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By Beth Stultz-Hairston | October 1, 2020

Some years back PSI surveyed its members to learn more about circumstances that made them feel unsafe and caused them to turn down pet-sitting assignments. Based on the responses from that survey, the top four circumstances that caused professional pet sitters and dog walkers to turn down an assignment were:

1. Unsafe neighborhood (38 percent)
2. “Creepy” client (23 percent)
3. Filthy home/client was a hoarder (22 percent)
4. Aggressive dogs (18 percent)

While professional pet sitters and dog walkers are skilled at many things—from offering expert advice on pet-care issues to finding unique ways to allow clients to connect with their pets so they can have peace of mind while they are away—one skill often still eludes many of the pet-care professionals we speak with: Knowing when and how to say “no.”

While potentially dangerous situations such as those noted above can be reasons to turn down pet-sitting requests, there are many other times when saying “no” to a particular assignment or client request is also in the best interest of you, your business and the client.

When deciding if “no” is the right answer, ask yourself this:

Will saying “yes” to this pet-sitting request potentially have a negative effect on me or the care I am able to provide this pet or the other pets in my care?

Why pet sitters have said “no”—and how to decline the request

In PSI’s private, members-only Facebook group we recently posted this question: What are reasons you’ve turned down a pet-sitting assignment?

The examples shared primarily fell into the following categories:

Potential client was out of the service area, or the business was booked for the requested dates.   These two scenarios seem like easy requests to turn down—but have you ever been tempted to take on a client slightly out of your service area, or try to just fit in one more client on a day that was already fully booked? While these situations may seem like innocuous exceptions to make, remember to ask the question: Will saying “yes” to this pet-sitting request potentially have a negative effect on me or the care I am able to provide this pet or the other pets in my care?

And, the answer is “yes.” Stretching yourself too thin—either by not sticking to your service area boundaries or accepting “just one more client” when your schedule is already full—impacts your quality of service. When you are overworked, overtired and rushing, mistakes are more likely to be made, and you’ll have little wiggle room should a pet-sitting emergency occur, or you just find yourself delayed at a pet-sitting visit or stuck in traffic.

How to say “no”:  Fortunately, these pet-sitting requests are much easier to turn down when you are prepared. Be sure that you network with other local professional pet sitters that you can refer these would-be clients to, or direct them to PSI’s Pet Sitter Locator. Saying “no” is much easier when you still feel like you are helping the pet parent find a reliable pet-care solution.

Pet sitter had concerns about the pets’ environment or behavior.

Members in PSI’s Facebook group shared various experiences where concerns about either the pet’s environment or behavior caused them to turn down a pet-sitting request either at the initial consultation (meet and greet) or after a preliminary visit.

One pet sitter described how a long-time client had recently brought a new rescue dog into her home that was becoming increasingly aggressive. She documented the behavior to share with the client and sent her a list of online resources to review, but ultimately had to turn down future assignments.

Other pet sitters described turning down requests from clients who wanted dogs kept in their crates for the majority of the day, pets with diagnosed but unmanaged health issues and homes with safety issues, such as gates that wouldn’t properly lock.

In all these described situations, saying “yes” to the assignment could have resulted in a negative outcome for the pet sitter or the pet—whether by being bitten by a dog, for example, or having a pet escape through a fence that isn’t properly secured.

How to say “no”: In these types of situations, saying “no” can seem more difficult—because turning down the request normally takes place at the initial consultation or after a first visit. Again, though, being prepared can make the process much easier.

For clients with pets exhibiting aggressive behaviors, for example, be sure you have a resource ready to share with them. Network with your local dog trainers and dog behaviorists and have their contact information available to share. Explain that while you cannot accept the assignment because of the risk it currently poses to your safety, you would still like to direct them to a resource that can help—and it’s possible you could offer services in the future after the behavior has been addressed.

For concerns with the pets’ environment, it may be that you don’t have to say “no” but can say “yes, but only if…” For example:

“I’d love to offer these daily visits for your dog, but in my inspection of your outdoor fence I see the lock is broken and poses a safety concern. As a professional pet sitter, I’m committed to ensuring your dog stays safe in my care, so if you are able to get that fixed so we can ensure the dog is unable to escape, I’d be happy to provide services!”

“I think I could be a great pet sitter for your crew, but I have concerns about the length of time you plan to have your dogs crated. My minimum is three visits per day for dogs to ensure they receive the care and interaction they need. If you’d like to book three visits per day while you are on vacation, I’d love to offer my services.”

In these situations, it may be that once you explain your concerns to the client they will be willing to make the necessary changes to be able to use your services. If they are not willing, however, be prepared to walk away.

Requests were not in line with the company’s policies and procedures.

Many pet sitters shared that they’ve had to say “no” to a pet-sitting request that went against their company’s policies and procedures. Many cited their “no shared visits” rule and clients asking them to make an exception to share a pet-sitting assignment with a client’s neighbor, friend, or family member.

Many pet sitters choose not to share visits because, in many cases, this can result in inconsistent care and miscommunication—and oftentimes, if anything does go wrong (even when it was because of the other caregiver), it’s often the professional pet-sitting business that is blamed.

How to say “no”: Saying “no” to this type of request is easy when you have a business policy in place. Have your policy in writing and be prepared to offer a quick explanation as to why you do not share visits. You are not justifying your decision but simply offering an explanation to the client. It may be something as straight forward as: “At ABC Pet Sitters, we are committed to offering an exceptional level of pet care, and we’ve found that this cannot be accomplished when we are sharing pet-care responsibilities with others outside of our company.”

When telling clients “no” in this circumstance, it is important to be honest. You may have heard of other pet sitters who tell clients that their pet-sitter insurance would be voided if care is shared—and this is likely not true. Check with your pet-sitting insurance provider—and unless they tell you that they would void coverage, do not tell your clients this. It’s important to have policies and enforce them—but you need to be honest.

Other pet sitters shared receiving other types of requests—such as every other day visit requests for cats—that also went against their companies’ policies. Before saying “no,” this may be a situation where you can educate the potential client.

Some clients ask for every other day visits sometimes to save money or because they simply think their cats will be fine being checked on every other day. In these cases, you can share your policy and explain that this is the professional industry standard.

For those who question this policy, it’s often helpful to share examples. The pet parent cares enough about their pets to contact a professional pet sitter—but may not have thought about situations such as a urethral blockage in cats that can be deadly and would not be caught in time with every other day visits. Or, maybe they haven’t thought about situations like their cat hiding behind a washing machine and somehow loosening the hose, resulting in flooding in their home, which would cause extensive damage if it wasn’t caught early.

You may be able to turn your “no” into a “yes” if your client agrees to daily visits, but if not be prepared to turn down the service request.

A “no” to a request may be a “yes” to you and your business

Professional pet sitters’ dedication to pets, commitment to their clients, desire to grow their clientele and huge hearts may sometimes result in putting up with a lot more than they should. But, it’s important to realize that sometimes saying “no” is a must—not just to reduce your stress level, but also to keep you safe as you perform your day-to-day pet-sitting assignments and to ensure you don’t put your clients and their pets at risk either.

Remember, when deciding if you should accept a request, ask yourself: Will saying “yes” to this pet-sitting request potentially have a negative effect on me or the care I am able to provide this pet or the other pets in my care?

If it will, then saying “no” to the request actually means you are saying “yes” to yourself and your business.