Is Pet Sitting a Real Career?
Meet Pet Pros Who’ve Made It Theirs
June 2025 | Beth Stultz-Hairston, Pet Sitters International
Ten years ago, I read a post in PSI’s private, member Facebook group that made my heart sink—and my blood pressure rise.
A pet sitter recounted a shocking and demoralizing experience she had in court the previous week. While at an alimony hearing, she was asked by the judge about her job and she explained that she was a professional pet sitter—to which the judge replied, “No, what do you really do?” The pet sitter said she tried to explain, but the judge waved her hand dismissively, said pet sitting is something high schoolers do, and told her she needed to get a real job.
While we weren’t given the full details of the hearing, such as whether the pet sitter’s job factored into the judge’s ruling or whether the judge was a pet owner, one thing should have been clear—professional pet sitting IS a real job.
Fortunately, a decade later, these comments are not as common.
The pet-sitting industry’s growth, along with pet parents’ better understanding of what pet sitters do, has brought a greater appreciation for the legitimacy of pet sitting as a career—but you may still hear from pet parents who think you just “play with dogs and cats all day,” or have a spouse or partner who isn’t supportive of what they think is your “pet hobby.”
When you get this type of feedback, you may have doubts and wonder, Is pet sitting a real job?
Let’s look at the facts.
A Bird’s Eye View of Pet Spending and Industry Growth
According to the 2025 APPA National Pet Owners Survey, 94 million U.S. households own a pet. The American Pet Products Association reports that $152 billion was spent on pets in 2024 in the U.S. alone, and projects $157 billion in sales for 2025.
Of the $152 billion spent on pets in 2024, $13.5 billion was spent in the “Other Services” category, which includes pet sitting and dog walking.
What’s more, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook shares that the “animal care and service workers” category is anticipated to grow 15% from 2023 to 2033—much faster than the average growth rate for other job categories.
Pet spending and pet-sitting industry growth aren’t just strong in the United States. Many countries have documented increasing pet ownership and spending, which will positively impact the pet-sitting industry.
In Canada, research shared by Horizon Grand View Research indicates the pet services market there is expected to reach a projected revenue of more than $1.5 billion in 2030, showing significant growth from the $782.2 million market revenue recorded in 2023.
Other countries like Australia have seen increased pet ownership and spending as well, and data shared by the Pet Industry Association of Australia indicates more than two-thirds of Australian households now own a pet, and Australians are estimated to be spending more than $33 billion annually on their pets.
A Closer Look at Pet-Sitting Industry Data
While the overall growth of the pet industry paints an optimistic picture, let’s dive into more specific data about the pet-sitting industry and the success of professional pet sitters.
Since 1994, Pet Sitters International (PSI) has worked with tens of thousands of professional pet sitters whochanneled their love of pets and entrepreneurial spirits into viable, profitable career paths—and the numbers speak for themselves.
Consider this data from PSI’s 2024 State of the Industry Survey:
- The average gross revenue for PSI member businesses in the U.S. was $100,537 in 2023, up from $94,563 in 2022. The average 2023 gross revenue for Canadian pet sitters was $100,764 CAN, up from $91,909 CAN in 2022.
- 70 percent of PSI members indicated they expected their revenues to increase in 2024.
Who are these pet-sitting and dog-walking business owners experiencing these impressive revenues?
Data from PSI’s recent survey provides this insight into the typical PSI member/business:
- 99% of all PSI member pet-sitting businesses are independently owned (not part of a franchise).
- 90% of PSI members indicated they are women.
- The average age of PSI members is 54.
- 44 was the average age when members started their businesses.
- 92% have pursued post-secondary education.
- 66% of PSI members have been in business for six or more years.
More Than a Side Gig or High Schooler’s Job
Professional pet sitters and dog walkers are small-business owners—vital contributors to their communities and the local economy.
Pet-sitting and dog-walking business owners have a business license or home business permit (where required), pay taxes, are insured and bonded, and have pursued training in pet care and pet first aid. They work 24-7 year-round to ensure pet owners can have peace of mind when long work hours or travel keep them from their beloved pets.
Ask any professional pet sitter who has spent hours dashing between pet-care assignments then come home to work on scheduling, accounting, payroll, and marketing efforts—this is not the work of a high schooler or just a side gig, this is a REAL job.
Ask any professional pet sitter who has become an integral part of an ailing pet’s care team, extending visits to ensure the pet was comforted or experiencing the loss of the pet passing—this is not the work of a high schooler or just a side gig, this is a REAL job.
Or better yet—ask one of the hundreds of thousands of pet parents who benefit from the services of a PSI professional pet sitter each year.
Ask the pet owner who was alerted by his professional pet sitter that his dog’s behavior at the pet-sitting assignment was unusual and recommended an emergency veterinary visit—which saved the dog from dying from canine bloat.
Ask the pet owner who was able to call her professional pet sitter at 2 a.m. when she learned that her mother—on the other side of the country—had been admitted to the hospital in critical condition and was able to secure pet care as she rushed to the airport.
Ask the family whose professional pet sitter graciously agreed to stay with them as their 15-year-old cat with late-stage chronic renal failure was euthanized.
This is not the work of a high schooler or simply a side gig for extra cash—and professional pet sitting is certainly a REAL job.
Meet Pet-Care Pros Thriving in The Pet-Sitting Industry
PSI works with thousands of pet-care business owners each year who are thriving in their pet-sitting careers—operating profitable businesses while enjoying the flexibility of being their own bosses.
Meet a few pet-care professionals who have turned their love of pets into thriving businesses.
Jessica was featured on the cover of the Spring/Summer 2025 issue of Pet Sitter's World magazine.
Jessica Milam
Jessica is the founder and co-owner of Fur Services Fur Pets in Aubrey, Texas. She was named PSI’s 2025 Pet Sitter of the Year™. Jessica’s animal-care career started right out of high school in the boarding and daycare industry. She spent a couple of years working in various areas and eventually managed a facility—and built it from the ground up—before leaving to focus on school full time.
After that experience, she continued working in the small-business space as a business manager for two family businesses (HVAC/electrical) but had the goal of eventually opening her own pet-care facility one day. Ultimately, she started her pet-sitting company when she saw the need for someone who knew how to care for pets in her neighborhood and desired a second income.
She and her husband and co-owner, Chris, joined PSI in 2018, and she earned the CPPS-Certified Professional Pet Sitter® designation the following year. In addition to her business and charitable ventures, Jessica is also a busy mom. A few months after she and Chris decided to start the adoption process in 2021, they brought home a sibling group of seven from foster care and adopted them six months later.
Fur Services Fur Pets now provides pet-care services to nearly 300 households, and Jessica currently manages a team of 14 staff sitters. You can learn more about Fur Services Fur Pets here.
Bobbi was featured on the cover of the Apr-Jun 2024 issue of Pet Sitter's World magazine.
Bobbi Wilson
Bobbi, along with her husband Scott, owns Peace Love Paws Pet Sitters, LLC, in Columbia, Missouri. Prior to operating their pet-sitting business, the couple worked in the home-inspection industry for nearly a decade, and Bobbi was the only female ASHI/AHIT certified home inspector in Mid-Missouri.
The pair joined PSI in 2018 to start their pet-sitting career and earned the CPPS-Certified Professional Pet Sitter® designation that same year. Since that time, their business has quickly grown. Bobbi was named PSI’s 2024 Pet Sitter of the Year™, and in addition to providing pet-care services to approximately 150 clients, she also owns a nonprofit organization dedicated to pet rescue. You can learn more about Peace Love Paws Pet Sitters, LLC, here.
Ashten was featured on the cover of the Jul-Sep 2024 issue of Pet Sitter's World magazine.
Ashten Ntewak
Ashten is the owner of Lap of Luxury – Premium Pet Sitting Services in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. She joined PSI in 2022 and earned her CPPS-Certified Professional Pet Sitter® designation the same year. While she’s been a lifelong pet lover, she pursued various careers before pursuing pet sitting, including working as a legal administrator in downtown Toronto and as a research analyst for a center for addiction and mental health.
She is also a veteran. Ashten signed up for the military when she was 30 years old and was posted in Edmonton, where she ultimately started her pet-sitting business. While she initially started pet sitting part time, she decided to take the leap into pursuing her career in pet sitting after being laid off from her job at a concrete company.
When she first started her business, Ashten offered services for a variety of pet types, including cats and dogs. However, after attending an annual cat festival in her city, she shared that she realized how many “cat people/parents” were in her area and wanted to fill a gap in her local market that was heavily saturated with dog walkers and sitters—so she niched down to pet sitting “cats and critters” only. Her business currently serves approximately 75 households. You can learn more about Lap of Luxury – Premium Pet Sitting Services here.
Even More Than a Career—It’s a Lifestyle
I’ve been at PSI for more than 20 years now, and as I mentioned, there is definitely a greater appreciation for the legitimacy of pet sitting as a career compared to when I first joined this industry. However, some misconceptions still exist.
Professional pet sitters don’t just walk dogs and feed cats. They perform a range of services, from administering medication to providing emergency pet care, ensuring that pets receive personalized attention and care when their owners can’t be there.
However, I still occasionally hear from well-meaning pet lovers who want to know more about becoming a pet sitter because they would “just love to play with cats and dogs all day.” I still sometimes hear from established pet-sitting business owners discouraged by pet owners who want the fee lowered because all they need the pet sitter to do is “check in on the pets.”
I still see pet owners—and even news outlets—use the term “pet sitter” carelessly, referring to anyone from a family friend to the neighborhood teenager asked to walk the dog.
But, most important, I hear from the pet sitters—these professional pet sitters and dog walkers who spend countless hours researching to ensure they are following all local laws and ordinances, who consult with attorneys and accountants to ensure their businesses have a strong foundation, who join Pet Sitters International to ensure they have access to the business credentials and educational resources they need to best serve their clients.
I’ve met pet sitters and dog walkers who have left successful careers as business analysts, teachers, marketers and lawyers to start their own pet-sitting businesses. I’ve met pet sitters who have devoted time and money to attend pet-sitter conferences, to earn their CPPS-Certified Professional Pet Sitter designation, and to take advantage of ongoing pet behavior and health classes to stay current in a growing and evolving industry.
I’ve watched pet sitters and dog walkers mourn and comfort one another as they honor their clients’ pets that have passed away, finding solace in a group that understands that pet sitters love their clients’ pets as their own.
And while we’ve made great strides in the perceptions about pet sitting, I invite that judge from a decade ago—or anyone still doubting the validity of professional pet sitting as a career—to spend one day with a professional pet sitter…to come to one pet-sitter conference…to ask one pet owner what her professional pet sitter means to her and her pet.
And, then you will know what those of us at Pet Sitters International know without question:
This is not the work of a high schooler. In fact, professional pet sitting is even more than a REAL job.
It’s a career, it’s a lifestyle, it’s a passion. And thanks to REAL pet sitters who seriously pursue this REAL vocation, it’s a better world for pets and the people who love them!
Pet sitting is more than a job. It’s a commitment to the well-being of pets and their families. Whether you're considering becoming a professional pet sitter or already working in the field, it's clear that this profession is here to stay—and it's here to make a real difference in the lives of pets and pet owners alike.
Comments
No comments.