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

The bar is simple: insurance, a trial session, and someone who asks as many questions about your animal as you ask about them.

“Pet services” covers walking, sitting, grooming, daycare and boarding, and each has its own standards and licensing. There are pet services listed on WotsItCalled, and the checks are much the same whichever you need: 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, in the legal sense too if something goes wrong. Check for:

• Public liability insurance. Non-negotiable. £1-2 million cover is standard, so ask to see the certificate.
• Pack size. Four dogs at a time is the legal maximum in many parks and a sensible limit almost everywhere else. Someone walking eight isn’t walking them, they’re herding them.
• First aid certification. Canine first aid courses are cheap and easy to find, and good walkers have done one.
• DBS check. They’ll have keys to your house. A DBS check isn’t a legal requirement, but having one shows they take the job seriously.
• GPS photos or tracking. Plenty of walkers now send a photo and a GPS track of each walk. It’s not essential, but it’s a nice sign of care.

Do a trial walk with you there, or at least a meet-and-greet, and watch how your dog reacts. Dogs make their minds up fast.

Pet sitters and boarders

Licensing comes in here. Since 2018, anyone boarding pets commercially in England has needed a licence from their local council, and that includes home-boarders and daycare operators.

• Ask for the licence number. It’s issued by the council and rated from 1 to 5 stars under the new animal welfare regulations. Five stars earns a three-year licence, one star a single year.
• Check insurance. Public liability at the very least, as with walkers. Good home-boarders also have care, custody and control cover.
• Visit the house before booking. For home-boarding, this is a must. You should see where your animal will sleep and be walked, and meet any other animals in the house.
• Ask about their routine. When are dogs walked, fed and left alone? A vague answer is a warning sign.
• What’s the emergency plan? Find out which vet they’d use at 2am before you leave the country.

Groomers

Grooming is still largely unregulated in the UK, so quality varies enormously. Look for:

• City & Guilds or iPet Network qualifications. These are the recognised grooming qualifications. They’re not a legal requirement, but they’re a good sign.
• Insurance. £1-2 million public liability again, plus grooming-specific cover for things like cuts or stress reactions.
• Clean, well-organised salon. A visible cleaning schedule, blade guards on the clippers, and sharp tools rather than blunt ones dragged through coats.
• How they handle difficult dogs. Ask. You want gentle handling, breaks and a second pair of hands for nervous dogs, not tight muzzles, cage dryers left unattended or a full groom forced on a stressed animal.
• Breed knowledge. Breeds with particular coat needs, like poodles, doodles and terriers, need someone who knows how to groom them. Hand-stripping a terrier and a teddy-bear clip are worlds apart.

On a first visit, book a nail trim or a tidy-up rather than a full groom, see how they handle your animal, and 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, and 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, including Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds and Bristol. Pick someone local, ask the questions, and always do a meet-and-greet.

Red flags across all pet services

Whether it’s a walker, sitter, groomer or daycare, watch out for:

• No insurance certificate on request. If they can’t send it, don’t book.
• Vague answers about who else handles your pet. You should know the name of everyone who’ll be with your animal.
• Photos used on Facebook without permission. Raise it up front, because some owners are fine with it and some aren’t.
• No written terms, no cancellation policy, no refund terms. That usually means trouble later.
• “Trust me” as the answer to safety questions. Professionals have processes, and amateurs have good intentions.

The short version

• Whatever the service, check the insurance and do a trial session first.
• Boarders and daycare in England need a council licence, so ask for the number.
• Grooming is unregulated, which makes qualifications and handling of difficult dogs more important.
• Walkers should keep packs small. Four dogs is the practical cap.
• Get the 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.