Part Time Dog Walker and Pet Sitter

Do you love the idea of spending your day with animals and being in the great outdoors? We are seeking a reliable, honest and highly organised individual to join our small team as a dog walker and pet sitter on a self-employed basis. We are looking for someone who can work in Abingdon and the surrounding area, so the ideal candidate would reside in or around Abingdon and be willing to travel to other villages on occasion.

This is a part time role with hours ranging per week from 5-10 hours per week. You must be available during lunchtime hours as this is the prime time for walking dogs. There would be opportunity to eventually take on more hours as the client base grows, however this is not essential. There will also be house sitting assignments which involves staying overnight in client's homes to take care of their pets. Please do not consider this role unless you are able and happy to do this on a semi-regular basis. House sitting assignments can be anything from 1 night to 2 weeks.

Your responsibilities would include:

• Walking dogs on a regular schedule, ensuring their safety and well-being.
• Cleaning up after dogs during walks and disposing of waste properly.
• Monitoring the behaviour and health of the dogs, reporting any concerns to the owner or supervisor.
• Visiting pets whilst their owners are away on holiday to feed them and give them love and attention.
• House sitting in client's homes overnight for various durations to look after their animals in the comfort of their own home.
• Attending client meetings with the business owner to introduce yourself to the client and their pets.
• Provide excellent customer service by communicating with clients and addressing their needs and requests.
• Checking and amending the team Google calendar each day for your daily jobs.
• Taking lovely photos/videos of the pets you look after for social media.

Skills:

• Experience with pet sitting and dog walking is essential (having your own dogs is considered sufficient experience).
• Ability to confidently handle up to 3 dogs of various sizes and breeds, including those with behavioural issues. We do not pack walk, you will only walk 1-3 dogs at one time.
• Strong communication skills to interact with clients and provide updates on their pets.
• Excellent time keeping.
• Physical fitness and ability to handle heavy lifting, as some dogs may be large or require assistance.
• Knowledge of basic pet care and safety practices.
• A full UK driver's license.
• Canine First Aid trained or agree to course attendance.

Requirements:

• Reliable and trustworthy.
• At least 5 years experience caring for animals, either as a pet owner or working with them.
• Confident and well-spoken to uphold the company's image when speaking with clients.
• You must be confident working alone and able to manage your own workload.
• Full UK drivers license and permanent access to your own vehicle with space to put a large dog in safely.
• Willingness to travel to the areas mentioned above. This job involves a lot of driving, so you must be confident driving to new places.
• Happy to walk in all weathers and own appropriate clothing and footwear.
• Access to a mobile phone and email.
• Availability and time to commit to future jobs. This is a permanent role.
• Be able to work Monday-Friday (times ranging from 9am - 4pm) & weekends occasionally.
• Based in Abingdon or within a 3 mile radius.

Benefits:

• Flexible schedule - you can work jobs around other aspects of your life.
• We will offer you support, advice and all the necessary training.
• You will be insured for each job.
• Employee satisfaction is very important to us, so we will offer jobs to suit your wants/requirements.

This is a self employed role and candidates will be required to go through a DBS check following a successful interview as well as completing a canine first aid course.

If this sounds like the perfect job, we would love to hear from you Please send Katherine a cover letter stating why you think you would be a great fit for the role, alongside your CV highlighting any relevant experience with details of 2 references.

Please send your application to Katherine -

Applications that do not include a cover letter or references will not be considered.

Job Types: Part-time, Permanent, Freelance

Pay: £14.00-£17.00 per hour

Benefits:

• Casual dress
• Flexitime

Experience:

• dog walking: 5 years (required)

Licence/Certification:

• driver's license? (required)

Work Location: In person