FAQ

A Meet and Greet: Why it is important?

This is essential for both parties. A pet carer needs to get to know you and your pet(s) in person. It is also required to discuss and write down what a pet carer should do in an emergency.

A Meet and Greet is also the best time for you to tell a pet carer everything about your pet and its care. The more details you give, the better for you and your furry baby. Pay attention to your personal attitude to a pet carer. It always helps to find “your person” and work with them for many years.

We really encourage you to have Meet and Greet before booking. It always helps a pet carer and a pet owner to discuss everything and ensure they understand each other in the right way.

Meet and Greet discussion in detail for pet owners:

• Playing time and feeding your dear pet 
• On your profile My Documents page you will find a template which you and a pet carer can fill in together during the Meet and Greet.
• What is your pet like? Describe your pet(s) character(s) in detail: active/easy-going/demanding; is your dog/cat neutered, vaccinated, de-wormed; special pet needs, medications.
• Pet carer plans? (Playing, brushing etc.)
• How long, where and when will pet/dog walks occur if necessary?
• What does the carer's home look like? Is it pet-proof? Secure fences and gates?
• The garden space? Are there any quiet areas where your pet can sleep calmly?  
• What about the surrounding areas - are there nice places (for dog walks)?
• What items should you bring for your dog? Favourite toys, food, basket, or blanket?
• Watch how your pet behaves at the carer's home. (Your dog is sniffing around happily, this means the dog is calm and relaxed).
• Will the carer keep you updated every day (messages, video chat, video messages etc.)?
• Does the dog walker like your dog? Does your dog feel comfortable when the carer takes the leash?
• What training techniques does they use?
• Is the walker familiar with dog behaviour in detail?
• Is training or playing included in the walks?
• Walks: distance/ time/ surrounding areas? 
• Rain/hot weather: What should a carer do?

Meet and Greet discussion in detail for pet carers:

Think about the following:

• What are the reasons you work as a pet carer?
• Your own pets? What is your experience with pets?
• What would you do in case of an emergency? Do you have a car?
• Any certificates, classes or workshops about pet care or first aid?
• Contacts? Do you both have an emergency contact(s): a friend/family member?
• What does your regular day look like? Make sure this matches well with your guest's pet needs.

As pet owners of Bobby, Vicky, and Barsik, we truly appreciate the importance of finding a trustworthy and responsible person to care for our beloved furry friends.

We offer you:

• Automatic, secure payments and the best insurance cover in the industry.
• Customer service support and access to resources to help you grow your pet care business.
• Your services are protected by Bobby Guarantee.
• All our pet carers are identified and trustful. Everything on BtheB depends on trust that's why we take verification seriously.
• Pet owners who are DBS-checked can indicate this on their profile. You are free to ask a pet carer for their DBS-check or to see their ID-card if this gives you additional peace of mind.>
• Once a pet carer has looked after a pet, the pet owner can leave a review, which is an indication of the pet carer’s quality as well.
• Even more important than verification is this: use common sense and meet the pet carer in person before you book. The purpose of the Meet & Greet is for pets and people to get to know each other. Ask any questions during this meeting. If you are not sure whether you feel that the pet carer is trustworthy, we recommend that you contact somebody else.

The answer consists of 2 steps:

Step 1

You register with Bobby the Bulldog. Then you add all the necessary information about your lovely pet with pictures (you should download them) and tell us about your pet's special needs and behaviour, if any.

Step 2

Choose your membership option and get an unlimited opportunity to contact our ID-checked and trusted pet carers. Now you can choose a pet carer that best meets your requirements from our pet sitters' catalogue. We recommend you contact at least 2-3 pet carers.

Then you organize a “Meet and Greet”. Make sure that your booking is confirmed by a pet sitter and leave your pet in the kind hands of a professional pet carer when you go away.

Bobby the Bulldog is a Club and, as a member of our club, you get a lot of benefits and special discounts, and you can relax in the knowledge that your pet is always in safe hands at the most desirable and friendly daycare around.

You have unlimited contact with pet carers. We additionally welcome you to organise a free Meet and Greet(s) with a pet carer and ask questions regarding their work experience.

Each pet carer determines the rates they want to charge, and you should discuss it if you wish to know the details.

Choose your pet care membership package now!

If you are searching for a dog/cat carer or a sitter for your goldfish, you have visited the right place.

Six steps to find your perfect pet carer.

• Enter your postcode or town in the search filter.
• Service: not sure which one is for you? Check our Services page.
• Choose the right time period of the service (or estimated dates if you're not quite sure yet).
• Browse the pet carers' profiles and contact 2-3 you like via the contact button and ask all possible questions. Keep chatting in your chat box (My orders page)
• Organise Meet and Greet.
• Confirm your booking with a pet carer.

Now, relax!!!!

Bobby's friends (members) have access to unlimited contacts between each other after purchasing our one of three-membership package.

• Contact a pet carer using the contact button on their profile.
• Enter dates and services
• Enter some essential information about your pet (the more, the better!) so the pet carer can understand what you need.
• The profiles do not consist of any contact information and members can contact each other and exchange their telephone numbers/email addresses/other contact information, and social media) and arrange a Meet and Greet.
• We wish to protect the pet carers' privacy and not publicly display those details. They decide which contact details they pass on to you via private message.

Make sure to think about the following:

• A key handover: You can do this beforehand at your Meet and Greet, leave your keys in a secure place for a pet carer or leave them at a neighbour’s house.
• Enough pet food. it's a good idea to leave some extra.
• Necessary medication if your pet needs it and clear instructions about it.
• Don't forget about an emergency contact for your pet sitter.
• Important details and numbers: your pet's routine, where cleaning products are kept and other instructions.
• Your neighbours, friends and family should know that you will have a pet carer at your residence as well.
• Let your regular veterinarian know you will be away.
• Exterior doors and windows (lock them and let your pet carer know which windows he/she can open if necessary).
• Other home instructions for the pet carer if necessary.

After you have had a successful Meet and Greet, just confirm the service booking with the pet sitter. through Bobby's website.

BtheB respects your freedom and time, you only pay BtheB our membership fees. After making a booking, you pay for a pet service directly to your pet carer. Every pet carer can set up their rates, payment schedule, and cancellation policy. You have to discuss all the details with your pet carer during Meet and Greet.

Most important, each booking is only covered by Bobby the Bulldog Guarantee and Veterinarian insurance if it has been confirmed (booked) through the BtheB website or app and you have active membership during the period of your booking .

If you have any questions, we recommend that you discuss those with your pet carer and try to find common ground for the purposes of compensation. We've discovered that, if both parties have an open discussion, a lot of misunderstandings should easily be cleared up. In such a situation, video messages and video conversations are also efficient.

If you still have unresolved issues, please, contact us for help within 24 hours after the booking ends. We'll do everything possible to help you.

If it happens, your pet carer will let you know and take the necessary actions. They will consult a veterinarian immediately.

You should make clear agreements with your pet carer about what to do (emergency). And please, discuss the details together or make a to-do-list in case of emergencies.

Leave an emergency contact(s) if you cannot be reached and contact details of your preferred vet.

if your pet falls ill or is injured while in the pet sitter’s care, contact Bobby's team immediately and no later than 24 hours to be eligible for our vet insurance. 

Your pet is covered with medical emergencies and veterinary care while in the pet sitter’s care.

For more details, please read Our Guarantees or Contact us if you have any questions.

Life can be unpredictable, and sometimes you may need to cancel a confirmed booking. It’s completely understandable! The first thing you should do is notify your pet sitter. Depending on when you cancel and their specific policy, you might receive a full or partial refund. You can find the cancellation policy in your booking conversation or by checking their profile page. Be sure to clarify all cancellation details with your pet sitter beforehand. Below, you’ll see some expectations for both, the pet sitter and the pet owner, during the service. This is just a guideline, and you’re welcome to negotiate alternative arrangements.

It’s fantastic that your Meet & Greet was a success! To confirm the booking, the pet sitter can just hit the "CONFIRM" button in the enquiry on your profile. This will be a notification to the pet parent about the confirmation. Once that’s done, you’re all set! After the service is complete, the pet sitter should click “SERVICE COMPLETED” to ensure it is recorded in their history.

What’s the process for cancelling my booking?

Bobby has just kicked off his pet care venture, and our website is still under development. To cancel your booking, simply call or email Bobby at support@bobbythebulldog.com, and we’ll handle it for you. The refund you receive—either full or partial—will depend on the pet sitter’s cancellation policy and the timing of your cancellation. Pet sitters can choose from various cancellation policies, including a no-refund rule once the booking has started.

What should I do to change my booking?

If you’re dealing with a different issue (the duration of the booking, changing the type of service, changing the type of pet) we can help you make that adjustment.

Contact Bobby for any changes, support@bobbythebulldog.com and we will help you!

When pet owners start looking for a pet carer, they want to find out as much information as possible about their chosen pet care. They trust you to take care of their “unique and precious children” (their pets). They are waiting for a trustworthy pet carer who will do the best in every situation. That is why it is essential to cover certain information in your website profile. You should be honest about your preferences and abilities.

Think about what kind of pets you want to take care of and what pet services you can offer. Write down a list of “your favourite pets”. 

You should start with Bobby the Bulldog registration. Your profile must be created. Upload some pictures of yourself, your property (also a garden if you have it), pictures where you are interacting with pets in various situations, few pictures of nearby parks and neighbourhoods to your website gallery collection to help pet owners know all the necessary information and become more acquainted with you.

After that, confirm your identity verification documents to meet our website safety and security terms. You will get a link through your email to verify your ID.

We take our carers’ checking seriously. When you finish creating your profile and all the required documents are attached, we usually process Bobby's pet carer applications within 48 hours.

Your profile picture is amongst the first things an pet owner sees online on BtheB, so it is really important make a great first impression. The quality profile picture is the first step to offline communication with pet owners.

Pet owners love to see you, especially pictures in which you are with different pets in various situations. If you are a professional, you should present professional information and at least good-quality photos which present you as a great pet carer with real work experience.

Please, begin with the standard questions: Why should pet owners choose you? What pets do you usually take care of? Tell owners about yourself and your preferences.

The next pet owner's questions are:

• Your biographical details - age, occupation, your preferences.
• Why do you work as a pet carer?
• What kind of experience do you have in the pet care field?
• Do you have your own pets now?
• Have you had pets of your own in the past? What pets?
• How long are your walks/home visits etc.?
• Who else lives with you? Do they like pets and can be involved in pet care?
• What is your home like? Do you have a back garden/yard? Are all the gates safe and secured?
• Your availability? (24/7 or any other variants)
• Please include your licence information if you have it.
• What is the neighbourhood around your home like? All pet owners want to know that the area is safe. It is a good idea to include a few pictures of the nearby beaches/forests/parks etc.

What you should not include in your profile information.

For safety reasons, you should never include sensitive personal information in your public website profiles:

• Personal details: phone number, address, email address, social media accounts etc.
• Social security numbers and your personal banking details.
• Your passport picture.
• Your specific location pictures (we never share your address publicly).

When a pet owner contacts you, you can then share relevant personal information in the safety of a private conversation. You should decide when you share your details with them if you decide to do it. We always respect your privacy.

Each pet carer is always personally responsible for complying with local regulations when offering their services on BtheB.

Now you can receive bookings and payments via the Bobby website, contact pet owners and make new four-legged friends!

Good luck!

You have to be at least 18 years of age, reliable, and, most importantly, a real pet lover!

If you want to board pets at home, make sure you have the consent of your homeowner if you are a tenant and everyone who lives with you.

A first aid certificate and police check that you can offer to pet owners are also essential to register as a pet carer.

After you register, our Bobby’s Team will review your profile. It will be approved and published once we confirm it meets our standards, and you've verified your ID and address by uploading the necessary documents on your Verification page. This process may take up to 2 business days, as real people (not robots) are carefully checking hundreds of profiles daily. Keep an eye on your email for any updates.

Bobby will never share your personal information, and your document pictures will remain private!

After you register, our Bobby’s Team will review your profile. It will be approved and published once they confirm it meets our standards, and you've verified your ID and address by uploading the necessary documents on your Verification page. This process may take up to 2 business days, as real people (not robots) are carefully checking hundreds of profiles daily. Keep an eye on your email for any updates. You must provide the specified documents to successfully verify your account. We value your privacy and will not share any personal information with others.

Please, provide one of the documents to prove your ID:

• valid EEA or UK passport;
• current UK or EEA photocard driving licence.

Please, provide one of the documents to prove your address:

• Utility bill (gas, electric, satellite television, landline phone bill) issued within the last three months;
• Local authority council tax bill for the current council tax year;
• Bank, Building Society or Credit Union statement or passbook dated within the last three months;
• Council or housing association rent card or tenancy agreement for the current year.

Your membership is absolutely FREE! Bobby the Bulldog is a Club, and as a Club member, you get member benefits and special discounts.

If you are a club member, you have unlimited contacts with pet owners. We additionally welcome you to organise free Meet and Greet(s) with pet owners and ask all questions about their pet’s needs.

Set your own service rates that you would like to offer. Please, remember that it can be very efficient to write as many details as possible for your potential four-legged clients.

 You are welcome to change your rates at any time. Please note that your rates need to be within a certain range, as they cannot be too low/ high. It’s a good idea to browse the profiles in your neighbourhood to see what average amount for different services you can begin with. You might choose to keep your rates at a minimum when you’re starting but increase them as you get more pet-caring enquiries.

If you’re struggling now to get clients at the current rate, your rates might not be reasonable enough, and you should take a look at them (the market in general and other pet carer rates in particular).

Rates depend on the services (24-hour pet care/ service on holidays/additional pets).

Feel free to establish your own cancellation policy, decide on refunds, set discounts, and determine deposits for your pet care.

Bobby gives you the freedom to choose what works best for your financial planning and income protection.

Pet sitters can take care of as many pets as they desire at once. For instance, would you like to walk two or three dogs? Or perhaps do home visits for more than one family? Bobby has arranged the calendar so that if you confirm a service for one pet, those dates will still be open for other pet owners.

Moreover, pet sitters can choose their own days off and not accept any pet service requests during that time. You can manage your days off easily through the Calendar page in your account.

A pet owner booked my services, and we haven't met yet. What should I do?

You should organise a Meet and greet with the pet owner and the pet before booking. This way, you can make sure that it is a good match.

If it turns out not to be a good match, you can always refuse the booking.

Please remember that real professionals have one great professional skill: "Saying NO":

When to say NO?

• Aggressive dogs: Your job can be unsafe;
• When dealing with clients who have cluttered and unsanitary homes, it's perfectly acceptable to say "no" due to unhealthy environments.
• "Creepy" clients: if you do not feel comfortable with the client (sexual comments, detailed personal questions and seem more interested in asking them/these detailed personal questions have nothing in common with your potential job.
• Neighbourhood (you feel too unsafe or uncomfortable to take the pet-caring job.

Although the risk of an accidents is very rare, sometimes unexpected and unavoidable events may occur during a booking. In the case of an emergency, communication is essential.

What should I do in an emergency?

• Please ask for the contact details of your guest dog's veterinary clinic from the pet owner.
• If an emergency presents a risk to human life or property and requires immediate action, the authorities must be informed as soon as possible, such as by calling the police, fire department, or ambulance.
• Please call the veterinarian immediately or arrange for a visiting pet to be taken care of, if your guest's pet is sick or injured, and you suspect that it will be required veterinary treatment.
• If the guest's pet is lost in your care, please contact your local council with the details of the guest's pet's microchip and description. It would be very helpful to go out into the neighbourhood, talk to neighbours, distribute missing puppy posters and post them on your community Facebook pages.
• As soon as possible, please contact the guest's pet owner and any other emergency contacts. They must be kept up to date with what's going on.
• Finally, contact us immediately and keep us informed about emergencies. Our team will be available all day to offer advice and help you through a tough time.

Cancelling a booking can cause a huge inconvenience for the pet owner who is forced to either find a new pet carer or cancel the plans.

Trust is everything within the BtheB community and you should always be trustworthy and responsible. These qualities are always essential.

The communication process is not a one-way street, you should remember about other people. They need your work as a pet carer and your professional reputation is also connected with your successful communication before/at and after your work is done.

We recommend confirming only requests that you feel 100% comfortable with. Once you have confirmed a booking, the pet owners are fully counting on your services.

We understand that there are cases where a pet carer has to cancel because of emergency or unforeseen circumstances.

In such cases, please inform the pet owner and Bobby's team immediately.