How To Turn Caring For Pets Into A Side Hustle

Most articles about earning money through pet sitting start the same: it’s a dream come true for animal lovers. But you should know it also has its challenges.

This article will provide the big picture of what it’s like to earn money caring for pets and tips to help you get started.

An Overview of Pet Care: A Primer

Since the pandemic, the pet industry has exploded, and it’s not about to slow down.

The term “Pet professionals” used to mean pet sitters, trainers, dog walkers, vets, and food companies. Now, the possibilities are endless:

• Pet apparel designers
• Pet nutritionists
• Animal bloggers
• Pet groomers
• Reiki healers

Some of these jobs require tangible qualifications. For example, working with pets’ health will require certification. If you’re doing things like cat-sitting or creating fun costumes for dogs, you’ll only need a good track record.

That’s not the same for licensing, though. If you intend to start a serious pet-sitting business, you’ll need to get a license. But if you’re just helping out the neighbors by taking care of their cat for a few hours, then that is definitely overkill.

How Much Can Caring For Pets Earn You?

While vets earn around $100k a year, according to the BLS, pet professionals with less formal credentials, like dog groomers or pet sitters, usually earn more than $35k a year in major cities.

But the revenue potential in this industry is much more diverse. Just look through YouTube, and you’ll find tons of pet bloggers, specialized walkers, and holistic pet nutritionists telling you they make well above the average yearly income.

How Much Does it Cost to Start a Side Hustle Caring For Pets?

The cost of starting side hustles in pet care varies based on service type and scale. Basic pet-sitting or dog-walking gigs can cost less than $100.

Specialized services, however, require more significant investment. A basic grooming kit ranges between $500-1500. Certifications for animal nutrition might range from $300 to $1,000.

Alternative niches like pet apparel design are also emerging and can involve costs for fabrics and sewing equipment or metal for dog tags, which typically fall between $100-$500, depending on scale and ambition.

Where Can You Find Gigs Caring For Pets?

Here’s where to look for great pet sitting, dog walking, or other gigs for animal lovers:

Where to Independently Find Pet Sitting Gigs

While traditional methods like local bulletin boards and word-of-mouth remain evergreen, branching out digitally is practically a requirement for pet sitters to make any real money.

• Become the new TikTok sensation: Platforms like TikTok and Instagram get you more dog-walking jobs than anything else in this landscape.
• Engage with your community: Speaking of TikTok sensations, have you ever seen that volunteer landscape guy or the home cleaner doing major free house cleanings? This selfless strategy doubles as a powerful marketing move for those who can invest time.
• Run ads in your local area: Sometimes, the old-school approach has a unique charm and reaches a demographic of dog owners who might not be online-focused.
• Make a simple website: A straightforward “link in bio” type website is another thing that’s becoming a staple in the pet sitting or dog walker business.

Gig Economy Platforms that Offer Gigs Caring for Pets

The rise of the gig economy and the pet industry has created countless platforms dedicated to pet care services. These are some of the biggest in this field.

• Wag: Wag is one of the biggest platforms for dog walkers in the US market. To walk dogs for them, you need to pass a knowledge test and pay a $25 fee. Once you’re accepted, you’ll get around $12 per walk plus tips.
• Rover: Some of the services it supports include pet sitting, walking, boarding, or house sitting. It provides a great layer of safety for you and the house/pet parents you’re working with.
• Craigslist: This is the most diverse platform where you can find gigs for everything, not just cats and dogs. Fish, birds, horses, you name it! Of course, it might not protect you as well as the other two, but it does open up many unique options.

Why You Should Consider Caring For Pets As a Side Hustle

It’s not just about the extra cash (though, let’s be real, that’s a big perk). There are some pretty compelling reasons to consider:

• Instant mental health boost: Unless you intend to groom animals (some of these furry friends don’t like that at all), quality time with animals boosts your well-being.
• The demand is off the charts: People are fostering more, adopting more, taking better care, and spending more on their animals than ever before.
• No more 9-to-5: Pet care means flexibility, and if you’re someone who thrives in chaos or prefers a dynamic setting, this could be your ideal gig.
• Stay active and engaged: Desk jobs are the human body’s nemesis. This hustle keeps you moving, which is a chance to combine work and a healthy lifestyle.

Problems With Caring For Pets

You should also keep in mind that caring for pets comes with some hurdles:

• Navigating challenging pet owners: The animals you pet sit might be a delight, but dealing with their humans might not be.
• Enduring physical exhaustion: As fun as playtimes are, they can be tiring. Add to that those long walks in extreme weather conditions.
• Managing inconsistent income: Not knowing how much you’ll earn month to month can be nerve-wracking. Financial stability isn’t always guaranteed unless you diversify effectively.
• Handling immense responsibility: It’s more than just feeding and walking. You’re safeguarding someone’s precious companion, and a lot can happen in a split second. That’s a huge and stressful responsibility.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Is it Important to Take Care of Pets?

The importance of pet care is twofold: it ensures the animal’s well-being while giving pet owners peace of mind. With pet owners increasingly treating their animals as family, high-quality pet care is more crucial than ever.

What is the Most Lucrative Pet to Take Care Of?

Specialized care for exotic animals, birds, and horses is among the most lucrative in the pet industry, and not for no reason. These animals are often more demanding, and experts in these fields are hard to come by.