Frequently Asked Questions

A professional pet sitter operates as a legitimate, insured business with policies in place to ensure safety, consistency, and reliability. They treat pet care as a career, not a side gig, which means your pets and home receive dependable, high-quality care every time.

At Sunny Paws Pet Care, we are:

• Fully insured and bonded through Pet Care Insurance for your peace of mind

• Pet First Aid Certified

• Fear Free Certified

• Structured with policies

• Committed to clear communication, timely updates, and your pet’s unique needs

• Equipped for emergencies and always have a plan in place

A hobby sitter may love animals, but they may not have backup plans, insurance, or the consistency that comes with a professional service. Your pets deserve more than “just someone who’s available”. They deserve someone who is qualified, prepared, and passionate about what they do.

Yes! Sunny Paws Pet Care is fully insured and bonded for your peace of mind through Pet Care Insurance.

At this time, I do not offer boarding in my home. I specialize in in-home care, where pets stay in the comfort of their own environment while I provide visits or overnight care. This helps keep your pets relaxed, stress-free, and on their regular routine while you’re away.

Our standard hours are from 8am-8pm. Any walks or drop-ins before or after standard hours may incur an additional fee of $5-$10 depending on time, distance, and effort to adjust schedule (if needed).

Yes! I offer one complimentary meet and greet for all new clients. This visit allows us to go over your pet’s routine, discuss any special needs, and give your pet a chance to get comfortable with me.

It’s also an opportunity to make sure we’re a good fit for each other as a meet and greet does not automatically guarantee services. Sunny Paws Pet Care reserves the right to decline services if we determine it’s not the best match for your pet’s needs or for safety reasons.

For the safety of all pets and myself, Sunny Paws Pet Care does not provide services for dogs with a history of aggression or biting. Safety is always the top priority, and working with aggressive behaviors can put everyone at risk.

It is essential that clients are fully honest about their pet’s history, including any incidents of aggression or bites. Withholding this information may result in immediate termination of services.

If your dog is shy, nervous, or has mild reactivity, I may still be able to provide care. A meet and greet is always required to assess your pet’s needs and determine if we’re a good fit.

To ensure a smooth and consistent experience for all clients, Sunny Paws Pet Care schedules visits within time blocks rather than assigning exact appointment times. As a one-woman show for drop-in visits and dog walks, I truly appreciate your flexibility and patience.

Visits are scheduled in the following time blocks:

• Morning: 8:00 AM – 11:00 AM

• Midday: 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM

• Afternoon: 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM

• Evening: 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM

• Overnight Stay Window: 8:00 PM – 8:00 AM next day

This time-block approach allows flexibility for travel time, pet needs, and any unforeseen changes throughout the day.

If your pet has time-sensitive needs like medication or meals, I’ll absolutely take that into account when planning my schedule.

It is highly recommend to book as soon as you can. Preferably up to one week in advance for drop-in visits, dog walks, and pet taxi. I cannot guarantee availability if services are booked less than 5-7 days in advance.

For overnight visits, it’s recommended to book at least one month in advance as openings are limited.

Please keep in mind that service requests are processed on a first come, first serve basis. If I am unable to accommodate you, I am happy to connect you with another trusted sitter in my network.

Due to the limited number of overnight bookings we can accept, a 30% deposit is required to reserve your dates. Please note that verbal requests alone do not secure a booking — dates are only reserved once a deposit is received. If another client inquires for the same dates and submits their deposit first, the booking will go to them.

Once your booking is confirmed, we decline other requests for that time frame to ensure your pets receive our full attention.

Deposits are refundable if canceled at least 72 hours before the start of service. Cancellations made with less notice will forfeit the deposit. The remaining balance is due at the start of the stay or end of the stay, depending on what has been agreed upon between the sitter and the client.

Your pet’s safety is always my top priority.

In the event of an emergency, I will immediately assess the situation and contact you. If urgent care is needed and you are unreachable, I will take your pet to your designated veterinarian (or the nearest emergency clinic if time is critical).

All clients are required to provide an emergency contact and vet information before services begin, so I can act quickly and responsibly if something unexpected happens.

Yes! A $10 holiday fee applies to visits scheduled on major holidays, including:

• New Year’s Eve

• New Year’s Day

• Easter

• Memorial Day

• Independence Day

• Labor Day

• Thanksgiving

• Black Friday

• Christmas Eve

• Christmas Day

Is there a fee for additional pets?

We charge based on the time spent at each visit, so it’s important to book enough time to accommodate all the pets in our care. In some cases where additional pets require significant extra time or specialized care, an additional pet fee may apply.

Do you charge for last-minute bookings?

We will only ever charge a $5-$10 fee (based on distance) if a request truly requires adjusting our schedule to accommodate your pet. If there is availability, you will not be charged an additional fee.

What if I need a visit before 8 AM or after 8 PM?

Visits outside our standard hours (8 AM - 8 PM) incur a $5 early/late visit fee per appointment.

Is there a wait fee for pet taxi services?

Yes. If we need to wait during a pet taxi service (e.g. vet drop-off or pick up), a $10 fee per 30 minutes will apply.

What if I live outside of your service area?

For locations over 10 miles from our service area of Middletown/Red Bank, a travel fee will apply based on distance and availability. Please contact us for a custom quote. Otherwise, I am happy to provide a referral for a trusted sitter near you.

Yes! Enrichment activities can be added to any service for $7. These activities help keep your pet mentally stimulated and can be a great way to burn extra energy. If you’d like to include enrichment, please be sure to book enough time to allow for potty breaks, walks, and the enrichment session.

We understand that plans change and we always aim to be flexible where we can. However, late cancellations impact our ability to care for other clients and pets. The following cancellation windows ensure fairness for all and help us keep operations running smoothly:

Dog Walks & Drop In Visits: Cancel by 9 AM the day of to avoid being charged.

Overnight Care: A 30% deposit is required to hold your booking.

• Cancel at least 72 hours of the scheduled start to receive your deposit back.

• Cancellations made less than the 72 hour window will result in forfeiture of deposit.

If a client returns early or cancels remaining overnight services mid-stay, the full booking charge will still apply. This policy is in place because your reserved dates block my availability for other clients, and last-minute changes make it difficult to rebook that time.

Note: Emergency situations are always handled with understanding, and we will do our best to work with you. Please just keep us in the loop as soon as you can!

We are able to accept Venmo, Zelle, cash, or payment via the Time to Pet portal.