FAQs

Once you book service with our office, we will assign a sitter to care for your home and/or pets. Our sitters are all bonded and insured, and the sitter assigned to care for your pets and/or home is local to your area. This sitter will contact you via telephone and make arrangements to meet at your home to pick up your key and go over the care requirements. There is no charge for the pre-service/key pick-up visit when a minimum of 3 visits are reserved. When you return home, the sitter will return your key to you.

Yes. When you reserve service with While Away Services, we will assign a sitter who will complete each visit. Rest assured that should your sitter have an emergency or become ill, we always have a back-up sitter available.

Our regular visits last 1/2 hour. Extra time can be requested at an additional cost. When walking dogs, we spend approximately 20-25 minutes walking (unless otherwise requested) and then another 5-10 minutes in the house to provide water, food, treats, etc., as per your instructions.

For homes with cats and other small pets, we spend our time providing companionship and playtime for your pet as well as providing fresh food and water, changing litter, etc. Watering plants*, bringing in mail** and a security check through your home are included.

*Plant watering is offered at no cost as long as it can be completed along with other visit requirements within the 1/2 hour timeframe. There may be an additional cost if extra time is required. 

**Mail will be brought into the house free of charge providing it is from a mailbox attached to your home or a community mailbox local to your home. Pick up from a post office may require an extra fee per pickup.

This depends on the number of pets, type of pets and their specific needs. Dog visits can range from 2 visits per day to 4 visits per day depending on age, breed, health, etc. Cat visits typically range from every other day to once or twice per day depending on your pet’s unique needs. Feel free to contact us if you need more clarifications about how often your pet would require a visit.

All of our dog walking services are private, and your dog(s) will not be walking with a group of other dogs. We'll walk your pet(s) in a neighborhood that is close to your house.

The more notice we have the easier it is for us to assign the sitter best suited to your requirements. Advance notice also allows time to complete the service contract and send it back to our office. The sitter will need to meet you (and your pets if applicable) and pick up your key. We are generally able to accommodate short-notice and last-minute requests when necessary. However, we advise calling to reserve service as soon as you have your trip booked.

We will send you an invoice from our office. Invoices are payable by cheque, Interac e-transfer, Visa or MasterCard.

We are happy to provide visits on any weekend or holiday. We do not apply any surcharges to visits that occur on weekends or holidays.*

*$25/visit surcharge on Dec 25th only.

Base service rate 1/2 hour visit: $33.00 per visit + HST