The pandemic made me almost forget that it was June. That means it’s time for our annual blog on pet sitting and dog walking rates in the Capital District!
This year, I researched 27 companies covering Columbia, Albany, Schenectady, Saratoga and Rensselaer counties, which had a website and were listed as being insured. I researched PROFESSIONAL pet sitter websites and did NOT include the ‘on-demand, app’ websites as the majority of sitters listed on those sites do not have their own pet sitting liability insurance and are considered more of ‘hobby’ sitters.
What is the average rate for pet sitting and dog walking in the Capital District?
For vacation care the average rate for a 20-30 minute visit is $21.88 (up from 2019’s $21.79).
For vacation care the average rate for a one hour visit is $34.69 (up from 2019’s $33.94).
For midday dog walking (3-5 days per week) the average rate for a 20-30 minute visit is $20.88 (down from 2019’s $21.41).
As expected, rates varied greatly between service providers with the least expensive pet sitter coming in at $15 per 20-30 minute visit and the highest coming in at $35 per visit for both vacation pet sitting and midday dog walking.
There are a lot of reasons for the variations; some are solo sitters and don’t have the overhead that a service with employees would have. Some may be just starting out and want to charge less to gain a client base.
Given the variation in rates how do you choose a pet sitter?
Ask your friends and neighbors for recommendations or speak to your veterinarian. Check out the pet sitters until you find someone that you are comfortable with and make sure to do your research to insure you’re finding someone who is a legitimate, insured business.
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