Share This Page

Tweet

October 2025 | Beth Stultz-Hairston, Pet Sitters International

If you've seen our recent media announcement regarding the release of PSI's Global Standards for Professional Pet-Sitting and Dog Walking Businesses, you may have questions about why standards were needed, how they benefit pet-sitting and dog-walking business owners (and pet parents), and how they can impact the pet-care industry at large.

Quick Facts:

• Pet Sitters International (PSI) announced the release of the first global standards for professional pet sitters and dog walkers on October 14, 2025.
• PSI’s Global Standards for Professional Pet-Sitting and Dog-Walking Businesses were developed from PSI’s Recommended Quality Standards for Excellence, which were originally established PSI Founder and CEO Patti J. Moran and her team for PSI members and have been made available to members since 1994.
• Because the pet-sitting industry is rapidly growing but largely unregulated, PSI released the Global Standards to establish public, baseline best practices for professional pet-sitting and dog-walking businesses.

View PSI’s Global Standards here.

Why Defined Industry Standards Matter & How PSI’s Global Standards Can Help

PSI’s Global Standards for Pet Sitters and Dog Walkers were developed from PSI’s Recommended Quality Standards for Excellence, which were originally established PSI Founder and CEO Patti J. Moran and her team for PSI members and have been made available to members since 1994.  PSI's Global Standards offer an updated framework that publicly establishes baseline best practices for pet-care businesses worldwide. 

What Are “Industry Standards”?

Industry standards are agreed upon best practices that outline what professionalism, safety, and quality look like within a specific field.

For industries that are regulated (e.g., child care,  health care, etc.), these standards are often set by government agencies. However, for unregulated professions like pet sitting and dog walking, it’s up to the professionals themselves to set the bar and establish best practices.

That’s exactly what PSI has done with the release of our Global Standards framework.

Benefits for the Industry as a Whole

PSI’s Global Standards:

1. Establish Legitimacy in an Unregulated Industry

• Pet sitting and dog walking currently have no federal or universal licensing requirements.
• PSI’s Global Standards serve as a voluntary framework for professionalism that signals to industry newcomers, clients, media, policymakers and the public that we are a credible, established industry.
• Standards allow our industry to show accountability, transparency and shared expectations for safe, ethical pet care and business operations.

2. Improve Consistency and Client Trust

• Clients often have no benchmark for what “professional” pet sitting should look like, and those researching the industry were previously unable to access an accepted outline for industry best practices if they weren’t PSI members. (Members have had access to PSI’s Recommended Quality Standards for Excellence.)
• PSI’s Global Standards provide a clear baseline that all professional pet-sitting and dog-walking businesses can align with, elevating the standard of care across the industry and giving pet owners greater confidence and peace of mind.

3. Guide Training, Education, and Certification

• PSI’s Global Standards can provide structure and focus for professional development,  guiding curriculum, learning objectives, and continuing-education options to best support pet sitters’ and dog walkers’ commitment to industry standards.
• These Standards inform the Pet Sitting General Body of Knowledge that pet sitters are tested on to obtain PSI’s CPPS-Certified Professional Pet Sitter® designation, a federally-trademarked certification mark and leading industry credential.
• These Standards offer unified expectations and terminology that businesses, consultants and associations across our industry can use when creating and offering continuing education/professional development for pet-care providers.

4. Strengthen Collaboration Across the Pet Industry At Large

• PSI’s Global Standards provide pet sitters and dog walkers with consistent, documented best practices to follow that allow them to network more effectively with veterinarians, trainers, shelters and other pet-industry professionals.
• These Standards create a “shared language” among all pet-care providers, as well as clear guidelines other pet-industry colleagues can refer to when collaborating with pet-sitting or dog-walking businesses.

5. Encourage Self-Regulation to Help Prevent Outside Overregulation

• By allowing our industry to proactively define its own standards, PSI’s Global Standards demonstrate responsibility, transparency and clear guidelines for safe, professional pet-care services, which could reduce the likelihood of poorly-designed outside regulations in the future.
• Should government entities propose future regulation, PSI’s Global Standards offer a framework for regulation that is led by industry professionals, not imposed by outsiders with no industry experience.

6. Elevate Global Perception of Pet Care as a Profession

• Despite amazing progress and industry growth, pet care is often still viewed as unskilled or secondary work (i.e., gig work) in many places around the globe.
• PSI’s Global Standards can help legitimize pet sitting/dog walking as a skilled profession, aligning it with other established care industries such as child care, veterinary care, etc. that already have established guidelines in place.

Benefits for Individual Pet-Sitting & Dog-Walking Businesses

PSI’s Global Standards:

1. Provide a Framework for Professional Excellence

• PSI’s Global Standards provide business owners a clear roadmap of what “best practice” looks like in all aspects of professional pet sitting and dog walking, from animal care and safety practices to client communication and sustainability efforts.
• The Standards serve as an ongoing checklist for business improvement, individual professional development and staff training.

2. Enhance Credibility with Clients

• Being able to say “We follow PSI’s Global Standards” is a powerful differentiator when competing with gig platforms or hobby sitters.
• Sharing your commitment to these Standards communicates accountability, professionalism, and commitment to safety and quality care.

3. Support Staff Training and Consistency

• For businesses with teams, PSI’s Standards make onboarding new team members easier and more consistent by providing a framework that can be used to shape standard operating procedures, policies and necessary employee training.
• When used to guide employee onboarding and training, the Standards help ensure every staff member understands and upholds the same values, procedures and expectations.

4. Reduce Risk and Liability

• Following standardized best practices (for insurance, biosecurity, emergency protocols, etc.) helps prevent mistakes and can reduce exposure to risk and liability.
• Demonstrating compliance with recognized standards may strengthen your ability to respond to insurance claims or client complaints and improve client trust during potential disputes.

5. Improve Client Communication and Education

• PSI’s Global Standards help business owners explain why they do things a certain way (i.e., “We follow national standards for professional pet care”) when sharing business practices and policies with clients.
• Sharing these Standards also provides an opportunity to educate clients about professionalism and boundaries in the provider-client relationship.

6. Provide a Marketing Advantage

• Being able to market your business as compliant with PSI’s Global Standards can help you stand out in a crowded marketplace and better reach your target audience of dedicated pet parents.
• Adhering to PSI’s Global Standards helps your business build long-term client loyalty through trust and transparency, improving your company’s reputation and increasing word of mouth referrals.

7. Support Continuous Improvement

• Industry standards can’t be upheld through complacency. PSI’s Global Standards encourage pet-sitting and dog-walking businesses to regularly evaluate and update policies, services and safety protocols.
• PSI is committed to providing resources and training to help pet-care business owners adhere to these Global Standards so that they can remain prepared, adaptable and competitive as the industry grows and evolves.

Next Steps for Professional Pet Sitters and Dog Walkers

If you are committed to industry standards and want to spread the word about PSI’s Global Standards for Professional Pet-Sitting and Dog-Walking Businesses, PSI is here to help!

 Consider this 30-Day Action Plan:

1. Review PSI’s Global Standards for Professional Pet-Sitting and Dog-Walking Businesses in its entirety and use the document as a checklist to ensure your business is currently meeting these standards. If there are any standards you have questions about or need help meeting, please reach out to PSI—even if you’re not a PSI member.
2. Review your company’s standard operating procedures, business policies and company protocols. Make note of any updates or changes you need to make to comply with these best practices.
3. Use these standards as you plan for continuing education and professional development for you and your team in the coming year. Are there areas you need additional training in to be fully compliant with the industry standards? Prioritize that type of training in your plan.
4. Spread the word! Take advantage of in-person and online opportunities to promote PSI’s Global Standards and highlight your company’s commitment.

Here are some easy ways to promote PSI’s Global Standards and your company:

• Share PSI’s press release or repost PSI’s Global Standards announcement from Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.
• Add a link to the Global Standards on your company website.
• Update your company’s website copy to include why and how your business commits to these industry standards.
• Create a blog post that details your company’s commitment to the Global Standards and how this benefits your clients and their pets. Share online and in your client newsletter.
• Post a picture of you and your team (if applicable) on social media and share steps your company takes to follow these best practices.
• Include a copy of PSI’s Global Standards in your pet-sitter presentation book—whether it’s in print or digital format—to discuss when meeting with prospective clients.
• Email local pet-industry professionals (i.e., veterinarians, trainers, groomers, etc.) to “reintroduce” your business, share the industry standards announcement, and emphasize your commitment to best practices. This reinforces that providers can feel comfortable referring their clients to your business.
• Share these standards with your team members (through email, Slack, etc.) or at an upcoming team meeting and explain how your company’s policies align with this framework.
• Share with your local pet-sitter network and schedule an online or in-person brainstorming session to discuss how your businesses can best highlight the industry standards in your local market.

PSI members, also be sure to check out this new page in PSI’s Members Area that will help you better promote your PSI membership and your value to clients.

In the coming year, PSI will release additional resources and training programs to help pet-care business owners adopt and communicate these standards to clients and staff.

The release of these Global Standards reflects PSI’s ongoing mission: to define excellence, protect professionalism, and shape the future of the in-home pet-care industry. We are so glad you are with us on this journey!