Lonely Pets Club's Pet Care System

People often ask us how we are able to handle the large number of queries and bookings we receive each day whilst still providing the individual care and attention required by each animal in our care.

A Pet Sitting service is unlike other pet care services in that once committed to care for a pet, that pet is dependent on us for the term of the booking. For example, a dog washer can fail to turn up one day and your dog might be dirty... if a pet carer fails to turn up, your pet doesn't eat! We take our responsibility to pets and their owners very seriously and see it as absolutely critical that every single booking we receive is handled professionally and to a standard we would expect for our own pets.

To this end, we have developed the Lonely Pets Club Pet Care System.

Bookings and Booking Changes

All bookings and booking changes are handled by Lonely Pets Club office. This way, if your carer is unable to visit on a particular day (eg due to illness), the office can organise a replacement for that day to ensure your pets are cared for. It is therefore crucial that the office knows all the current details of your booking. Whether you request bookings through our website, email, or on 1300 CUDDLE, no booking is confirmed until you have received verbal and/or written confirmation from our office.

PetSitR Bookings System

We developed a comprehensive computerised booking system, called PetSitR, to allow us to handle the large number of bookings we receive and to ensure that no members are mismanaged.

PetSitR automatically calculates prices and emails out written quotes.

All bookings are entered into PetSitR. The booking details are then automatically sent to the client in a confirmation email. This allows the client to check that all the details for the booking were correctly recorded.

The allocated carer must accept the booking quickly or it is automatically flagged as requiring attention by our office staff. Booking changes are handled in a similar way.

Lonely Pets Club Carers

Each Lonely Pets Club carer must pass through a rigorous screening process, including a police check, reference checks and background checks. We only employ honest, reliable, animal loving individuals with whom we would trust our own pets and home.

The Initial Visit

Each new Lonely Pets Club member receives a complimentary visit from their carer before their first booking starts. At this meeting, your carer meets you and your pets and gathers all the information required to look after your pets. You will be asked to complete a registration form, a copy of which you will be given. If keys are needed, you can give them to the carer.

Make sure all the necessary details are on the registration form, as it forms your guarantee that your pets will be cared for exactly as you wish. For example, details such as where the pet food is kept, quantities of food, whether your pets live indoors or out etc. Every booking is different and the information on this form ensures that, even if your individual carer should fall sick and be unable to complete your booking, another LPC carer will be able to step in and perform exactly the same high quality service in their absence.

Pet Care

Each pet care visit must meet the high standards described in the Lonely Pets Club Code of Conduct. This includes, but is not limited to, guidelines such as

• Always check and top up fresh water.
• Clean animal eating areas and any utensils you use.
• Clean kitty litter and client yards of doggy poo.
• Bring in mail, tend rubbish bins, water plants where requested.
• Always have the completed Registration form to refer to if necessary.
• If anything seems out of the ordinary, contact the client (or emergency contact where specified) to let them know.
• Double check the entrance is locked tight and the house secure when you leave.
• Store keys safely and never record a client's surname or full address on the key.

Dog Walks

• Always carry doggy poo bags and pick up after the dogs you are walking.
• Always walk dogs safely restrained on the lead, unless requested otherwise in writing by the client.

What If???

However careful your carer is, there is always a small chance that an emergency could occur whilst your pet is in our care. For example

• "Pet Health" Crisis
  We ask that you supply us with your vet's details when completing your registration form, as well as the phone number of someone we can contact in an emergency if we can't get hold of you. You can rest assured we will hold the interests of your pet at heart when responding to an emergency.

• "Unable to Get In" Crisis
  Occasionally we have had cases where the carer has been unable to obtain entrance to a member's home, for example when the supplied key doesn't work. In these cases, we contact a locksmith to obtain entry to your home.

• "Runaway Dog" Crisis
  All members can use Lonely Pets Club's pet identification system. If your pet is found at large, the system can ensure your pet is returned home as quickly as possible - hopefully without a costly trip to the pound.

Should you have any queries about how we handle other difficult situations, please ask us.

Future Bookings

Once you have become a Lonely Pets Club member and used our services once, there is no need for the carer to come back to collect details at subsequent bookings. All you need to do is give us a call and let us know when you need us and if any of your pet care details have changed, and you can tick Organise Pet Care off your To Do list!