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What do you think would be an animal lover’s dream? It has to be something close to playing with pets all day. So what if you have the opportunity to do that – but also get paid for it? Yes, it’s possible with Rover.
Rover is a technology company that aims to connect pet sitters to pet owners who require various services. Rover is available in more than 14,000 cities and provides access to more than 200,000 dog sitters.
Some of the pet care services you’ll be able to provide include dog walking, dog boarding, house-sitting, pet-sitting, drop-in visits, and doggy daycare. It’s pretty much pet heaven, and you get to make money while giving the cute furry friends the love and attention they need while their owners are away.
Who is Rover for?
Rover is for any animal lover looking for some side hustle to make extra cash. It is also very convenient for people who have busy daily schedules and are still interested in taking up this type of job because there is no set schedule, so you can take it up whenever you’re available.
This works super well, particularly for college students or someone who has a job with set hours during the week. Besides that, the only real requirement is love for animals and an interest in wanting to take care of them.
There are a few basic requirements you’ll have to meet once you get on Rover’s online platform. These include being at least 18 years old, completing a background check, and taking a safety quiz.
Pet sitters and walkers who sign up to use Rover’s platform are usually independent contractors, which means they don’t receive a set salary or benefits. Keep in mind you will also have to be responsible for your taxes and insurance.
How does Rover work?
First things first, you’ll be asked to create a profile because the pet owners will want to know a bit more about you before handing over their beloved furry friends.
Setting up a profile
You should include some of the information your name, location, pet care experience, whether you own any pets yourself, which services you offer, and a general bio.
It’s a good idea to be as thorough as possible and provide the pet owners with relevant information to know. Just a picture or two showing yourself with other pets/pet owners will do the trick. It’s not a must to include photos, but the probability of getting hired will be significantly higher if you do.
If you have any pet-care-related licenses or certifications, don’t forget to list them to improve your credibility. Check with local authorities to figure out if there are any other licensing requirements or regulations you need to know of.
After you’re done with all that, the Rover team manually reviews your profile to determine if it meets their standards before they approve it. This process can take up to five to ten business days, so don’t get worried if you don’t receive a response right away.
Accepting requests
Once your profile is up and running, pet owners looking for pet sitters will be able to view it and book your services through the platform itself. Once you get requests, you will get a chance to review them before deciding if you want to go for them or not.
You might then get requests by the pet owners to meet up in person before they hand over the reins of their pet to you. Make sure you prepare a few references that they can reach out to keep things on the safe side.
If you want a good review, in the end, make sure to have a polite and professional attitude and take your time getting to know their pet. Going the extra mile will help make sure you get good reviews that will help you get more bookings in the future.
Get your money
Once you’re done with your job, Rover will deposit the money two days after you’ve completed the service. To access and withdraw your pay, add a payment method such as Paypal or Check. You will see the funds in the payments section of your profile.
You don’t have to worry about fees if you use PayPal, and the funds available will become available on the same day once the transaction is processed. Being paid by check will take five days for the funds to be released and then another twenty days for you to get the check. You’ll also have to bear with a $5 fee.
You can earn up to $1000 a month on average, according to Rover, while working as a pet sitter, and maybe even twice as much if you add dog-boarding to the mix. To achieve this, you will have to work hard and get regular clients.
Available features on Rover
By using Rover, there are a couple of extra benefits you’ll get if you’re a pet sitter or a pet owner.
The Rover Guarantee
The Rover Guarantee is a commitment by the company to help pet sitters if anything goes wrong during a booking and offer coverage for them. Rover reimburses up to $25,000 in vet care costs for any injuries that may occur during a service, so this makes things convenient if there’s ever a case where a pet has to be rushed to the hospital in case of an emergency.
This guarantee also includes access to 24/7 support so pet sitters can have peace knowing that if anything goes wrong, there is around-the-clock support that they can contact for help.
Schedule management system
As a pet sitter, Rover lets you make your schedule and includes your availability on your profile, so it’s entirely up to you how you want to go about it.
You will also add specific services on different days through their Calendar section snd function on their app. Keep your calendar up-to-date and take action when you get requests, so your profile doesn’t automatically get set to ‘away’ mode.
Confirm your availability every week even if there are not many changes that need to be made, and Rover will put a banner on your profile letting pet owners know you’ve confirmed your upcoming schedule.
Pet care education
Extensive resources on Rover will help pet care professionals improve their business and provide better and more qualified care to pets.
As a sitter, you can access information about dog care, cat care, safety, providing good service, growing your business, seasonal tips, and insurance and finance. This will be especially useful if you’re new to pet sitting and don’t have enough experience yet.
What’s the verdict?
So is Rover worth the try? Absolutely. Rover is ultimately a great place to find pet sitting jobs and set up a side hustle, or even take it up as an independent business of your own and make money fast.
Since you can schedule your prices and keep flexible hours, it can be taken up by just about anyone. And the best part, it’s all secure, so security is something you won’t have to worry about.
