Pet services: walkers, sitters, groomers – what to look for

Insurance, a trial session, and someone who asks as many questions about your animal as you ask about them. That’s the bar.

Pet services is a loose collection of related jobs – walking, sitting, grooming, daycare, boarding – and each has different standards, different licensing, and different things to look for. There are pet services listed on WotsItCalled, and the checks are similar across the board: qualifications, insurance, and whether they actually know what they’re doing.

Dog walkers

A good dog walker is someone your dog is genuinely excited to see. A bad one is a liability – literally, if something goes wrong. Things to check:

• Public liability insurance. Absolutely non-negotiable. £1-2 million cover is standard. Ask for the certificate.
• Pack size. Four dogs at a time is the legal maximum in many parks and a practical maximum most places. If they’re walking eight, they’re not walking – they’re herding.
• First aid certification. Canine first aid courses are cheap and widely available. Good walkers have done one.
• DBS check. They’ve got keys to your house. A DBS check isn’t legally required but says something about how seriously they take the work.
• GPS photos or tracking. Many walkers now send you a photo and GPS track of the walk. Not essential, but a nice sign of care.

Do a trial walk with you present, or at least a meet-and-greet. See how your dog reacts. Dogs know straight away.

Pet sitters and boarders

This is where licensing kicks in. Since 2018, anyone boarding pets commercially in England needs a licence from their local council. That includes home-boarders and day-care operators.

• Ask for the licence number. Council-issued, rated 1-5 stars under the new animal welfare regulations. 5 stars is a three-year licence, 1 star is one year.
• Check insurance. Same as walkers – public liability at minimum. Good home-boarders also have care-custody-and-control cover.
• Visit the house before booking. Non-negotiable for home-boarding. You should see where your animal will sleep, where they’ll be walked, and meet any other animals in the house.
• Ask about their routine. When are dogs walked, when are they fed, when are they left alone. A vague answer is a flag.
• What’s the emergency plan? Which vet do they use if something happens at 2am? You should know before you leave the country.

Groomers

Grooming is still largely unregulated in the UK, which means quality varies enormously. A few things to look for:

• City & Guilds or iPet Network qualifications. Recognised grooming qualifications. Not legally required but a good sign.
• Insurance. Same story. £1-2 million public liability. Plus grooming-specific cover for things like cuts or stress reactions.
• Clean, well-organised salon. Visible cleaning schedule, clippers with blade guards, sharp tools rather than forcing blunt ones through coats.
• How they handle difficult dogs. Ask. Gentle, break-sessions, two-person handling for nervous dogs. Not tight muzzling, not cage dryers left unattended, not forcing through a full groom on a stressed dog.
• Breed knowledge. If you’ve got a breed with specific coat requirements (poodles, doodles, terriers), find someone who actually knows how to groom them. A hand-stripping terrier and a teddy-bear clip are worlds apart.

First visit – book a nail trim or a tidy-up, not a full groom. See how they handle your animal. Build up from there.

Questions to ask any pet service

1. Are you insured, and can I see the certificate?
2. What training or qualifications do you have?
3. What happens in an emergency – who do you ring, what’s your plan?
4. Can I do a trial session before committing?
5. Who else will handle my animal – staff, family, other pets in the house?
6. What’s your cancellation and refund policy?

Find one near you

The pet services directory covers walkers, sitters, and groomers across the UK. Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Bristol – pick local, ask the questions, and always do a meet-and-greet.

Red flags across all pet services

A few warning signs that apply to any kind of pet service – walker, sitter, groomer, day care:

• No insurance certificate on request. Non-negotiable. If they can’t send it, don’t book.
• Vague answers about who else handles your pet. You want to know the names of anyone who’ll be with your animal.
• Photos used on Facebook without permission. Worth asking about up front. Some owners are fine with it, some aren’t.
• No written terms, no cancellation policy, no refund terms. Means trouble later.
• “Trust me” as the answer to safety questions. Professionals have processes. Amateurs have vibes.

The short version

• Insurance and a trial session are the two most important checks for any pet service.
• Boarders and day-care in England need a council licence – ask for the number.
• Grooming is unregulated, so qualifications and how they handle difficult dogs matter more.
• Pack size for walkers should be sensible – four dogs is the practical cap.
• Always have an emergency plan in writing before you leave your animal with anyone.

WotsItCalled is a free UK business directory. No signup, no catch. Find the place everyone’s on about, or browse the full pet services directory.