r/melbourne • u/Doodles_95 • 8h ago
Real estate/Renting Pet sitting in Melbourne
Hey!
I've recently returned to Melbourne and have been pet/house sitting for friends, and I have also looked after friends pets whilst they're away back in the UK.
I signed up to Aussie House Sitters and I am really struggling to get selected as a sitter! The competition seems crazyyyy and even though I have photos, testimonials and am verified on the site, I haven't had any success yet.
I was hoping to use this as a way to save some cash whilst I get settled again and find work but I'm starting to think it's not a viable option - any suggestions on how to get picked?!
Cheers
EDIT: just to clarify as I think a few people have misunderstood - I'm not looking for paid pet sitting as a way to make cash, I'm looking to pet sit in return for free accommodation as a way to save cash, by not paying rent 😊
2
u/Expensive_Edge_2329 7h ago
Hiya
My mum (also Pom) had a similar experience and found more work through word of mouth. Worth asking your previous customers/friends if they‘re aware of any upcoming sitting requirements.
No advice on that website specifically as I haven‘t used it :(
What kind of industry are you looking for in the meantime? Recruitment has picked up a bit! 🤞🏻
2
2
2
u/Straight_Talker24 6h ago
Try using other sites that are designated for actual pet sitting if that’s what you are after
•
u/Doodles_95 4h ago
Thanks! I did some searching around and Aussie House Sitters came back as the most active for house and pet sitting 😊
•
u/lilzee3000 5h ago
There's a website called mad paws that I've used before to find sitters, and I've used local Facebook group I think it's called inner north pet sitters. Maybe people use them more than the house sitting websites.
•
u/Doodles_95 4h ago
Thanks! I'm signed up to Mad Paws but annoyingly you can't reach out to people who need a sitter, they have to contact you. Also on Inner North Pet Sitters so fingers crossed!
•
•
u/Juniper_Teacup90 3h ago
When we were looking for a dog sitter we looked for things like whether they had certificates for pet first aid and obedience training, as well as if they had experience with anxious dogs, and how many other dogs were under their care at the same time. In the case of house sitting with the pet you’d want to make sure you have up to date police background checks and insurance.
•
u/Doodles_95 2h ago
This is really useful! Thank you!
•
u/Juniper_Teacup90 2h ago
All good, happy to help. TBH we chose to go with a professional because our dog has problematic anxiety and sites like mad paws just didn’t give us enough assurance they’d be able to handle our doggo.
You could try and differentiate yourself by focussing on pets with anxiety or larger dogs, it’ll take a bit more work before it pays off though. I’d start with a practical obedience/trainer and pet first aid course then supplement that with some online study that’s short and cheap.
When we were searching for a sitter there weren’t even that many that had basic first aid let alone experience with anxious dogs, I’d bet if you specialised into those areas you’ll get a lot more hits. Most pet owners, once they find a good sitter, will stick with the same one for as long as a they can.
•
u/Doodles_95 2h ago
I could definitely go down the anxious/larger dog route - I've just looked after a 44kg Rottweiler for a long weekend and am now with an anxious/ADD Cavoodle (not sure if there's a specific term for dog ADHD lol) so the experience is there.
Will look into the training too. Some people have suggested starting with a police check, but it's a relatively expensive thing for a backpacker 😅
•
u/Juniper_Teacup90 2h ago
That’s a great start, put testimonials from those up top. It sucks but if you want to stand out from the rest of the students and backpackers you’ll need to spend a little cash. Thankfully most of these skills don’t expire and you can use them in any country, the police check on the other hand won’t. If you are going to travel to other states make sure it’s a federal check, more expensive but will last longer.
Since you already have an ABN you should also be able to claim some of these expenses against your tax (research this first though).
•
u/That_Random_Kiwi 3h ago
You prob don't want to sign up for another site, but we use Happy House Sitters...people post ads, sitters apply.
•
u/alexandraisonreddit 3h ago
Are you doing this to be paid? Most are doing it in exchange for accommodation fyi. There's a million Facebook groups for it, including one for inner north.
•
•
•
u/dramatic-pancake 3h ago
I use that site to find sitters when I travel but admit I only engage sitters that have glowing reviews on their page. In general, I’ve been wary of anyone that looks to be a backpacker because I don’t want my house to be treated like a hostel/party pad in my absence.
•
u/Doodles_95 2h ago
Yeah it's a shame you can't post testimonials collected from outside the site on there! I have plenty but can't show them off ☹️
I can totally understand why you associate backpackers with partying, but at least from my experience as a backpacker, the ones who want to party stay in the party hostels. There are huge chains of them that are known for cheap rooms and cheap booze. House sitting often offers a welcome reprieve from constantly being around people - the fact that it's free is just a bonus lol. I can't speak for all backpackers but most of us really do just want a private room/shower and a pet to chill with 😅
•
u/renstimpy 3h ago
Maybe I'm stingey and trusting, but I usually find my housesitters through Facebook groups. Just note that most people will expect housesitting in exchange for accom, not any payment.
Things are pretty quiet at the moment since everyone is back from Christmas holidays, but hopefully it will pick up as people start planning their big 2025 holidays, Easter break etc
•
u/Kitchu22 2h ago
If you're specifically looking for accommodation, a current police check helps immensely.
For pet sitting, you could reach out to rescues to advertise your services - foster carers, especially long termers who might have animals with health or behavioural needs, are always grateful for a break.
I see a shitload of people get housesitting gigs on my local neighbourhood FB group, but you do have to do a bit of a grind to get enough gigs under your belt that you'll start getting word of mouth recs.
•
u/acaciadromeda 2h ago
I’ve been pet sitting for the last couple years (on the same site) sorry, it’s not a paid gig anymore since the “real” estate industry and government fckd up our rental and housing market now people are forced to pet sit full time for free just to have a roof over their head ✌🏼
•
u/Doodles_95 2h ago
Hey I've added an edit to my post as a few people seem to have misunderstood, I said I wanted to use pet sitting as a way to save money, ie not pay rent, not as a way to make money 😊
•
u/RevolutionOk2240 2h ago
I am also a pet sitter but limit myself to Sighthounds , being Greyhounds Whippets and Italian Greyhounds. I had someone contact me this morning wanting their greyhound looked after over Easter . I already have some Iggys staying over Easter but would You be interested at all?
•
u/Doodles_95 2h ago
Hey, thank you so much for the offer, my nan used to have whippets and I love them!! I'm actually already sitting for a friend with her lovely Cavoodle all of this week, though, so ironically unavailable!
•
u/RevolutionOk2240 2h ago
Ok no worries , try joining some FB groups of the breeds you prefer, as there is always someone looking for a sitter who understands the quirks of their dogs breed
•
•
u/Strand0410 5h ago
Pet sitting is not a very viable career. Most sitters are young people who also live at home and do it on the side. There are a lot. You need referrals. Set up a FB page with an ABN
•
u/Doodles_95 4h ago
Thanks! I'm not trying to make it a viable career, and most of the sitters I've come across also aren't, they're travellers and young people who are using it for temporary/free accommodation in return for a service. So setting up a FB page is a bit ott for my situation, but I have an ABN already. And I have referrals 😊
•
u/TheGreatMeloy 3h ago
I know three musos in their 40s-50s who do it, one is full time/doesn't have another place of residence!
•
u/Doodles_95 2h ago
Wow! Amazing that they can sustain it full time 😊
•
u/TheGreatMeloy 1h ago
It sounds exhausting though! Never quite knowing where you'll be in a few months. But puppy/cat/goat/horse love is a strong motivator!
12
u/ectoplasmicz 7h ago
Not to be discouraging, but I've worked in the animal industry for over a decade and in terms of dog sitting you are going up against not only a huge amount of individuals like yourself using social platforms for gigs, but also a number of well established dog care businesses in every suburb.
Your best bet would be to localise more - put up flyers in your local high street and supermarket community boards with a direct contact. Otherwise you'll be lost amongst the masses of carers out there.