Frequently Asked Questions
All Your Questions Answered! We believe in clarity and trust from the very first step. Find clear answers below to the most common inquiries, outlining our professional dog walking and pet sitting services.
General Questions
Our services are generally available in Braintree, Randolph, Quincy, Milton, Weymouth, and Holbrook. Some services, like recurring dog walks or relief visits, operate in a smaller service radius. Please inquire to confirm service availability for your address.
We aim to keep our travel time between bookings to 15 minutes or less. Services that require extra drive time can usually be accommodated with an additional $6 fee.
We primarily specialize in caring for dogs and cats—your beloved furry family members! We provide both dog walking and drop-in pet sitting services for them.
For other types of small, scaly, and feathered pets, we are happy to provide basic care like feeding and tank/cage refreshing during a standard drop-in visit.
Yes, Precious Paws is fully insured and bonded through Pet Sitters Associates. This coverage protects your home, your keys, and, most importantly, provides peace of mind while your pets are in our care.
Please be ready to review your pet’s routine and needs, show us where their supplies are, and go over home access. We prefer using lock boxes, but can keep a physical key if that’s easier—just have it ready at the meet and greet. Please note that if we need to make separate trips for key pickup or drop-off, an $18 fee per one-way trip applies.
Scheduling & Services
Our standard business hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. We also accommodate early morning (6:00 AM–9:00 AM), evening (5:00 PM–10:00 PM), and weekend (Saturday & Sunday) bookings for an additional $6 per service.
Yes, we typically provide services on all holidays! Please note that bookings during holidays and corresponding peak periods carry additional fees. For full details, check out our Holiday Policy.
- Follow the steps outlined in the Requesting Services help article.
- A requested service is not officially booked until you receive confirmation from Precious Paws.
- Tip: Book early for peak times like holidays!
- You can request same-day services at no extra charge through the Client Portal until 8:00 AM.
- Requests after this time may be submitted via Client Portal messaging.
- Because our schedule fluctuates, we may not be able to fulfill same-day requests.
- A requested service is not officially booked until you receive confirmation from Precious Paws.
- Follow the steps outlined in the Requesting Changes to Services help article.
- Review our Service Cancellation Policy for timelines and applicable fees.
We aim to arrive as close as possible to the scheduled service time (or within your agreed-upon window for flexible services). Occasionally, factors like traffic, road conditions, weather, or last-minute schedule changes may cause delays. If we anticipate being more than 30 minutes late—or arriving outside your flexible window—we will notify you.
Absolutely! Every service includes a digital report card. You’ll get a summary of how the visit went, potty activity, any feedings or medications given, and photos of your fur family. Walks also include a GPS activity map so you can see exactly where your dog went.
Most of our walks are spent actively exploring and stretching those legs! We also take a little time for leashing up, providing water, meal time, and any special tasks you’ve requested. Walk time starts when we step onto your property and ends once your pup is safely back inside and your home is secure.
No pack walks here! Our focus is on providing customized care and maximizing bonding time with each pet. Our walks are private, meaning your pet gets 100% of our love and attention, and we don’t spend any time collecting other dogs during your paid service!
We focus on in-home care and do not currently board pets in our own homes. We do however provide Overnight Pet Sitting options for your fur family within the comfort and familiarity of their own home!
- We can bathe your dog for an additional fee (minimum of $35.00, varies based on time required).
- Dog Bathing must be added to an existing service.
- We do not currently offer any other grooming services such as nail trims or haircuts.
Absolutely! Our House Sitting service (for existing clients) includes:
- Turning lights on/off
- Watering plants
- Adjusting blinds or curtains
- Managing trash & recycling
- Bringing in packages, mail, and newspapers
Services are performed on an established schedule and cost $22 per visit.
Safety & Home Access
Our priority is the safety and well-being of your pet. To ensure we can always access your home during service, we utilize the following methods:
- Key Lockbox: This is the most secure and reliable method. We prefer utilizing a secure lockbox installed on your property exterior (this does not have to be hanging on the door, just accessible).
- Keyless Entry (Electronic Locks): Keyless entry is certainly convenient! However, since smart locks can fail, a physical key copy stored on the premises is required as a backup for all pet sitting services when the client is out of town.
- Physical Key Copy: For apartment buildings or locations where a lockbox is not feasible, or simply based on client preference, we can securely hold onto a physical copy of your key. Please note we charge an $18.00 fee for Key Pickup & Drop-Off (per one-way trip) if separate trips are required.
Yes, we are fully certified in Pet First Aid and CPR! Your pet’s safety and well-being is our highest priority.
Please provide detailed instructions in your Client Portal. This includes medications, feeding schedules, and behavior notes.
Yes! We can administer medications such as pills, liquids, drops, and bandage changes. Please note that we do not provide injectable medications, as our team is not trained for that. There’s no extra fee for giving medications to cooperative pets.
Your pet’s comfort and safety always come first. During extreme heat, heavy snow, thunderstorms, or very cold weather, we may shorten walks to protect their paws and overall health. The rest of the visit will be spent giving your pup plenty of love, playtime, and mental enrichment indoors.
We don’t leave messes behind! Any accidents that we find while you’re away will be cleaned to the best of our ability at no charge.
Payments & Fees
We accept payment via cash, check, Venmo (@preciouspawspetcare), Apple Pay, Google Pay, ACH, and credit card. You can also set up automatic credit card payments—just contact us to get started!
Please reference the Invoices On the Client Portal help article for assistance with setting up payment methods and paying invoices.
Happy pets and peace of mind, a tip would be pawsitively kind! ♡ We thank you for your generosity!
While cash is preferred, you can send a tip via Venmo (@preciouspawspetcare), or add a tip to your invoice via the Client Portal at any time. For assistance with adding a tip to your invoice, please see the Adding A Tip As A Client help article.
App & Client Portal
Absolutely! We have a secure and user-friendly mobile app that enables you to easily access our Client Portal to manage every aspect of your service— from scheduling or modifying services, paying invoices, updating your personal and pet profiles, and messaging with us. Our mobile app even delivers real-time notifications and digital service report cards right to your phone!
- Submit a New Client Service Request to confirm service availability for your address.
- If we can accommodate your needs, we’ll schedule your complimentary meet and greet.
- After the meet and greet, we’ll create your Client Portal account.
We carefully review all information to ensure we can provide the best care for your pet, and your meet and greet kicks off the onboarding process!
- Follow the steps outlined in the Resetting Your Password help article.
- If you are having any trouble resetting your password, please contact us for assistance and we can make this update on your behalf.
Need more help?
If your question isn’t here, get in touch with us! We’re happy to help.
Schedule your free Meet and Greet
Ready to enjoy peace of mind with a superior pet parent experience?
Contact us to confirm service availability for your address and reserve your spot.
