Stay at Home Pet Services offers several types of care–and we care for more than just pets! Be assured that your house–as well as your pets–will be well cared for while you’re away.

Our full range of services includes:

• Daily dog walking & pet taxi
• Vacation care & overnight care
• Random daytime care
• Kitty and small animal care
• House sitting, mail gathering, plant watering
• Medication administration

All are welcome to call or email the office with their questions. The office number is 513-706-7702 and the email is info@stayathomepetservices.com. When they’re ready to get started we have a very simple registration process that will be explained to them. We can get started as soon as the registration meeting has taken place.

No. We believe in in-home care, which is why we have chosen not to have a boarding facility. However, we do have pet care providers who can remain at the client’s home. This is our overnight/house sitting service, which is VERY popular. It’s what I use for my Bulldog when I travel.

We offer the following timeframes during the day:

– The “Early Morning” time slot is between 6 & 8 AM

– The “Mid Morning” time slot is between 8 & 11 AM

– The “Midday” time slot is between 11AM & 3 PM

– The “Late Afternoon” time slot is between 3 & 6 PM

– The “Evening” time slot is between 6 & 8 PM

– The “Late Evening” time slot is between 8 & 10 PM

We offer 30-minute, 45-minute and 60-minute visits. The client chooses the duration of the visits and can mix and match to design the best plan for his or her pet.

Need a specific time? No problem! Just add $5 to your visit price

The registration meeting is a visit that allows the client to get to know our service and their assigned Stay At Home team member(s) prior to the start of their service. During this visit their pet care provider will introduce themselves, spend some quality time with the pet, confirm and review the pertinent information about the home and pet care routine (e.g. vet information, emergency contact, special requests, etc.), and answer any additional questions the client may have. We do NOT provide service until this meeting has taken place. There is a fee for the registration meeting. This fee covers administrative costs related to their account creation, as well as the sitter’s time.

Absolutely! All clients are provided with unique login information to their secured Stay At Home account. From this gateway they are able to schedule service, check their personal service calendar, update their billing information and also update their password. It’s a handy little tool! All scheduling requests are confirmed during our regular business hours, which are 9AM-4PM Monday through Friday.

No! For the safety of our client’s pets all visits MUST be scheduled through the Stay At Home office. We use a high-tech scheduling program, which ensures that “no pet is left behind.” If a client schedules through their sitter and the sitter forgets to inform the office, that takes us out of the loop and therefore unable to follow-up with the sitter to make sure that the pet has been seen. Stay At Home will not be held liable for visits scheduled without the offices knowledge.

We accept payment by Visa, Master Card or Discover Card.

No, we don’t accept checks. The clients can leave a cash gratuity for their sitter if they so wish, but payment for services must be made by credit card. Payment is due prior to the start of service.

We consider the following to be our major annual holidays: New Years Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Christmas Eve Day, and New Years Eve. There is up to a $25 surcharge plus the standard charge for the service being provided on these dates.We consider the following to be our major annual holidays: New Years Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Christmas Eve Day, and New Years Eve. There is up to a $25 surcharge plus the standard charge for the service being provided on these dates. 100% of these fees are paid to the sitters. Details Below:

New Years Day, January 1st / $25

Martin Luther King Day, 3rd Monday in January / $7

President’s Day, 3rd Monday in February / $7

Easter / $15

Memorial Day, last Monday in May / $15

Independence Day, 4th of July / $15

Labor Day, 1st Monday in September / $15

Thanksgiving Day, 4th Thursday in November / $25

Christmas Eve / $15

Christmas Day / $25

New Year’s Eve / $15

We’re more than happy to schedule pet care for last-minute needs, however we cannot guarantee that a sitter is going to be available on short notice, (though 99% of the time it really isn’t a problem). We also only schedule service during our regular business hours (9AM-4PM Monday through Friday).

Since I understand what it’s like to have a busy and ever-changing schedule I have implemented an extremely flexible cancellation policy:

No fee before the times listed below. Within the time frames stated, 100% is due.

• Midday Dog Walks (for those that use us on a weekly continuous basis): 24 hours notice
• Pet Sitting and Kitty & Small Animal Care: 48 hours notice
• Overnight Care + Ancillary Visits: 7 days notice. Once trip has begun, if cut short, there will be no refund.
• Refunds: We do not provide refunds, but use the remaining amount as a credit balance on your account for future pet care needs.

Our sitter roster is chock-full of excellent pet care providers that would love to care for a client’s pet if their primary sitter is unavailable. Since we have all of the client’s pet care information in our secure database it’s really not necessary for the client to meet with the alternate sitter, however; if the client feels more comfortable with having a meeting with the alternate sitter, we are more than happy to schedule a “Pre-Departure Meeting.” The cost of this meeting is $15, which covers the sitter’s time and expense for driving over to the client’s home.

If the pet has aggressively bit someone in the past then no, we cannot provide service.That is too much of a liability issue. If the pet is skittish and maybe just growls around those he doesn’t know, then we will be happy to work with the client to see if a pet care plan can be designed that works. Our sitter will interview the client and the pet to determine if this is possible. If additional visits are necessary to socialize the pet with our pet care provider and the client needs to be present at all visits and pay the normal service fee until socialized. If at any time our pet sitter or pet owner feels that it is unsafe to perform a service, we will reserve the right to discontinue service without notice.

Due to the stress on the animal, we strongly urge you to administer all medications to your pet. However, when that is not possible and your pet needs its medicine, then with specific instructions, we will attempt to administer medicine.

Stay At Home believes in positive reinforcement ONLY for the pets in our care. We will never hit, spank, slap, yank the leash, yell, shock or grab your pet. If there is a disciplinary problem, e.g. toilet training issues, running away, etc., we inform our client of the incident(s) and together we workout a solution.

If we suspect that something is wrong with a pet, we will call you at the emergency phone numbers we have on file. If the client believes the veterinarian should see the pet, we will transport him to the veterinarian’s office for examination and treatment. In the event we cannot reach the client, we will decide if the veterinarian should see your pet. If necessary, we will take your pet for treatment. You will be billed for any extra time we spend for these services.

It began in 2003 when a friend requested I replace her to pet sit for a dog in his home.

 I loved staying with the little guy. Soon, I met a couple more families who needed my help with their pets.

 It was so delightful and gratifying, as well as a wonderful addition and fun contrast to my full-time kitchen design work.

 In 2010, I was laid off from my job. I looked long and hard for more design work. During an interview for a promising kitchen design job, I asked, “Will I be certain that I can leave in the evening in time to feed my pet’s dinner?” The answer was, “No.” I chose not to take the job.

 At that moment, I knew that caring for the animals trumped working in design. I would NOT let them down by giving up on them after I’d established a relationship. I was passionate about caring for those little ones and bringing peace of mind to their parents when they were away.

 Since then, my mission has been to provide the highest quality, in-home professional pet care available by offering unsurpassed personal service to the pets and their parents. Owning, operating, and strengthening Stay at Home Pet Services is a full-time career for me.

As caregiving has always been so natural to me, my business focus is three-fold;
1.)   Offer loving care to the animals of Cincinnati
2.)   Give trustworthy, dependable options to you, their parents.
3.)   Provide opportunities to other passionate pet sitters in our area.

Meeting and getting to know a new client will never cease to make my heart swell with the thought of enhancing the lives of the furry kids and their beloved people.

A dishonesty bond gives you peace of mind that you will be reimbursed if anything is stolen from your home. Anyone that has workers enter their home should be sure that they have a dishonesty bond.

We also carry a liability insurance policy that protects from financial loss in the event that we were liable for accidents that occur while caring for our clients pets. Any responsible, professional business should carry liability insurance.

We are happy to provide our clients with proof of insurance and our bond. We can easily email you a copy of our certificates.

We work with pet owners in the greater Cincinnati area (see Our Service Area) who are searching for top-quality pet care and true peace of mind while they travel or when they have to leave their pets for long hours due to work or other obligations.

I have put my heart and soul into creating an extraordinary pet care service that truly provides pet owners with peace of mind that their pets and their homes are being well-cared for in their absence. I created The Stay At Home Peace of Mind Blueprint to ensure that every one of our clients receives the BEST possible service and overall experience. Each step in our Blueprint is what sets us apart.

Our all-time goal is to provide our clients with the peace of mind that they know their pets and their home are in the best possible hands. We want our clients to leave their homes confident that their pet is receiving the love, attention and exercise that they deserve. We accomplish this by following our Peace of Mind Blueprint.

The 10 steps are:

• Professionalism
• Reasonable and Competitive Rates
• Customized Services
• Safety
• First-Rate Staff
• Experience and Educational Development
• Technology and Convenience
• Unsurpassed Personal Service with Outstanding Communication
• Follow-Up
• Honest Love of Animals

*You can read all the details about The Stay At Home Peace of Mind Blueprint here.

First, we employ ONLY dedicated pet care professionals. Not the high school kid trying to make extra cash. We work with sitters who have practical experience in the pet care field and view their time with Stay At Home as part of their career path.

Second, we run an extensive screening process, which includes a face-to-face interview, followed by reference checks, followed by a complete background check. All sitters are then hired on a trial basis until we have followed up with enough clients to ensure that they are an excellent fit for Stay At Home. All sitters employed by Stay At Home promise to abide by and sign our Code of Ethics.

*Read more about the outstanding pet care providers on the Our Team page.

All Stay At Home sitters attend an orientation where they learn about the standards of Stay At Home and the procedures that we follow to put our Peace of Mind Blueprint into action. They then work very closely with the office the first month to ensure that they understand and that they are following proper protocol. The sitters also have daily communication with the office and their clients, and are required to check off their visits on our secure database at the completion of their day. This allows the office to confirm that each pet was visited by their pet care provider. We always follow-up with our clients to make sure that their pet sitter is up to snuff.

Actually, we don’t. The keys remain in control of the owner. I strongly believe in this. I think it is the safest option.

Note: Stay At Home will not be held responsible for keys that a client asks a sitter to keep on file.

We have a few options for key exchange.

Our favorites are :
1) Number pad on entry door
2) Key in lockbox hung on door or railing
3) Hide-A-Key, Hidden in predetermined location
4) Garage door code + key hidden in predetermined location in case electric goes out

It makes it so easy and is super safe!

Number Pad on the door: No key is involved at all.

Lock Box: Can be purchased on Amazon, (or anywhere of their choice) for $15- $35 depending on the size. The client leaves the lock box on a door of his/her choosing.

Hide-A-Key: Can be purchased on Amazon, (or anywhere of their choice) beginning at $15 depending on the size. The client leaves the Hide-A-Key in a predetermined spot.

When his/her Care Provider arrives, they remove the key from the Lock Box or Hide-A-Key and return it after the visit is complete. Then, after the last visit, the sitter returns the key to the Lock Box or Hide-A-Key and leaves it for the client to retrieve when they return.

It’s so easy!

I sound like a broken record, but the greatest result is peace of mind. Our clients can travel, work or leave their homes for whatever reason, guilt-free because they know that their pets and their homes are in the best possible hands. Their pets are going to receive top-notch care; they’re going to be relaxed, comfortable, well exercised, and doted upon. Their houses are going to be safe guarded and kept tidy and neat. They are going to have happy and healthy pets.

It’s amazing!!!! Seeing how Stay At Home has grown since 2013 is astounding to me! The best part about it is that the more successful Stay At Home becomes, the more opportunities I have to make the service even more extraordinary for my awesome clients. I love it! I love every minute of it! I have the greatest clients any business owner could ask for…pet lovers! You can’t beat it.