How to find a pet sitter you can trust: a step-by-step guide

Handing your keys and your pets to someone new is a big step. You can check a sitter well before your trip, in order, from the first name you hear to the first night they stay.

How to find a pet sitter: the steps at a glance

Here is the whole process in seven steps. Each one has its own section below.

1. Ask people you trust for names: friends, neighbours and your vet.
2. Read local reviews and make a short list of two or three sitters.
3. Ask each sitter questions about how they care for pets and handle emergencies.
4. Call their references and listen for details, not just praise.
5. Ask about insurance and checks, and write down the answers.
6. Hold a meet and greet at your home, with your pets there.
7. Book a short trial sit before a long trip, if you can.

Why do you need to check a pet sitter yourself in B.C.?

Nobody else checks for you. AnimalKind, the BC SPCA’s accreditation program, says it plainly: “Pet care services are unregulated in B.C.” It adds: “Anyone can open a boarding facility, grooming salon, or run a dog daycare, regardless of their education and experience.”

The BC SPCA puts it the same way on its page about choosing pet services: “In B.C., anyone can claim to be a dog trainer or run a dog daycare, grooming salon, dog-walking business, or pet boarding facility.” AnimalKind does have standards, but they are voluntary, and they cover services like boarding, daycare, dog walking and grooming. In-home pet sitting is not on that list.

That leaves the checking to you, and the steps in this guide are how to find a trustworthy pet sitter.

Where can you find a good pet sitter?

Start close to home and work outward. Each place below has its own strengths.

• Referrals. Ask friends, family and neighbours with pets who they use. A person you know can tell you how a sitter behaved over a whole trip.
• Your vet. The BC SPCA suggests asking reliable sources like your vet for recommendations when you choose a groomer. The same idea works for a sitter.
• Local reviews. Look at reviews on a sitter’s Facebook page or Google listing. Read the longer ones, and look at how recent they are.
• Independent sitters. Some sitters run a small local business under their own name. You deal with one person from the first message.
• Marketplace apps. These list many sitters in one place. Each app sets its own rules for profiles, reviews and support, so read the app’s own pages on how it checks sitters.
• House-sitting exchanges. These sites match travellers with sitters who stay in the home. Each site has its own way of checking members, so read its rules before you sign up.

Wherever you found the name, do the steps that follow.

What should you look for in a pet sitter?

Look for someone who asks about your pet before you ask about them. AnimalKind lists questions to help you pick a pet service that puts animal welfare first. They were written for businesses like boarding and grooming, but most of them carry over to a sitter in your home.

What to look for	Why it matters	How to check
Kind, reward-based handling	The BC SPCA says carers should use “food, treats, and play” to help pets feel comfortable, not punishments like spray bottles	Ask: “What methods do they use to handle and interact with your pet?” (BC SPCA)
They learn your pet first	A sitter who knows your pet’s quirks spots trouble sooner	AnimalKind asks: “Do they ask about your pet’s typical behaviour, fears and favourite rewards?”
Reads body language	Stress in cats and dogs can be quiet and easy to miss	Ask: “Have they had training in understanding cat or dog body language?” (BC SPCA)
A plan for emergencies	You may be hours away, or on a ferry or a plane	Ask: “What would they do in an emergency or if your pet gets injured?” (BC SPCA)
Health questions	Vaccines, allergies and old injuries change how a pet is cared for	AnimalKind asks if they want your pet’s “vaccination and parasite prevention status and health concerns”
Open answers	Hesitation now usually means less contact later	AnimalKind asks: “Do they willingly answer all your questions?”

For a full list you can read aloud on a call, see the questions to ask a pet sitter before you book.

How do you check a pet sitter’s references and reviews?

Call or message at least two references, and ask open questions. A reference who says “she was great” tells you little. A reference who tells you what the sitter did tells you a lot.

Good questions for a reference:

• What pets did the sitter care for, and for how long?
• How did your pet seem when you got home?
• How did the sitter keep in touch while you were away?
• Did anything go wrong? What did the sitter do about it?
• Would you book them again?

For online reviews, the BC SPCA lists “checking reviews of the business” as one step in choosing a groomer, and it is just as useful here. Read past the star count and look for reviews that describe real care, like meals, medication or updates. Several short, vague reviews posted on the same day are worth a second look.

Is a pet sitter safe? Insurance and background checks

A pet sitter can be safe, but in B.C. no outside body confirms it for you, so the safety questions fall to you. Ask every sitter on your list the same ones, and write down what each person says.

• Insurance. Do they carry business insurance? What does it cover: your pet, your home, a lost key?
• Background check. Have they had a criminal record check? Can you see it, and how recent is it?
• Keys and access. Where will your key live while you are away, and how will it come back to you?
• Backup. If the sitter gets sick during your trip, who steps in?

If a sitter turns vague or annoyed at these questions, take note. Compare the answers side by side before you choose.

How do you interview a pet sitter? Hold a meet and greet

The meet and greet is the interview. It is a short visit at your home, with your pets there, before you book. You see how the sitter talks to your dog or approaches your cat, and the sitter sees the routine they will be keeping.

I do a meet and greet before bookings. That way your pets know my face before I stay over.

At the meet and greet, watch for these signs:

• The sitter lets your pet come to them, at your pet’s pace.
• They ask about food, medication, fears and your vet.
• They take notes, or ask where things are kept.
• They answer your questions without rushing you.

The guide to what happens at a pet sitter meet and greet covers what to have ready and what to ask. To leave the sitter everything they need in writing, use the pet sitter checklist.

Should you book a trial sit first?

Yes, if your trip is long or your pet is nervous. A trial sit is a short booking before the big one, like one night or a weekend. It shows you how your pet copes and how the sitter keeps in touch, while the stakes are low.

After the trial, check a few things:

• Did your pet eat and settle normally?
• Did you get the updates you agreed on?
• Was the house the way you left it?

If anything felt off, talk it through with the sitter before the long trip, while a fix is still easy.

What are the red flags when choosing a pet sitter?

AnimalKind says to say no to companies that “use punishment like shouting, hitting, spray bottles, shock, prong or choke collars” or that “discourage you from observing the service or facilities.” It also warns against companies that “don’t tell you about any incidents that happen to your pet.” If a sitter makes you or your pet uncomfortable, AnimalKind says it is okay to stop and ask more questions, or to walk away.

Other warning signs include a sitter who skips the meet and greet, can’t give you a reference, or won’t put your dates in writing. Read the full list in pet sitter red flags to watch for.

Should you choose a sitter, a kennel or a friend?

It depends on your pet. Some pets are happiest at home, and some social dogs enjoy boarding. A friend can cover a short, simple trip. The comparison of pet sitter vs boarding vs a friend walks through which fits which pet.

How Stay Sit Snuggle works

I’m Darcie Nolan, and Stay Sit Snuggle is my in-home pet and house sitting business. I stay overnight in your home so your pets keep the same routine. I do a meet and greet before bookings. I post my availability by date ranges, and I’m already taking bookings into 2027. Summer 2026 was my busiest in years, with a record eight new clients.

I sit for cats and dogs on Vancouver Island and in Vancouver and Edmonton. On the Island, that means Ladysmith, Nanaimo, Cumberland, Courtenay and Comox. See pet sitting in Nanaimo and Ladysmith or pet sitting in the Comox Valley, read how my in-home pet sitting works, or check the pet sitting FAQ.

Ask me the same questions you would ask anyone. When you are ready, send me your dates and I’ll reply with availability.