Operating Procedures

1. Daily visits are approximately  30 minutes in duration.   Dogs generally receive three visits per day.  Clients generally request one visit per day for cats, birds and reptiles. These may occur any time of the day unless requested otherwise.

2. Mid-day Pet Bathroom Breaks — These visits are 20 minutes in length and occur when you are in town but unable to return home to care for your pet over the noon hour.  These visits occur generally between the hours of 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

3. Trial Visit — A trial visit is an additional ‘get acquainted’ opportunity before you depart on your trip. It may be required to ensure that the pet will allow your sitter to safely enter the home and provide care or to allow us to become better acquainted with your exotic pet or an unusual routine.  These visits are generally 20 to 30 minutes long.

In order to ensure peace of mind and to better monitor the health of your pets we must visit your home at least once each day during the terms of our contract. We will not provide service on an every other-day basis.  Sturgis House Sitter does not provide every other day service. All property and pets must be seen at least once every 24 hours.

VISITORS IN HOME We prefer not to share the care of your pets with anyone else.  This is for your pet’s well being, the security of your home and our IC’s protection.  If you desire for us to share the visit with another person (family member, neighbor, or relative), our service contract releases us from liability due to negligence of the other party. This also applies when other contracted services (carpenter, maid, carpet cleaners, etc.) will be in the home during the period of our contracted service with you.

With the exception of the requirement to administer time-sensitive medications, we cannot commit to be at your home at an exact time each day.  When time-specific visits require adjustments of our schedule, there will be an additional charge. Due to traffic, weather conditions, and the unpredictability of circumstances at prior scheduled visits that day, we still cannot guarantee an exact visit time but will make every effort to be there at the requested time.

If pets are contained in a fence or by invisible fencing when a company representative is not there, our service contract releases us from liability for incidents involving pets left outside unsupervised.

Our signed service contract permits us to get medical care from your veterinarian and the animal emergency clinic with reimbursement of all incurred expenses to company. Please leave a credit card number on file with your veterinarian.

We cannot accept biting, aggressive, or ill pets.  Pregnant pets are accepted on a case-by-case basis. We appreciate honesty and full disclosure of your pet’s needs and personality! If we find that we are not able to take care of your pets-showing aggression-snarling, biting, and lunging at the sitters we will make arrangements for the pet to go to a family member or arrange for boarding.

We reserve the right to require a paid trial visit if our company representative feels it is necessary for their safety or to become better acquainted with the pet or the daily routine.

JOB SHARING - For the safety of our professional sitters and your pets, we will not provide services while other persons may be visiting or residing on the property.  Care for medical recuperation can be provided for the pets of the primary owner convalescing at home.  Please do not ask friends, neighbors or relatives to stop by and check on, or care for the animals or your home during our service agreement dates. Sturgis House Sitter cannot split services for pets with anyone else, professional or non-professional, during the time when you are away from home.

In addition, Sturgis House Sitter shall not be responsible for the pet's welfare when it will not return to the house or enclosure if we have been instructed to let the pet out for exercise. The fee owed under this agreement shall be earned and payable even though we are unable to perform the services because of the animal's behavior (running off, vicious behavior, etc.) if we have made a reasonable effort to perform the necessary service. Sturgis House Sitter shall not be responsible for the injury or death of any animal(s), nor for the damage caused to your property or to the property of others by your pet, nor for damage caused to your home or yard by others lawfully or unlawfully on your property while our services have been engaged, except in those instances where we have been guilty of willful or wanton negligence in the performance of our services.

Please call the (269) 659-4595 office number so we know you have arrived from your trip and will not continue service.

Please make reservations for future visits through the office so there will be no misunderstandings about your departure and arrival dates and times.

We require that you contact the office with a “we’ve returned home” confirmation call. Upon returning home, please call the office so that we do not continue service.

Please keep the office updated with changes to information gathered during the registration interview. Of particular importance is information concerning your contact phone numbers, security system status and pet health care (medications or veterinarian) changes? Instructions for administration of all medications must be clearly written on a separate sheet of paper.

Once you have scheduled services, we ask that you call the office with any changes in your travel departure or return times. If you forget to inform us of your delayed departure or early return and you are there when your pet care provider arrives for the scheduled visit, you will be charged the normal visit rate. When possible please call the night before with a change in departure or arrival times to accommodate our coordination of visits.

Travel plans change and “things happen” when you travel. If you find you will need us to continue service beyond the contracted period, we request that you advice us as soon as possible. Every effort will be made to accommodate your requests and additional visits will routinely be made at your normal visit fee. A late request fee may be added. Cancellation of pre-paid visits due to your early return will be credited towards future service visits.

All calls must go through the Sturgis House Sitter office 269-659-4595. Please use this number to call to check on your pets while your are traveling, for reservations, cancellations, date changes, extensions of trip, or any other information you need to give or pass on to your sitter prior to, during and after care. We can call you on a scheduled visit to let you know how your pets are.

The company maintains strict control of your house key and security alarm code information. No personal information is annotated on your key tag. Your pet’s name and your last name is our cross reference from your contract to the keys which are kept separated in our company locking key boxes.

We request that clients provide two copies of the house key during the Registration Interview. One key will be hidden at a designated area outside of your home. And the other key will be secured in our office as a backup copy for emergency situations. Your representative will keep one key secured in their key box and the office will secure the back-up copy for emergency situations.

In the event you have an unscheduled need for service and your primary pet care provider is’ out of town, the second key allows us to meet your needs without an additional delay in obtaining a key. We can also assist if you lock yourself out of the house!

Please do not ask us to return keys by locking them inside the home on the final visit. If you request to have your key returned, it will be returned to you by mail. We can, at your request, leave your key with a trusted neighbor or in a safe hiding place outside the home. We must be able to access the home for continuing pet care if you are delayed in returning.

Your pet sitting representative is familiar with most home security systems but may request a “walk through” of setting and disarming your system to understand its nuances. We cannot be responsible for false alarms when systems have been armed or disarmed according to your instructions. You have several options with respect to your security code.

You may provide your pet care provider with your personal code.

You may change the code for the duration of service or provide us with a ‘guest code’ that is only activated during the contracted period.

You may choose to leave the system disarmed while you are away.

We are busiest during the holiday periods and often are fully committed prior to holidays. We strongly suggest that you make reservations at least 45 days in advance of major holidays. If paying by check, please send remit one half of your total bill for the holiday trip 30 days in advance of your departure.

During peak holidays, time spent on visits may be slightly shortened due to the need to provide service for a larger number of clients. Our high-quality, loving care for your pets and meticulous attention to detail, however, will never be sacrificed.

THANKSGIVING AND CHRISTMAS - All bookings for Thanksgiving and Christmas must be paid for at the time of booking to insure confirmation of care.  Bookings for these high-demand holidays will be filled on a first paid/first booked basis.  All Thanksgiving and Christmas bookings are non-refundable regardless of the notice given for cancellation.  

The pet sitting service schedule may be changed, interrupted, or altered due to circumstances.

If it is not possible to drive safely to your home, your emergency contact will be notified.

Every effort will be made to notify you that the contingency plan has been activated.

Please check with a member of Sturgis House Sitting prior to departure to discuss options.

If necessary, your emergency contact will initiate service, and Sturgis House Sitter  will continue complete service as driving conditions improve.

Every effort will be made to notify you that a disaster has occurred. 

Your pets and home will be checked as soon as possible. If road conditions are hazardous, your emergency contact will be notified. You will be notified of any damage to your property.

The service schedule may be changed, interrupted,, or altered due to circumstances.

If necessary, please return home as soon as possible. Contact Sturgis House Sitter  upon your arrival home.

Please check with Sturgis House Sitter prior to departure to discuss options.

Pets and homes for, clients who are presently not in service will not be checked.

A Sturgis House Sitter member will make every effort to provide scheduled service as agreed.

The service schedule may be changed, interrupted, or altered due to circumstances.

If necessary, your emergency contact will be notified to assist in providing service.

Depending on circumstances, Sturgis House Sitter will resume service as soon as possible.

Every effort will be made to notify you that the contingency plan has been activated.

A Sturgis House Sitter member will make every effort to contact you to discuss options. 

Depending upon the circumstances, Sturgis House Sitter will provide services as soon as possible.