FAQ

Fill out our Contact Form or call us at (443) 328-3299. We’ll answer any questions you have, confirm our availability, create your online account, and arrange a consultation. During this meeting, we’ll come to your home to meet you and your pets and learn all about their routines and care needs. After your consultation is completed, you’re ready to book services at your convenience through our online portal.

Our core service area is Sykesville and Eldersburg, as well as northwestern Marriottsville shown on the map below. We’re happy to consider clients outside this area for an additional travel fee, depending on distance. Contact us to check availability for your location.

Yes, you can check out reviews and testimonials at the following links:

• Google Reviews
• Yelp Reviews
• Client Testimonials on Our Website

Yes, we have a New Client Consultation with all clients before starting our services. During this visit, we’ll come to your home to meet you and your pets, review their care routines, tour your home, and go over any final details. A $25 deposit is required to book your consultation which is credited toward your first service booked within 90 days. After your consultation is completed, you’ll be ready to book services at your convenience.

We operate in 2 hour time windows to allow us to organize our schedules efficiently and to account for traffic, weather, and the unexpected things that can sometimes come up when caring for animals. We are, however, able to accommodate smaller time windows for puppies who are still house training and medically needy pets such as diabetics who get insulin.

We provide care for dogs, cats, birds, small mammals (rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters), reptiles, fish, and farm animals including horses, goats, and chickens. Each pet receives personalized care tailored to their specific needs.

Absolutely not! We love and welcome all breeds of dogs.

Yes, we do! Our app lets you book visits, get notifications, and message us, right from your phone or tablet.

Ready Pet Go is a keyless company! All keys and home access stay at your property, and we do not keep keys on file. This means your keys and access to your home remain in your control at all times, and are always available to a backup sitter if needed. There are several options for this:

• Keyless Entry – Give us a code to unlock a keyless entry system at your home, such as an electronic door lock or garage door.
• Provide Your Own Lock Box – Purchase your own lock box for your keys and install it outside your home. Set your own code and let us know the code and location of the lockbox.
• Use a Ready Pet Go Provided Lock Box – For a $30 deposit, we can provide and install a box at the location of your choosing on your property.
• Hidden Key – If you prefer, you’re welcome to hide a key in a secure spot on your property and share the location with us.

Yes, I am fully insured through Pet Care Insurance to provide peace of mind for you and your pets during all services offered. This coverage includes:

• Liability Insurance: Protects against accidental injury or property damage.
• Care, Custody, and Control Coverage: Provides protection for pets in my care.

As a sole proprietor without employees, bonding is not applicable. If you have specific questions about my insurance policy, I’m happy to discuss further.

Yes, we hold certifications in pet first aid and CPR through Pet First Aid 4U, a program designed by pet expert Arden Moore. We recertify every two years to ensure we are up-to-date with the latest practices, empowering us to be a potentially life-saving bridge between an unexpected incident and veterinary care. For more details about the program, visit Pet First Aid 4U’s website.

While we are not certified, professional dog trainers or pet behaviorists, we are well-educated in pet behavior and training. We use R+ and positive reinforcement techniques, ensuring that all interactions with pets are force-free and fostering a safe, supportive environment for your furry friends.

If your pet has a history of aggression toward people or other animals, or is fearful of strangers, please inform us prior to your consultation. We’ll evaluate the information you provide about their history and specific care needs to determine if we can safely and effectively care for your pet. Our primary goal is safety, so we will not take on pets whose aggression poses a safety risk to our staff, other household pets, or the community. We will also discuss the best approach to interacting with and caring for your pet to ensure a comfortable and stress-free experience.

Don’t worry, we’ve got a plan in place! During our intake process, we collect vital veterinary information and pet medical history from all clients. We also ask clients to provide a trusted friend or relative as an emergency contact, in case we can’t reach them while they’re away. If an emergency arises, we’ll contact you (or your emergency contact if we can’t reach you) as soon as possible and provide first aid if necessary. We’ll then get your pet to the vet as quickly as possible, ensuring they receive prompt medical care.

For the safety and well-being of your dogs, we only take dogs off-leash in physically fenced yards. “Invisible” fences and unfenced yards do not provide a reliable barrier to prevent dogs from running off. Even with an invisible fence, a motivated dog can easily cross the boundary, especially when excited by distractions like other animals, passing cars, or unfamiliar noises. Once outside the boundary, they may become lost, encounter traffic, or face other dangers, and may be reluctant to come back into the yard due to fear of being shocked. Additionally, we follow positive reinforcement training methods and avoid aversive tools like shock collars.

For clients without physical fencing, we’re happy to provide alternative options to keep your dog safe while ensuring they get the exercise and enrichment they need:

• Leashed Walks: We can take your dog for walks to provide exercise and exploration while keeping them securely on a leash.
• Yard Time on a Long-Line Leash: If you prefer yard play for your dog, we’ll use a 50ft long-line leash to allow them to roam and play under our close supervision.
• Indoor Enrichment Activities: We offer engaging mental and physical activities inside your home to keep your dog stimulated and happy.

We offer a variety of visit durations, starting with 30 minutes, so you can choose the length of time that best suits your pets’ need and the tasks you want your pet sitter to complete. See our Pet Sitting page for more details about our service offerings.

Yes! We offer Overnight Pet Sitting (Slumber Pawties) for pets who need overnight supervision or companionship.

We’ve also found that many pets do exceptionally well with extended bedtime and morning drop-in visits instead of overnight stays, sometimes referred to as “Almost Overnight Pet Sitting”. This approach gives your pet focused, quality attention during their active hours while allowing them to rest undisturbed during sleeping hours.

Why consider drop-in visits instead of overnights?

Many pet parents worry about their pets feeling lonely at night, but having someone new stay overnight can often be a bigger adjustment than being home alone. Friendly, social pets often become too excited to settle down with a new person in the house, while shyer pets may feel stressed by the unfamiliar presence.

When overnight stays are the better choice:

For pets who require overnight supervision due to medical needs or severe separation anxiety, our Slumber Pawties service provides continuous care from evening through morning.

Not sure which option is right for your pet? We’re happy to discuss your pets’ specific needs and help you choose the best care plan.

We recommend taking into consideration your pet’s normal daily routine of feeding, exercise, play, potty breaks, etc., and trying to follow that schedule as closely as possible. That typically means you’ll want to book:

• 3-4 visits per day for dogs
• 2-3 visits per day for cats
• 1-2 visits per day for most other types of pets

No, we charge based on the length of the visit you select, not by the number of pets you have. There are no extra charges for additional pets. We just ask that you select a long enough visit that we have adequate time to care for all of your pets.

Yes, our trained staff can administer all types of medication, including pills, liquids, topical medications, insulin, and sub-Q fluids.

Yes, we can provide visits for the times they’re not available while you’re away.

If bad weather is forecasted, we reach out to any clients who are currently sitting for to discuss options and collaboratively develop a plan. Solutions may include:

• Scheduling an extra visit before the storm to ensure your pet’s needs are met.
• Leaving additional food and supplies in case of delays.
• Bringing your pet to our location for uninterrupted attention.
• Coordinating with a nearby neighbor who is willing and able to assist if needed.

We accept credit/debit cards and ACH (e-check) through our online portal. Payments are processed when bookings are approved.

Yes, a 20% surcharge applies to all services scheduled on Saturdays and Sundays. Weekend scheduling requires additional flexibility, and this surcharge reflects the premium value of weekend availability.

Yes, a holiday surcharge applies to services scheduled on holidays and their surrounding shoulder dates. Holidays are a high-demand time for pet care, and these rates reflect both the increased need for our services and the significance of those days for our team and their families. Holiday fees are applied automatically based on your selected dates of service in our client portal, and you’ll see any applicable holiday fees for your booking at checkout.

Holiday surcharges are based on a three-tier system:

• Peak Holidays (2x rate): Christmas and Christmas Eve, Thanksgiving, and Easter. These are our highest-demand holidays and the days our team most values spending with their loved ones.
• Major Holidays (1.5x rate): Memorial Day weekend, Independence Day & weekend, Labor Day weekend, Easter Saturday, Thanksgiving weekend, and the week between Christmas and New Year’s.
• Other Holidays (1.3x rate): MLK Day weekend, Presidents’ Day weekend, and Juneteenth weekend.

When a holiday falls on a weekend, only the holiday surcharge applies; our standard weekend fee does not stack on top.

We understand that things come up and plans change. We appreciate as much notice as possible for cancellations. There is a 50% fee for cancellations with less than 24 hours’ notice, and full price is charged for cancellations with less than 2 hours’ notice.