Love animals? Turn that passion into pet sitting with Hello Marshy. Whether you’re looking for occasional bookings or want to build your own pet care business, our Canadian pet care marketplace connects you with pet parents across Toronto and the GTA.
Choose your services, set your own rates and manage your availability around your schedule. Creating a sitter profile is free. Here’s what to consider and how to get started.
Is pet sitting right for you?
Pet sitting can be rewarding if you love animals, but it involves more than playtime and cuddles. Ask yourself whether you’re comfortable cleaning accidents, following detailed care instructions and being patient with pets that may be anxious or unfamiliar with you. Consider your schedule, too: can you reliably commit to feeding times, walks and visits around your work and personal life, including weekends or holidays?
You’ll also need to communicate clearly with owners, notice changes in a pet’s behaviour and be prepared to act if a pet becomes ill or escapes. You don’t need experience with every animal, but you do need to be dependable and honest about your limits.
Choose the care you’d like to offer
You don’t need to offer every service to join Hello Marshy. Start with what suits your experience, home and schedule:
- Pet boarding: Welcome pets into your home for overnight stays.
- House sitting: Stay at a pet parent’s home to care for their pets.
- Daycare: Care for pets in your home during the day.
- Drop-in visits: Stop by for feeding, fresh water, litter cleaning and company.
- Dog walking: Offer local walks for exercise and bathroom breaks.
- Pet taxi: Help transport pets to appointments or other destinations.
Hello Marshy welcomes care for cats, dogs, birds, fish, small pets and reptiles. You can focus on the animals you know best, whether that’s cat visits, dog boarding or caring for smaller companions.
Create your sitter profile
Your profile is your first chance to build trust with pet parents. Help them understand who you are, how you care for animals and why you could be a good fit for their pet.
Start with a clear, friendly photo and an introduction that goes beyond “I love animals.” Share the types of pets you’ve cared for, your hands-on experience and what care with you would look like. Experience with your own pets, fostering, volunteering or helping friends and family all counts. Be honest about your abilities and only offer care you can confidently provide.
Give pet parents details that help them choose:
- Your experience: Have you cared for energetic puppies, senior pets or shy cats? Describe the responsibilities you’ve handled.
- Your home: If you offer boarding or daycare, explain where pets will spend their time, who lives with you and whether you have resident pets.
- Your routine: Share how pet care fits into your day, including walks, playtime and how long pets may be left alone.
- Your approach: Explain how you help pets settle in, follow their usual routines and keep pet parents updated.
Set your rates and availability
On Hello Marshy, you choose your prices and when you’re available. Set rates that reflect the care you provide and a schedule you can reliably commit to.
You’ll see a suggested price range when setting up your services. Use it as a starting point, then consider:
- Your experience: Your background, relevant training and the types of care you’re confident providing.
- Your time: Account for the full commitment, including travel, feeding, walks, clean-up and updates to pet parents.
- Your expenses: Factor in expenses like transportation. Supplies should always be provided by the pet parent.
- Your service area: Choose a distance you can comfortably travel, especially if you’re planning multiple visits in a day.
Build your availability around your existing commitments. You might start with weekend house sitting, neighbourhood walks or a few drop-in visits each week. Leave enough time between bookings to give each pet your full attention, and keep your calendar updated so pet parents can see when you’re available.
If you offer boarding or daycare, make sure your home is suitable for the pets you plan to welcome and that your lease or condo rules allow it.
Choose the sitter plan that works for you
Hello Marshy’s Free plan is a great place to start if you’re new to pet sitting, taking occasional bookings or want to try the platform before committing to a membership. There’s no monthly subscription. We take a 12% commission on completed bookings.
As your business grows, you can choose an optional paid membership to keep 100% of your booking earnings. Pick the plan that makes sense for how often you book.
On either plan, pet parents pay your listed rate with no added booking or payment-processing fees, making your pricing clear from the start.
Connect with pet parents and build trust
Once your profile is complete and available in search, local pet parents can learn about your services and send you booking requests.
When someone reaches out, respond promptly and ask about their pet’s routine, personality and care needs. A meet-and-greet can help you both decide whether it’s a good fit before moving ahead.
You can also share your Hello Marshy profile with your network and in local groups where promotion is allowed. If you’ve cared for pets before, ask past clients to leave an honest review to help new pet parents get to know your work.
As you take on bookings, thoughtful updates and reliable care give clients reasons to return and recommend you.
Ready to become a pet sitter?
From occasional cat visits to dog sitting, you can start with the services that suit you and grow at your own pace.
Hello Marshy gives you a place to showcase your experience, connect with local pet parents and manage bookings as you build your business.
