Frequently Asked Questions

Our sitters all have different availability, and we want them to be able to have at least 2 days off a week and not work all day long. So, because of that, they work in shifts. This means there is usually a morning, midday and evening sitter. Sometimes they work split shifts and may do the morning and midday or midday and evening shifts. We try to be as consistent as possible and have the same sitters do as many of the visits as possible but due to their availability, we won’t be able to guarantee the same sitter at every visit. 

 Due to the sitter’s availability varying, time constraints and costs we do not introduce the sitters to every client. 

 We do not give out our sitter’s phone numbers for privacy reasons, and we want all communication to go through the Time to Pet portal so that everyone has access to it. You can download the Time to Pet app for free and all your visit reports will come through the app and you can send questions or concerns through the conversation feed. If you have concerns about the sitters there is a private message feed for management only or you can call us at 512-214-2596. 

All clients that do not have a keyless entry pad will be provided a lockbox by On Paws to place their key in each time we provide services. The lockbox can be placed wherever you choose, and you can program your own personalized code into the lockbox. The cost of the lockbox is covered by the price of the consultation. You can also provide your own lockbox if you choose. We keep the codes and all your personal and payment information in our secure client portal, Time to Pet, which is encrypted. Only our staff have access to it and the sitters only have access to your information while they are providing services. And only management has access to charge your payment methods. Once your payment method is entered, we can only see the last 4 digits and can only charge your card if there is an invoice to charge. 

Before we interview potential sitters, they fill out a survey that measures the likelihood of them stealing or doing drugs and whether they are truthful or not. If they do not pass this survey, they do not get an interview. If they pass the survey, we then have an in-depth interview where they must be able to prove they can pay attention to details and follow instructions. Once they are selected, we then do a background and reference check. 

The pet sitting staff gets a week of in field training where they ride along with the owner and other staff members and are shown the policies and procedures in real time. They are also provided with a standard operating procedure document they must study. They then take online courses in animal behavior, handling, care and best practices along with a first aid and CPR course.  It's similar for the boarding and daycare staff only their in person training is at the facility.

That is not a problem at all. We are used to barking and all of us are animal lovers with our own pets and have been around dogs a great deal of our lives and it doesn’t bother us. 

No, we care for all breeds. The only time we wouldn’t care for an animal is if we felt they posed a danger to us or the dogs at our facility if they were boarding or coming for doggy daycare.

Absolutely! We have cared for many of these types of pets over the years. We will just need a consultation to make sure that their care is something we can handle. 

No, we do not provide overnight visits in your home. The only overnight care we do is at our boarding facility for dogs. 

That is perfectly fine, but we do ask that they are not there when we are, for the safety of our sitters. We also have a policy that if someone else will be entering the premises during our contracted services, that we can no longer be held liable for anything that may happen during that time.

We have an app for that! The Time to Pet portal where you filled out information about your pets also has an app that is free to download from the app store. Every time we come to your home we send a visit report. This report is time and GPS stamped and you will get photos and an update on how your pets are doing. These reports come via email and through the Time to Pet app. So, if you don’t want to download the app, you’ll still get the reports through your email. You can respond to the emails with any questions or concerns and if you download the app, there is a conversation feed as well.   

If your dog is boarding with us or coming for daycare we provide updates each day via text message.

You can find our terms and conditions and cancellation policy here:  Terms and Conditions for On Paws Pet Care Services 

All dogs over a year old must be spayed or neutered.  They must also be up to date on Rabies, Distemper Parvo and Bordetella(kennel cough) vaccines.  Proof will be required.  They must also complete a trial day of doggy daycare to see if they will be a good fit for playing with other dogs.

Our style of boarding and daycare is called stay and play, where the dogs play together throughout the day.  They are placed in small groups of appropriate size and temperament and are rotated in those groups between rest time and play time all day while being monitored.  At night they stay in large crates.  We have no more than 6 dogs at a time in a group of larger dogs.

There is no one at the facility overnight but there is a monitored security system with fire, freeze, CO2 and flood alarms as well as a security alarm.  We also have cameras in each boarding room that the owner monitors after hours.

It is rare but in a great once and a while we will have a dog fight.  We have measures in place to try and mitigate them before they start.  If play gets too rough, we stop it immediately and give a break to the dogs involved.  We also have spray bottles and horns to help distract dogs if they start to get into a fight.  We try our best to prevent fights, but they sometimes happen and if they do, we will break them up immediately, separate the dogs involved and give them breaks.  We will then inspect everyone for injuries and let the owners know immediately and perform first aid or take them to the vet if necessary.