would be around to take care of Elo. For example, we were visiting in England, so both my parents flew over for a week, then my mom came back and swapped with me so I could fly over for the second week.

I committed to my furry friend that I would keep him happy and healthy, living the best life possible, and if that means my life needs to change a little bit, so be it! Now that sounds extreme to some, but I think a lot of people who might be interested in TrustedHousesitters might feel the same way.

I’ll be honest, at first, it did sound a little too good to be true. I’m supposed to sign up and pay just one annual fee and never pay the actual sitters? It sounded too good to be true, but the more I’ve learned, the more I love this personal concept of connecting travel and animal lovers. I’ve gotten on board with the idea of having a well-reviewed pet lover and traveler come stay and take care of things while I’m away. I think TrustedHousesitters has thought of and covered just about everything I could wonder or have questions about. I also love that you can message back and forth and have a video call before moving forward with a sitter. I think the more personal aspect of this company is what makes it actually “Trusted”. I’m excited to sign up, see who I can connect with, and start taking some trips so both Elo and I can live our best lives.

Conclusion

After a deep dive researching TrustedHousesitters, I would absolutely be interested to try it out! It’s a great way to connect two parties who want to travel and have a deep love of pets. It allows pets to stay in the comfort of their own home, for owners to travel worry-free, and for sitters to explore a new area with a new furry (or not so furry) companion. This more personal approach to traveling and pet sitting is truly intriguing; it sounds like wins all around when you sign up for TrustedHousesitters.

Source: Dogster