Top 5 Dog Walker and Pet Sitter Services

Top 5 Dog Walker and Pet Sitter Services

Choosing the right dog walker or pet sitter

We’ve compiled a list of the 5 most popular dog walking and pet sitting platforms online. These are sites you can use for finding pet carers. Some offer excellent quality and peace of mind, while other pet services are more affordable, but don’t come with any guarantees.

Choosing the right one is a personal choice. We spell out the pros and cons of each and explain what sets them apart to make choosing easier.

Rover

About Rover

Rover is arguably the best-known pet care platform in the US and possibly the world. Rover launched in 2011 and connects pet owners with independent pet carers that offer:

• Dog walking
• Pet boarding
• Pet sitting
• Daycare
• Pet visits
• Dog training

You can use Rover in the US, Canada, the UK, and Europe, and it can be accessed through their app or their website at rover.com.

Why Rover?

As a pet owner, Rover can bring peace of mind with reservation protection and a vet care reimbursement guarantee. These help ensure that you’re not left high and dry if your pet carer cancels or if your pet falls ill while in someone else’s care.

For pet carers, Rover can be a dependable source of business thanks to the volume of requests made on the app — over 2 million people have booked through the app. The vet care reimbursement guarantee also helps ensure you’re not out of pocket if the pet you’re caring for falls ill.

Rover locations

In the US, you can use Rover just about anywhere. Rover has listings of dog walkers and pet sitters across the country, in each state and territory. To find a pet carer in your area, enter your zip code and Rover will show you everyone available near you.

Rover is also available in Canada, the UK, Spain, Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden. As the platform is still growing in some of these countries, coverage is likely to be not as good as it is in the US where Rover is (almost) a household name.

Rover’s rankings

Rover has strong reviews on the biggest platforms. On Trustpilot, Rover scores 4.6/5. In the Apple App Store, Rover is rated 4.9/5 and on Google Play, the Rover app gets 4.7/5.

Not all reviews are as positive though. On SiteJabber, Rover scores just 1.2/5, with many pet owners and carers venting their frustration.

Rover Pros

According to reviews, the main upsides to using Rover are the volume of people (pet owners and carers) on the app, transparent pricing, and the ease of communication with the app. For example:

• “…Rover is transparent about the prices, the petsitter are well paid and the app takes a rather reasonable commission on the transactions,” Clara L, Trustpilot.
• “Very easy to communicate back and forth with the sitter and nice knowing you have all of our backs in case anything goes awry.” Renae, Trustpilot

Rover Cons

The downsides to using Rover, according to reviews, are the lack of oversight the platform has of pet carers and that the “Rover Guarantee” doesn’t cover all claims.

• “My dog got both eye and ear infections from a well-reviewed male sitter's place in this $#*!ty website. We didn't notice the sitter's home is so filthy until he sent us photos!” Dani L, SiteJabber.
• “My dog was bitten by another dog during her stay with a rover sitter. Rover makes the owners pay for the expenses, up to $250. No accountability from the company or the sitter.” Jess G, SiteJabber

Pricing

Prices vary a lot on Rover, depending on the service offered and the location. Larger cities tend to be more expensive, while rural areas are less. Pet carers can also charge extra fees for additional pets, additional care, puppies, holidays, and pick-up or drop-off.

Pet owners are also charged an 11% service fee at checkout with a max of $50. Pet carers also pay a service fee of 20% of the booking cost.

Wag!

Wag! is a nationwide platform that offers pet care, pet health, and training. Wag connects you with independent pet carers who offer:

• Dog walking
• Pet sitting
• Pet boarding
• Training.

Wag also offers a pet insurance comparison service and its own vet insurance.

Why Wag!?

Wag was founded in 2015 and has become a big player in the pet care service category.

For pet owners, Wag! offers an easy way to find dog walkers and pet sitters due to the size of the platform — more than 450,000 pet caregivers are available across the country. Wag also vets all pet carers with a background check for peace of mind.

An additional benefit to pet owners is Wag! premium. If you use a lot of pet services, this subscription service can potentially save you money, when you use the platform weekly.

For dog walkers and pet sitters, the platform can be a reliable source of new customers, with more than 5 million people signed up to the app.

Wag! locations

Wag! is available across all 50 states, with more than 5,300 cities covered. Large cities have the best coverage, such as Atlanta, Austin, Miami, San Francisco, and Dallas. Rural areas have less coverage, but you can always check who’s available in your location by using the search bar at the top of the Wag! site.

Wag!’s rankings

Wag’s ranking varies from 3.1/5 to 4.8/5 on major review platforms. On Trustpliot, Wag! scores 3.8/5. In the App Store, Wag scores 4.8/5 from pet owners and 4.6/5 from pet carers. On Google Play, Wag! has its lowest scores — 3.1/5 fro, pet owners and 3.7/5 from dog walkers and pet caregivers.

Pros of Wag!

According to reviews, a lot of customers appreciate the reliability of Wag! care givers, the reasonable pricing, and Wag’s lockboxes which allow you to give caregivers access to your home. The app is also considered easy to use by many. For example:

• “Great service. Love lockbox feature. Caregivers are timely and dependable. Pricing is reasonable.” Bill, Trustpilot
• “Some of my requests have been on short notice and I have been able to have a drop in visit or a walk for my dogs.” Jeanette, Trustpilot
• “Wag's online and mobile interface is so easy to use and provides all the information I need. I can easily schedule walks and communicate with my dog's walker.” KJ, Trustpilot

Cons of Wag!

Wag! can also have its downsides. Some users have had bad experiences with their pet carers who they felt weren’t properly vetted. Other users question the authenticity of dog walker ratings on the app. For example:

• “This company is a scam that hires any one with a pulse and does not do anything to protect the clients or the pets.“ Name not supplied, Trustpilot
• “I found it odd initially that they allowed friends & relatives to endorse dog walkers.” Annie, Trustpilot

Pricing

Hourly rates on Wag! vary a lot and depend on the pet service you’re booking. Typical dog walking prices vary between $25 to $50 an hour. Pet sitting is typically $50 to $110 a night depending on the pet (cats are often cheaper) and the number of pets. Additional pets normally carry an additional charge.

Wag! also takes a booking fee of $2.99 (dog walking) to $14.99 (pet sitting). Services that start within one to three hours of bookings also occur an additional service fee.

As a pet owner, you may also need to pay additional fees for extra pets, state taxes, pick up and drop off, and extended services.

For pet care givers, Wag! takes a whopping 40%, making Wag! one of the most expensive platforms to find work through.

Fetch!

Fetch! is a dog walking and pet care service that is located across the majority of the country. Fetch! services include:

• Dog walking
• Pet sitting
• Puppy sitting
• Overnight care
• Pet taxi service
• Administering pet medicine

You can book these services directly through the Fetch! website (there’s no booking app for pet owners).

Why Fetch!?

Fetch is a franchise-based business, instead of a platform that connects you with pet carers, which means that you’ll deal with a local business instead of one central platform. This can help ensure that you get better service than you might through a platform like Wag! or Rover.

Fetch! also doesn’t offer boarding, with all pet sitting done in your own home. This can be an advantage because you know your pet is staying in a clean, hygienic environment. The downside is you’ll have a stranger in your home.

Fetch! has around 56,000 monthly clients and more than 35,000 pet carers on the payroll.

Fetch!’s locations

Fetch! has franchise locations in 38 states across the US. Many states have multiple locations and most major capital cities are covered. States without Fetch! coverage include Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia, and Mississippi. To check if there’s a Fetch! in your area, visit Fetch.

Fetch!’s ranking

Fetch! On Yelp, Fetch! scored 4.7 out of 5 stars based on 1,500 reviews. On Facebook, Fetch! is 96% recommended based on 41 reviews. Fetch! also claims a net promoter score of 96%.

Pros of Fetch! Pet Care

As Fetch! is a franchise, the level of service you receive is often determined by your location. Some have great experiences with Fetch!, for example:

• “We've been using Fetch for 10+ years. The sitters have been great; excellent communication, follow our written instructions, etc.” Norma A.B., Yelp
• “We have been so very blessed to have found Fetch pet care as part of our family. Fetch cannot compare to other pet care facilities.” Blanca T., Yelp

Cons of Fetch! Pet Care

Other reviews show that local management change can have a big impact on the level of service you’ll receive.

• “When Fetch came under new management in 05/2024 the company took a complete turn for the worst.  I would have appointments that I confirmed, cancelled by Fetch support workers without notice and without informing the clients that they had been cancelled on.” Ashley N, Yelp
• “I called 4 weeks ahead of a trip to ensure I had ample time and planning. Their follow through and poor communication from their management team was less than mediocre.” Andrew S., Yelp

Pricing

Fetch!’s prices start at $25 for a 30-minute walk, $27 for a pet-sitting consultation, and from $35 for a pet taxi service. Much like a franchised cleaning service, to get an accurate estimate of pricing, you’ll need to start with an in-home consultation. You can book this through Fetch!’s booking page.

Care.

Care is a platform that helps you find independent pet care givers. Care is mainly aimed at human-centric services, but is also a popular platform for finding pet carers. Pet care givers offer a variety of services including:

• Dog walking
• Pet sitting
• Daycare
• Pet transportation
• Grooming
• Pet boarding

Why Care?

The major reason to go with Care is the low prices for pet care. The average posted is around $14/hour — significantly less than you’d expect to pay on a dedicated pet care platform (but you may also need to pay a membership fee).

The platform also boasts a large number of pet carers available. Currently, there are more than 162,000 pet care givers listed on their site.

Care’s locations

Care is available across all 50 states and is also available internationally in Canada, Australia, and Europe. Across all major US cities, you’re likely to find a number of pet care givers to choose from. In rural areas, the choice on offer is likely to be less.

Care’s ranking

Care’s online rankings suggest the company has some trust issues. On Trustpilot, Care scored 2.4 out of 5 from 3,992 reviews. On Sitejabber, Care score 3.1 out of 5 from 11,787 reviews.

Pros of using Care

Based on reviews, many customers are happy with the pet care they’ve recieved when booking through Care. For example:

• “Care.com is a great resource for anyone needing pet sitting! My husband and I have using it for over 10 years as we travel with our pets (dog and cats).” Monica, Trustpilot
• “Thank you for an amazing pet sitter experience while we were away on our family vacation! “ Christine F, Sitejabber

Cons of using Care

On the negative side, the FTC took action against Care in August 2024 for deceptive behavior. The FTC claims that Care deceived caregivers by overinflating the number of jobs available and likely earnings. This impacts pet care givers more than pet owners, but doesn’t reflect well on the platform generally.

Pricing

Prices per hours are relatively low on Care, averaging $14/hour for pet care, but you may have to pay an additional membership fee depending on your needs.

You can get a basic membership for free which allows you to post jobs, but you can’t message pet carers directly and can’t actually hire anyone.

A standard subscription starts at $38.95 per month (1-month minimum) and allows you to hire and message with care givers.

A premium subscription starts at $29.95 per month (3-month minimum) is much the same as a standard subscription, but allows unlimited access to criminal and motor vehicle checks, plus some deals and discounts.

Keep in mind that all subscriptions auto renew and refunds can be hard to get from Care.

Bark

Bark is a site where you can find people for all kinds of tasks, pet care included. On Bark, you can search for and hire independent pet care givers for:

• Dog walking
• Pet sitting
• Dog and pet grooming
• Boarding (kennels)
• Pet care

Why Bark

Bark is an easy way to connect with independent pet care givers across the country. To use the service, you enter your location and the service you need, then receive a number of free quotes. You choose between the quotes and hire a pet caregiver directly.

You can see reviews and ratings pet carers on the platform to help you make your decision. Bark has relatively good coverage, but is unlikely to be as good as a platform specialized solely on dog walking and pet care, like Rover, Wag!, and Fetch!.

However, Bark is often cheaper than these major platforms because of Bark’s pricing structure, where the person you hire pays Bark for the lead, instead of you paying Bark for finding the person.

Bark’s locations

Bark has independent professionals across the country, including pet care givers. Bark is also available in Canada, Singapore, and a number of European countries. To find a pet caregiver in your location, you’ll need to ign up and search Bark.

Bark’s rankings

Bark’s online rankings vary, but its strongest by far is on Trustpilot where it scores 4.1/5, based on 95,642 reviews. On Sitejabber, Bark has an average rating of 2.4/5 based on 1,450 reviews.

Pros of Bark

A lot of customers are happy with the pet care services they’ve found through Bark, with reviews praising the speed with which pet services can be found and the amount of labor saved in finding the right person. For example:

• “I was looking for a dog trainer in my area. Bark sent me contact information of trainers in San Francisco CA, and other places that are no where near me. “ Nikki G., Sitejabber
• “Very impressed with how fast everything went and would definitely reccomend for anyone who doesn't have a lot of time to look but still need to get a trustworthy walker.” Emily P., Sitejabber

Cons of Bark

On the negative side, customers have had bad experiences with poorly qualified hires. Bark doesn’t vet all of those who advertise on its site, and the shows in some reviews. For example:

• “Their professionals are not vetted therefore if you are scammed BARK does not take any action against the scammer nor do they try to help.” Azhar Osman C., Sitejabber
• “To my horror, the dog sitter had lost one of my Cockerpoo!!!!  I reported in detail the whole affair to Bark? Their reply " we are not liable for the quality of service provided, we do a surface vetting process.“ Peter, Trustpilot

Pricing

The average price for a dog walker on Bark is $20 per walk. The average price for a pet sitter is $60 per day, with the price varying by location and ranging from $30 to $130.

Bark doesn’t charge you any extra fees, which makes it one of the most affordable platforms. Extra costs are paid by the service providers who buy leads from the platform.