Cecelia has been pet-sitting for 7 years now, and loves it more than ever! For the last two years, she’s been Pet Sitting full time, only spending max 5 weeks at her parent’s house a year in between jobs or for a break. Suffice to say, she’s got lots of experience and is in demand!

Read Cecelia’s pet sitting story, in her own words:

My first pet-sitting job was in 2017 when a family I babysat for asked me to take care of their 10-week-old golden retriever puppy for 2 weeks while they visited family interstate. It was a no-brainer, being 18 and thinking “oh boy, 2 weeks with this bundle of cuteness” (see photo below for full effect). I had two family dogs at this stage so I was wise to the care of dogs but ignorant to the effort of a puppy.

The two weeks were a blast and I’ve been taking care of that puppy, Teddy ever since. Sadly they moved to another state a year ago and honestly, it was heartbreaking, part of me considered him my own. Luckily by then, I’d built up a client base of about 20 dogs on regular rotation who I loved! 

Straight out of school, I began volunteering at my local rescue shelter, 3 months later started working there and another 3 months later became lead kennel hand. Working with rescue dogs compares to nothing else, the bond you form with them as they overcome their trauma is unmatched. As some of my favourites started to trickle out of the shelter into wonderful homes, I’d often visit them and this snowballed into me pet-sitting them when their families went away. From 2kg Chihuahuas to 55kg Great Dane crosses I’ve seen and cared for (almost) all of it. 

“Working at the rescue shelter enabled me to learn amazing handling skills, and not to toot my own horn but as a young female, I still feel proud I can manage 50+ kg dogs with ease even when they’re reacting like crazy or unfortunately trying to bite me.”

My journey with Mad Paws:

As I realised I wanted to petsit more I joined Mad Paws and created a profile that brought me some wonderful clients I still sit for today. My local area is however mostly oodles and little dogs, which I love, I have one of my own but I like to work with big dogs and somewhat complicated cases. 

As the years went on I became a vet nurse and juggled that with working at the rescue so my handling skills improved even more and my growing medical knowledge enabled me to take medical cases like post-surgery rehab or diabetic dogs.

My full-time jobs allowed me to make some wonderful connections in the industry and I now have an extensive network of rescues, vets and trainers who recommend me to their clients and I direct them straight to my Mad Paws profile.

This often means my meet-and-greet process is very different. I sometimes spend months bonding with dogs before agreeing to do a pet sit for them. Honestly, my weakness is dogs who are shy, aggressive or reactive. Winning them over is unbeatable. I do this by slowly building a relationship, starting with a weekly or fortnightly walk with the Owner there and gradually making our way to walks alone, daycare without the Owner and then always, always, always an overnight trial!!

Whilst I learnt a tonne of skills from my jobs which I’ve been able to use to excel in my pet-sitting career I’ve learnt a lot of things from pet-setting. 

• The benefits of Pet Sitting in their home! For more complicated dogs the more you can stick to their routine, the better. They prefer their home without a doubt.
• Airtags. Only once have I ever had a cat go neighbourhood wandering for a day (thankfully to return home safely) but I now put an Airtag on the collar of every dog in my care and ensure they have a quick-release collar so they never get trapped or caught on things. 
• Meet & Greet, one isn’t always enough and 0 is always too few. I prefer to do 2-3 meet-ups with the dog before any booking as normally it’s 2+ weeks. The more comfortable the dog is with me, the easier the booking goes.

Spending time with dogs is one of life’s greatest pleasures and in today’s society filled with apartment living, housing crisis, and cost of living crises it’s a luxury to own a dog. I don’t ever intend to stop pet-sitting but I hope one day soon I’ll settle into my own place and foster dogs so that my pet-sitting skills can enable dogs to find the loving homes they deserve. 

Find a Sitter near you >

The post Sitter Stories: Meet Cecelia from Sydney appeared first on Mad Paws.

Aylie has always loved animals and wanted to share her love by caring for as many as she could.

As one half of the dynamic sitting duo with her Mum, she began pet sitting from a young age and it’s given her the ability to buy her first car and save for a house, all while completing distance education and graduating high school.

This is Aylie’s Mad Paws Sitter story:

Being a Mad Paws Sitter fits my overall lifestyle super well. It’s an easy way to save money on the side doing something I love. I’ve been able to make extra money on top of my other job because it’s extremely flexible, and you are your own boss so it teaches you lots of business skills and communication skills.

Bonding with the quiet or shy dogs is always so special…There is something so personal about caring for dogs at your house especially when it’s for long periods and they get super comfortable being part of your family.

Any special experience or memory that’s come from pet sitting?

I don’t have one particular booking or memory, but we actually own a Border Collie named Sassy that used to be a client of ours and now she has been a part of the family for years! We wouldn’t have met her if it hadn’t been for Mad Paws and we are so grateful for the opportunity to have her come about.

Read what Pet Owners say about Aylie:

View Aylie’s Profile >

Find a Sitter near you >

The post Sitter Stories: Meet Aylie from the Gold Coast appeared first on Mad Paws.

It’s even lead to their engagement… Keep reading to find out how!

“Looking after all these dogs has been an amazing journey, one that’s not over yet!”

This is their Mad Paws story:

When we moved to Sydney 2 years ago, Libby (my partner) had previously dog and house-sat when we lived in London. I was looking for work at the time and saw Mad Paws as a chance to earn some income whilst interviewing for full-time work. Plus getting paid to play with puppies is pretty awesome! 

We signed up, completed the course and by that weekend had our first meet and greet at a cafe with Oscar – a 16-week-old German Shepherd puppy. His dad was having to go back into the office more and needed someone to care for him during the day. I said we could have him at our place for daycare or I could come spend the day at his house.

We’ve watched Oscar grow up over the last two years and when I finally did get a job, he was able to join me in the office. He’s now a very friendly, excitable 2.5-year-old puppy that we look after regularly as his father is travelling more and more. We love being able to have dogs in our lives especially because we couldn’t own a pet in our apartment. 

We’ve been pet sitters in Sydney on Mad Paws for two years now and have stayed all over the city. We’ve been able to explore several different parts of town, and after dog sitting (at the Owner’s house) over Xmas/New Years in Balmain watching the fireworks from their balcony, we decided we wanted to live there so moved not long after that dog sitting job. Now we have about a dozen regular pets in the area that we look after. It’s always nice to see them and their Owners out and about in our neighbourhood.

We have had some really beautiful dogs and cats, in some really nice homes too. We have learnt to be really honest with Owners each time we meet and greet. We tell them we both work so won’t be home full time, ask if they have cameras, and if there’s anything else we can do to help them whilst they’re away (water the plants, take the bins out). 

We set up WhatsApp groups with families so they can all see their pets whilst they’re away. We ensure that we leave the house as clean (or cleaner) than when we got there, that way they know that we take care of their home and pet

We’ve really enjoyed our time as pet sitters in Sydney and London and now have had more exposure to what we want in a pet and the expectations we have around pet ownership. We know what kind of pets we want! We’re not afraid to let pet parents know how their animals are behaving, especially if there’s something not quite right.

Surprisingly they appreciate knowing that their pets aren’t quite normal or that their dog has scratched up the doorframe getting too excited. Open communication is important from both parties. We like Mad Paws for the comfort that the insurance offers us and the calendar functionality. It’s also pretty cool to see how people review your services knowing that so many other pet owners will read these reviews. 

Our key rings have at least a dozen different keys and we’ve learnt the hard way the importance of labelling them. 

Looking after all these dogs has been an amazing journey, one that’s not over yet! But one of the best things to come out of this was that I used all my Pet Sitting money and bought Libby my now fiancé a dreamy engagement ring!           

– Daniel & Libby

Read what Pet Owners say about Daniel & Libby:

View Daniel & Libby’s Profile >

Find a Sitter near you >

The post Sitter Stories: Meet Dan and Libby, much-loved Pet Sitters in Sydney appeared first on Mad Paws.

This edition of Sitter Stories is a wonderful reminder of the love and care Mad Paws Sitters offer their clients.

From initially joining to understand more about dogs, Angeline soon uncovered a whole world of heart-warming moments, and a fun side hustle! Her journey has seen her volunteer for a vet clinic and obtain an Animal Behaviour & Welfare certificate from The University of Edinburgh (May 2022).

This is Angeline’s Mad Paws story:

Our pet-sitting adventure started when my husband and I were looking to get our first pet which we knew would be a dog. Looking online, we came across Mad Paws and I started to like the idea of taking care of different dog breeds before we get our own. Many friends and family are supportive of this idea and hence the exploration began.

When my husband and I decided to start our pet-sitting service, we just made a quick profile on Mad Paws, left it there, and completely forgot about it. Fast-forward a year now, we have looked after over 10 unique dogs and have a few repeat clients! I like reading my customers’ reviews and feedback and feeling all warm and fuzzy inside when I recall the moment we returned a healthy and happy dog to the owner.

“The cool thing about having a Mad Paws profile is your bookings are managed for you and you can showcase all the reviews and dogs you have been taking care of. “

The best part of being a pet sitter is we get to understand different dog breeds in the first few days such as their unique personality which will help to make sure that they are displaying their natural behaviour in a new environment. It requires the pet sitter to focus on the good side of things and how to bring out the best in the dog. Of course, this process comes with great challenges as it depends on not just the dog, but the owner as well – Sharing information about the dog with us, bringing their favourite toys and treats, and telling us what their likes and dislikes are, etc. So far, it has been amazing to see dogs warming up to us, becoming comfortable, giving us lots of eye contact, initiating play, etc. usually within a day or two.

Among all the dogs we have taken care of, our favourite is Florida, who is a 3-year-old Cavalier mixed. He is confident, friendly, a foodie, and loves to play tug-of-war. He is our hot favourite at home since he was two years old and we treat him as one of our own. At the time of writing, my husband and I are still looking for our first pet and we are hoping our dog would like to hang out with other dog friends!

Read what Pet Owners say about Angeline:

View Angeline’s Profile >

Find a Sitter near you >

The post Sitter Stories: Say hello to Angeline from VIC appeared first on Mad Paws.

Carolyn & Callum from NSW have been on the platform for over 3 years now, and offer all sorts of services for all sorts of animals! 

“Pet Sitting has given us more than we expected”

This is Carolyn’s Mad Paws story:

People pet sit for different reasons. For me, it provided me with an opportunity to spend time with my then animal-loving 12-year-old and teach him a way he can incorporate his love for animals with a way to earn money.

We have gained so much from the experience and are still going strong 3 years later. We have got to hang out with so many loving, crazy and fun pets, we have made friends with the clients that are now our regulars and it has given my son an opportunity to earn money in a way that provides flexibility in how much or how little he works each week depending on his school and sporting commitments.

We have this thing we do whenever we enter a client’s home on our home visits; as soon as we open the door we start talking to the cats and/or dogs inside. We ask them how they are doing, and what adventures they got up to and share about our day too. The thing I love the most about this is even the cats that we are told will never come out to see you, or never engage with you or never let you pat them… after 3 or 4 days are waiting at the door, sometimes indicating they want an ear rub or just walk alongside us to be near us we go about our pet sitting activities. So imagine the surprise of the owners when we send them a photo of giving their cat an ear rub when we were told we will never see them!

We started out only walking or house visiting for dogs though now 90% of our business is cat home visits, it seems we have become known in the area to be the cat sitter of choice. We personalise everything we do and I think that is what is so appealing to cat owners. We send pictures every day of the antics they get up to, we send pictures of mail or parcels that come in on the day they arrive, and we leave a card for the cats or dogs on our last day sharing what a great time we had on what we liked best from our time together. We send Christmas Cards out each year to all the cats and dogs we have visited, via post, with personal anecdotes special to them.  

The MadPaws platform makes it so easy for us to manage the bookings, take care of payments, manage our availability and make our profile visible to the pet owners in our area. If we needed to manage that all ourselves through a website or social media account it would be too much extra admin that we just don’t have time to manage.

I never imagined how much I would enjoy pet-sitting with my son. It is certainly a passion activity for us that took off. We are now looking at closing our books to just regulars because we have enough to fit within the time available each week.  

Read what Pet Owners say about Carolyn & Callum:

View Carolyn & Callum’s Profile >

Find a Sitter near you >

The post Sitter Stories: Meet Carolyn & Callum, the mum & son duo appeared first on Mad Paws.

Why do you love being a Mad Paws Pet Pet Sitter? 

We get to have fun with all kinds of different dogs and enjoy meeting their Owners.

It’s a great feeling to be able to reassure people that their loved pets will be treated like part of our family.

What’s your favourite thing to do with your furry clients? 

For dogs that love the water, playing in the pool to cool down is definitely a favourite activity. Night time cuddles on the couch is always nice.

What was the first pet you ever owned? Do you have your own pets now? 

My family had a cat called Blackie when I was very young. Now I’m more of a dog person and have a 7-year-old Yorkiepoo called Pepper. Dog Sitting gives Pepper furry companions, although I’m not sure she’s always impressed with having to share her toys and pats!

Do you have any particularly memorable furry guests?

One of the funniest moments was when Doug the Pug hopped into the shower with my 2-year-old daughter. Tupac the German Shepherd was always a special guest; he was such a sweet boy. One day I opened the door and didn’t think to check if he was wet. He came inside straight after a swim and shook water and mud everywhere!

If your furry guests could talk, what one question would you ask them at a Meet & Greet? 

“What can I do to make you feel safe and comfortable?”

What’s your one top tip for new Pet Sitters?

Don’t forget to send updates and photos to your clients. Knowing that their pet is having an awesome time let’s them relax and makes them more likely to book you again.

The post Meet Brooke, Our March Pet Sitter of the Month appeared first on Mad Paws.

Why do you love being a Mad Paws Pet Pet Sitter? 

I love spending time with breeds I’ve never encountered before and getting to know the many different personalities pets have. I also love the chance to see new suburbs and parts of Sydney I’ve never been to. 

What’s your favourite thing to do with your furry clients? 

My favourite thing to do with dogs is to be creative with the routes we take for their Dog Walks; I try to take a different one every day. With cats I like to play with them if that’s their thing or otherwise just chill together and give some pats.

What was the first pet you ever owned? Do you have your own pets now? 

I got my first pet when I was 5, which was a budgie named Peekaboo. I now have a spotted python named Bijou, a cat named Mao Mao, and a childhood cat named Kilala that lives in the US with my parents.

Do you have any particularly memorable furry guests?

Not a furry guest, but a feathery one! A particular parrot I minded was a cheeky fellow who gave me good nip on the finger that I’ll never forget. I now have a nice scar to remember him by! Besides that, he liked to do tricks like roll over onto his back, which was entertaining. 

If your furry guests could talk, what one question would you ask them at a Meet & Greet? 

The question would be different depending on the pet. For dogs, I would ask about their favourite thing to do with their Owners. For cats, I’d ask where their favourite place to be scratched is.

What’s your one top tip for new Pet Sitters?

My tip for Sitters staying at the owner’s house is to leave the place cleaner than it was when you found it. Giving the house a good once-over, making sure the floor and counters are clean and the trash/recycling is taken out, is greatly appreciated by Owners. 

The post Meet Andrea, Our February Pet Sitter of the Month appeared first on Mad Paws.

Why do you love being a Mad Paws Pet Pet Sitter? 

I love being a Mad Paws Pet Sitter because of the amount of furbabies I get to meet, care for, and look after.  Having been able to care for some young puppies and see them grow overtime brought a tear to my eye. It was also amazing to see that they remembered me each time!

Beyond that, I love the diverse of options that Mad Paws offers to clients and their furbabies, from Pet Sitting, to House Visits, to Dog Walking. I have been very fortunate since commencing my Mad Paws journey and I honestly wish I’d signed up years ago.

What’s your favourite thing to do with your furry clients? 

I love playtime, walks, learning about their personalities, and observing their curiosity of the world around them.

What was the first pet you ever owned? Do you have your own pets now? 

The first pet I owned was a fish when I was 12 years of age. While I unfortunately don’t have my own pet now, I should hopefully have one in the next few years.

Do you have any particularly memorable furry guests?

Since starting, I’ve had a few memorable furry guests. However, one that always stands out is my very first Pet House Sitting booking on December 2018. Their names were Pedro, a 14-year-old Labrador Retriever; and Hank, a Russian Blue cat. Being able to see the dynamics of both Pedro and Hank was fascinating; they always napped together, and even fought like siblings at times. Pedro demanded all the pats and wanted to leave none for Hank! When I was told that Pedro might not make it to the end of the year, my heart sank. With this in mind, I made sure Pedro would enjoy his time and week leading into Christmas with his family.

If your furry guests could talk, what one question would you ask them at a Meet & Greet? 

“Will you accept a stranger looking after you and if so, would it be okay if it was me?”

What’s your one top tip for new Pet Sitters?

Be yourself, be honest, be reliable, and send heaps of updates and photos of the furbabies to their Owners. Most of all, remember to have fun! 

The post Meet Grace, Our January Pet Sitter of the Month appeared first on Mad Paws.

Why do you love being a Mad Paws Pet Pet Sitter? 

I’ve always been a dog lover. In fact, I Owned a Chihuahua for 18 years. When she passed away I became very sad, but when I discovered Mad Paws, I realised it would be the perfect place to channel my love for pets. I’m grateful to Mad Paws for letting me into their world!

What’s your favourite thing to do with your furry clients? 

Obviously, I love to take them for a Dog Walk! I also love playing with them in the morning while I’m having my coffee; it’s a great start to the day for both of us. Finally, I love giving them nicknames, making silly sounds to grab their attention, and playing hide and seek. 

What was the first pet you ever owned? Do you have your own pets now? 

Ever since the loss of our Chihuahua, we haven’t Owned any other pets. Instead, I like to focus my energy on caring for other people’s furbabies while they’re away or busy with life.  

Do you have any particularly memorable furry guests?

That’s a hard question, because I love all of them! If I had to choose, I’d say Mr Summo the Shih Tzu, Cockie the Spaniel, and Sofie the Lexie. 

If your furry guests could talk, what one question would you ask them at a Meet & Greet? 

I would ask them if they like to watch The Bachelorette. It’s a great way for us to bond after an energetic day of games and Dog Walks.  

What’s your one top tip for new Pet Sitters?

Always be polite and bubbly, and always invite them for a Meet & Greet before the booking. During the booking itself, send lots of furry photos and updates to the Owner. It will allow them to enjoy their holiday, as they’ll know their furry friend is enjoying their holiday with you! 

The post Meet Zsuzsanna, Our December Pet Sitter of the Month appeared first on Mad Paws.

Why do you love being a Mad Paws Pet Pet Sitter? 

I love being a Mad Paws Sitter because taking great care of animals is a passion of mine that I’ve had since I was a young child. I also love making Owners happy and comfortable by knowing their furbabies are well looked after; it’s a nice, rewarding feeling for me as a Pet Sitter.

What’s your favourite thing to do with your furry clients? 

I love taking my dogs on adventures, and the same goes for my furry guests! Provided the Owners are okay with it, I love taking their pups to walk different trails and dog parks. The great thing is that the dogs love it too!

What was the first pet you ever owned? Do you have your own pets now? 

I’ve had so many that I don’t even know the timeline! My first pet was either my hermit crabs or the stray cat I received on my seventh birthday. Now, we have a lot of pets at home. We have three dogs, five snakes, and nine rats – soon to be 11!

Do you have any particularly memorable furry guests?

They’ve all been pretty memorable. If I had to choose, though, I’d say a Samoyed I Pet Hosted. He was the biggest Samoyed I’ve ever met; he came while my bed was being delivered, and the first thing we did was climb onboard and nap together.

If your furry guests could talk, what one question would you ask them at a Meet & Greet? 

That’s a difficult question to answer. If it’s for Pet Hosting and Pet Day Care, I’d ask them if they plan to mark their territory in my house so I can be ready. For any other service, there would be so many possibilities!

What’s your one top tip for new Pet Sitters?

I think it’s the little things that make a big difference for the Owners. When Pet Sitting, I get the mail, take bins out, and strip the bed and wash the bedding and towels before I leave. This way, the Owners don’t have to worry about it when they get home. With Dog Walking, if it’s a difficult dog, I try to train manners to make it easier for the Owners to walk their dogs.

The post Meet Cassie, Our November Pet Sitter of the Month appeared first on Mad Paws.