Frequently Asked Questions
General Questions
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We offer professional and caring pet sitting services across Nelson, Stoke, Richmond, Appleby, Tahunanui, and Atawhai.
Our services include in-home visits for cats and dogs, private or group dog walking, doggy day care, and dog-friendly holiday homes.
We also provide small pet boarding for animals such as birds, rabbits, and rodents, ensuring all pets receive attentive, loving care while you’re away.
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We offer professional and caring pet sitting services across Nelson, Stoke, Richmond, Appleby, Tahunanui, and Atawhai.
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New customers are welcome to get in touch by clicking here or emailing us at [email address].
Existing customers can contact us on the mobile number previously provided for urgent requests or last-minute changes, or access their account here.
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Our opening hours are Monday to Friday, with emails checked and phone calls returned between 9am and 4pm, depending on our schedules.
Please note that our office is closed on weekends and public holidays.
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What sets us apart is our genuine love for animals and our commitment to personalised care. Every pet is treated as an individual, with services tailored to their needs, routines, and personalities. From in-home pet sitting and dog walking to small pet boarding, we focus on keeping pets happy, relaxed, and well cared for—so you can enjoy complete peace of mind.
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For Pet Sitting bookings, we recommend that you have a lock box on the property to store your key. These can be purchased from hardware stores.
If you plan on making a number of bookings and do not wish to leave a key on the property, we can keep your keys on file but we will need 3 copies to ensure that each sitter has one.
We do not operate a pick up and drop off service for keys.
Weekly Dog Walking bookings - we are happy to have 2 keys to keep in our vans.
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Yes, we are happy to administer medication at no extra cost including insulin. We will not sit for acutely ill pets, but recommend they be boarded with a vet.
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At our initial consultation, we take details of any medical conditions your pet may have and the veterinarian you are registered with. If we believe your pet needs the attention of a veterinarian, then we will take them. We will ask the clinic to charge your account and we will send you an invoice for the extra time/travel involved.
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Once you are one of our valued customers, even a last minute booking is not a problem for us.
However, over Christmas, New Year and Easter this may not be possible as we are always fully booked, but of course we will try to accommodate your request.
Our team of Pet Sitters have been selected due to their passion for pets and their care. They are mature, honest and reliable and able to follow instructions and any additional requests you may have, such as watering the plants. They have initiative and are trained to deal with any problems that may arise and there is always backup if needed.
Sitters go through a training program, first aid course and their work is regularly assessed to ensure they are meeting our high standards and providing the best possible service to our customer’s pets. All our Pet Sitters are police and referenced checked.
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You never need to worry about a visit being missed due to our professional systems to ensure every pet has been visited.
We will text you updates of your pets to let you know how they are getting on. One thing we do ask, is that you text or call us when you return home from your trip, because our job isn’t complete until we have confirmation you are back home safely with your pets.
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This is New Zealand law. If a staff member works on a Public Holiday, they are entitled to at least time and a half pay for the time they work on the public holiday.
We aim to keep our rates reasonable and therefore our prices are not high enough to be able to pay our staff at this rate without the Public Holiday Surcharge.
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Payment in advance is standard practice in the Pet Sitting/Dog Walking Industry.
For Doggie Holiday Homes:
Most of our families only take 1 dog at a time. Therefore, if a customer cancels within one month of their booking, it is highly unlikely we will be able to replace the booking, leaving the family without income for that time. We also may have turned other customers away.
Our families are committed to caring for our customers' dogs and will usually arrange their time and holidays around our customers’ needs and requests. This understandably makes it frustrating if a booking is cancelled at the last minute.
In our experience, customers who are serious about using our Doggie Holiday Home service are fine with this policy. Some customers may want to book our service as a backup in case they can’t find someone else to care for their dog and do not wish to agree with this policy, so therefore it eliminates these people who are likely to cancel.
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We do not have specific breed restrictions. Dogs must be over 6 months of age, well socialised, house-trained, and comfortable staying in a family home environment. All dogs are required to be up to date with vaccinations and flea and worming treatments. Puppies under one year must be crate trained, and dogs are required to be desexed unless under 12 months of age.
Dog walking
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Our Doggie Days Out are all about fun, exercise, and socialisation! We pick up your dog from home and take them to their favourite local spots—the beach, parks, reserves, or even the Maitai—where they can walk, play, and make new friends. Each outing includes group play with other friendly dogs, providing healthy exercise and socialisation, or a private walk if preferred. Dogs travel safely in our Doggie Wagon, wearing harnesses provided by us, and pick-up and drop-off are included in the service. After the walk, we’ll send you photos so you can see just how much fun your dog had!
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For Pet Sitting bookings, we recommend that you have a lock box on the property to store your key. These can be purchased from hardware stores.
If you plan on making a number of bookings and do not wish to leave a key on the property, we can keep your keys on file but we will need 3 copies to ensure that each sitter has one.
We do not operate a pick up and drop off service for keys.
Weekly Dog Walking bookings - we are happy to have 2 keys to keep in our vans.
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Yes—your dog must be up to date with vaccinations (Vanguard 5/DHPPI and Canine/Kennel Cough) and on a regular flea prevention program. Puppies, small, nervous, or senior dogs are welcome and benefit greatly from the socialisation and confidence-building provided by our Doggie Days Out. We also offer consultations for new dogs to ensure they’re comfortable in the pack and that we provide the safest, most enjoyable experience possible.
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Shy or nervous dogs can absolutely benefit from joining group walks. Being part of a pack helps build their confidence, teaches them that other dogs are safe and fun, and provides positive socialisation with dogs of all breeds and temperaments. These outings are structured to be fun and supportive, giving timid dogs the chance to gradually become more comfortable around other dogs and in new environments.
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Yes! We offer private walks for one or two dogs in local off-leash areas. Rates and times can be scheduled to suit you.
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We walk dogs at beaches, parks, reserves, and local exercise areas. On private walks, dogs can enjoy off-leash play in safe, supervised areas.
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Groups include friendly dogs of compatible sizes and temperaments, with our handlers supervising to keep play safe and fun.
Doggie daycare
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Dogs join walking groups, play in paddocks, dig in the designated zone, swim during summer, and rest during midday breaks.
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Pickups: ~8:30–9:30 am
Morning walking groups: 10–10:30 am
Afternoon walking groups: 1–2 pm
Drop-offs: ~2:30–4 pm
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Pickups are approximately between 8:30-9:30 and drop offs between 2:30-4pm depending where you are located on the route.
Morning dog walking groups arrive approximately 10-10:30am and afternoon groups 1-2pm.
Richmond: Monday – Friday
Stoke: Tuesday – Friday
Nelson: Friday
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Yes! We have three secure paddocks, indoor areas, and strict supervision to ensure all dogs remain safe.
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You can reach us anytime via our contact page or email. We aim to respond quickly—usually within one business day.
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Yes! Your pet stays in their own home, enjoying familiar surroundings, routines, and plenty of attention while you’re away.
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Cat visits are 30 minutes, dog visits from 35 minutes. However, we increase the time according to how many pets are in the household. After completing all the jobs that need to be done, we allow sufficient time for lots of TLC to ensure that your pet is happy and healthy. Our prices reflect the amount of work involved and length of time we believe is appropriate. Of course, if you’re worried your pet needs a longer visit that can be arranged too.
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Absolutely!!! We believe the key to having happy dogs at home is exercise! If you request 2 visits per day, then your dog can have 2 walks per day.
If your booking falls on a week day, then we will automatically upgrade your dog onto our Doggie Days Out!
(See our dog walking service for further information, this is subject to availability and dependent on where you live)
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For Pet Sitting bookings, we recommend that you have a lock box on the property to store your key. These can be purchased from hardware stores.
If you plan on making a number of bookings and do not wish to leave a key on the property, we can keep your keys on file but we will need 3 copies to ensure that each sitter has one.
We do not operate a pick up and drop off service for keys.
Weekly Dog Walking bookings - we are happy to have 2 keys to keep in our vans.
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To do this job day in and day out, you have to have a certain bond with animals! Quite simply, most animals love us! Plus when you’re not around, they are more inclined to see who is getting their next meal! It doesn’t take long for them to understand that we are at their service and happy to oblige in giving them the food, fuss and cuddles they require!
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This can be a problem whether you are at home or not. However, as we don’t just feed your pets and leave, we are able to ensure that your pet gets their allocated amount of food.
It is best not to have food close to the cat door or outside as this can make much easier pickings for the neighbour’s cats. Also your cat can still maintain its territory while you are gone, instead of returning home to find another cat has taken over.
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Of course your pets will miss you. However, it isn’t any different than you going to work every day and coming home. The beauty of leaving your pets at home means they know you are coming home! We try to come at around the same time every day and keep their routine as close to their existing one as possible.
We can leave the TV or radio on overnight and there are also remedies available to calm pets if you are concerned. Just ask us or your vet for further information.
Most cats are independent and will come for food and cuddles on their terms, but if your cat is a smoocher and loves to have soppy kisses and cuddles, then that makes our day!! We love smooches!
With dogs we basically tire them out so they pretty much sleep the rest of the day! If your dog joins our Doggie Days out, it means that they can be out of the house from 2-4 hours a day! If you have an elderly dog, they just appreciate being left in the comfort of their own home and having a walk, food and cuddles then bed!
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We will not take on bookings where we are asked to visit every second day. We require all pets to be visited at least once per 24 hours (and some pet types require multiple daily visits). This is a professional industry standard, as anything can happen when pets are left alone for an extended time. From potentially lethal ailments like a urethral block age to potential home damages, not checking on a pet daily can have costly—or tragic—consequences.
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We will not share pet-sitting visits with clients’ family members, friends, or other caretakers. We want you to be comfortable with the amount of care and attention your pet is receiving, but we have found that sharing visits has unintended consequences that you may not have considered.
To ensure there is no confusion regarding the pet’s feeding and exercise schedule or the care of the home (setting the alarm, closing doors, etc.), all pet-sitting visits must be completed by our company in your absence. We find that this allows us to provide optimal care and ensure your pet is healthy, happy and safe.
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We will not take on one pet in a household and not another. If your cat ‘who will be fine’ turns up with an abscess or takes ill, then we can’t be expected to ignore it, but nor should we have to deal with a pet that a customer doesn’t wish to pay or render our services for. It costs a few extra dollars to have your cat cared for, less than a cup of coffee.
We genuinely love and care for all animals and seeing a cat that hasn’t been given fresh water for days, is fed off the same plate without being washed and has had very little interaction with a human is very disturbing for us. Of course we will get it fresh water, but we may not have access to its food, nor is it our responsibility and we wouldn’t have allocated the extra time, meaning we therefore run late for everyone else’s pets.
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Hiring a professional pet sitter means you no longer have to impose on friends, family or neighbours! You can relax knowing that someone who loves animals is going to visit around the same time every day and spend time with your precious pets.
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Friends, family and neighbours may have the best intentions of caring for your pets, but with the busyness of everyday life, it doesn’t take much for your ‘carer’ to completely forget all about your pets for a day or even longer. What if they were to become ill or suddenly have to leave Nelson to be with a sick relative, who would care for your pets then?
We often hear of cases where friends have agreed to housesit or care for people’s pets, only for something to come up at the last minute and they are no longer able to help out. Often there is insufficient time at this stage to arrange for a Pet Sitter or we may be fully booked.
Pet sitting
Doggie holiday homes
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A Doggie Holiday Home is a loving alternative to kennels where your dog stays in a carefully matched family home.
Your dog follows the family’s normal daily routine for feeding, exercise, and sleeping, just like at home.
Before your stay, you’ll meet the host family in their home to ensure it’s a great match, and you’ll receive updates while you’re away for complete peace of mind.
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We recommend bringing your dog’s own food, bedding, and any favourite toys or comforts they are used to. This helps them settle into their holiday home quickly and keeps their routine as familiar as possible. If your dog has any special requirements, medications, or feeding instructions, these should be provided at the time of their stay.
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Yes. For the comfort and safety of everyone involved, dogs must be friendly, social, and comfortable staying in a family home environment.
All dogs are required to be fully vaccinated and up to date with flea and worming treatments.
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Yes. Updates from your dog’s holiday family will be sent while you are away, including photos where possible, so you can relax knowing your dog is happy, settled, and well cared for.
Other services
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