As a college student, my bank account is consistently low, and quite honestly there’s not much I can do about that. What I can do, though, is make sure that it doesn’t go negative. Working as a college student brings in such varied income, and most companies don’t pay us well enough to live confidently on our wages. For this reason, I’ve turned to extra work — supplemental work, if you will.
A lot of us had these kinds of jobs as teenagers. They include babysitting, pet-sitting, house-sitting, dog walking, gardening, etc. Lately, I’ve began pet and house-sitting. These are great “side jobs” because you can do your schoolwork and other work while simultaneously getting paid to watch pets and/or homes. Plus, houses are so easy to take care of! Just water plants if there are any and keep the place clean. As for the pets, they can vary in energy level and difficulty of care, so it’s important to know what your limits are. They are, however, a great way to really feed into your pet fever. You get all the perks of having a pet, but you only have to do the work for a limited time. It’s like being the cool aunt or uncle!
I started by watching my family’s house and pets when they went out of town. The only problem is that they don’t go out of town enough for this to become a steady source of income. Because of that, I decided to start using Rover, a site that connects you to people looking for pet care. I set my preferences to dog-walks, pet-sitting (at the owner’s house), and check-ins. You can set your own rates and Rover will take a small portion of your earnings. To my surprise, Rover has proved to be a particularly lucrative side job that requires very little actual work. Sure, you might stay at someone’s house for a few days, but the actual time you spend doing work is very little.
To begin using Rover, all you need to do is make a profile, set your service preferences, get at least one reference, and pay for a background check. As far as services offered, you can choose from pet-sitting, dog walking, dog boarding (where you watch the dog(s) at your house), drop in visits, and doggy daycare. You can tailor your profile to the services you want to provide and when, which includes your availability and location preferences. Once you fill out your profile — complete with an about me section, photos, and important information — you just need to pay for a background check and get a referral from a friend, family member, or previous client. These will ensure that you’re capable of taking care of animals and don’t have a criminal record that might concern potential clients.
Once the background check comes back clean, your profile will be made available. Depending on the amount of services you have listed, the distance you’re willing to go, and your availability, incoming requests may vary. After a couple days of my profile being live, I’d gotten three pet/house-sitting requests in the span of two days and I booked all of them. Prices will vary based on the amount of pets, days, and your rates, but it’s up to you to decide what you want to do and what you’re willing to take on. For example, I received a request to house-sit and watch three dogs. This seemed like a little too much for me to handle, so I denied the request. It’s entirely your choice what you take on.
When you get a request, you can view the pet profile and gauge whether it’s in your comfort zone. If it is, the best thing to do is respond quickly and set up a meet and greet with the dog and owner if possible. I find that this helps you get a sense of the dog or cat’s energy and they can meet you so that they won’t be too suspicious of you later. These meet and greets are especially helpful in putting your mind at ease if you’re not experienced in looking after dogs that you’ve never interacted with. If you’re not into watching high energy dogs, then these in-person meetings can also give you a glimpse into their energy levels. You always have the right to decline a request after meeting the dog. It’s crucial that you are comfortable, otherwise the job will not be worth it for you. When you receive a request, make sure to request a meet and greet if it would make you more comfortable and once you decide to go forward, book the service (or accept the client’s booking request).
During the service, the client may request photos, which can be sent over chat through the Rover app. Generally, you will have access to the Rover emergency line and any numbers the client leaves with you. In my experience, clients will provide you with all the information you need and will respond to your questions if they are able to. My rule of thumb is to make sure that the animals are eating and going to the bathroom in normal patterns for them, which you can ask the owner about. Not all dogs and cats have the same habits, but it is important to watch for any concerning behavior.
Once you’ve completed the service, you will be able to make notes about the pet in case you rebook with the client again in the future, and then you can give them a rating. A couple of days after your service ends, payment will be available in your Rover account, which can then be transferred to your bank account. Clients may leave you a tip, which will also show up with the payment in your account.
Overall, Rover is extremely user-friendly and provides a solid network of potential clients for pet care services. Their process is straightforward and works well for college students and young adults looking to make some extra money. I’ve met some that used it to help pay student loans, and others that use it for extra tuition money. It’s not going to pay you what a full-time job would, but it’s great if you want to make an extra couple hundred to a thousand dollars per month (the upper end requires many many more bookings, though). Before you know it, you’ll be a cool dog aunt or uncle!