Loving Pet Care in Your Neighbourhood™

FAQs

Frequently asked questions about Rover

What is Rover?

Rover is a place to find and connect with local pet sitters. Book trusted care for dogs and cats, whenever and wherever you need it!

With Rover, you can discover loving pet care services in your neighbourhood: pet boarding, house sitting, dog walking, drop-in visits and doggy day care. We make it easy to get personalised care for your one-of-a-kind pet.

How does Rover work?

As a pet owner, you can search for local pet care on Rover by entering your address or postcode. Then, explore sitter and walker profiles and learn more about their pet care experience, ratings and reviews.

Although it isn’t required, Rover recommends scheduling Meet & Greets with pet sitters who you’re interested in before booking. This is your opportunity to make sure a sitter is the right match for your pet's unique needs. Once you and the sitter agree it’s a good fit, complete the booking and payment via Rover. You can message your sitter at any time before, during or after the booking!

Many sitters and walkers offer multiple services on Rover, making it easy to book consistent and flexible care for your pets. For example: If your dog usually just needs a dog walker, but later on you need boarding over a long weekend, you can often book the same person for both situations. To see which other services a pet sitter offers, check out the ‘Services’ tab on their profile.

Interested in becoming a sitter or walker on Rover? Get started here.

How does Rover promote safe experiences?

Rover promotes safe experiences in multiple ways, like requiring all pet sitters joining our community to pass an identity verification. Every booking also includes booking protection, 24/7 support and the Rover Guarantee. Everyone on Rover has access to a block and report feature. In the unlikely event that you need to report any messages, you can easily do so to Rover Support.

We encourage all pet owners and sitters to read verified Rover reviews and schedule meet & greets before booking. Meet & greets are in-person meetings where the pet, pet owner and pet sitter can get to know each other. This allows everyone to assess whether the environment, skills and experience align with each pet's unique needs. Check out our Meet & Greet Guide for more tips.

How do I find a sitter?

The best way to find a sitter who’s a great match for your pet is to first create a Rover account and fill out a pet profile. The more we know about your pet, the easier it is to help you find a sitter who’s a great match for them.

On the search page, you can filter sitters based on your pet’s unique care needs, like their size, spay/neuter status, whether they need grooming, whether you’d like your sitter to have a fenced-in garden, etc. Some features, like weekly scheduling or full-time care, may vary according to the service type.

Add your information and search to see a list of sitters who match your criteria. You can move around the map to refresh your sitter options and find sitters closer to your home, work or wherever you need care. Open sitter profiles to explore recent reviews, read about their care style and see how to contact them.

How much does booking a service on Rover cost?

Rates vary depending on the service, location and experience of the pet sitter. This is because they set their own rates on Rover. You may notice higher rates during holidays or for add-on services like grooming, pickup and drop-off, additional pets and extended bookings.

To get an idea of typical rates in your area, try a search on Rover. Enter your location and include as many details as you can. To ensure that you’re seeing correct price estimates, complete an individual profile for each of your pets before you search.

What does a dog or cat’s day with a sitter look like?

This depends on the service, your pet’s care instructions and the sitter, but generally speaking: A typical drop-in or overnight stay includes feeding, fresh water, poo breaks or litter box cleaning, and playtime. We know that pets thrive on familiar routines, so Rover makes it possible to find a sitter who will maintain your pet’s daily rituals, whether they like company during dinnertime or require a minimum number of ball throws before bed.

Looking for sitters who really go the extra mile? Some offer what can only be described as luxury boarding, and they’ll detail how they structure a pet’s day in the ‘A typical day’ section.

What kind of identity verification do pet sitters on Rover go through?

In the UK and Europe, sitters joining Rover must verify their identity before they are listed on Rover. You can confirm a sitter’s identity verification by looking for the green badge on their profile.

For extra peace of mind, you can read verified reviews from other pet owners and check each sitter's repeat pet owner stats. We also encourage you to schedule a meet & greet before booking with a new sitter or walker to meet them, ask questions and see how they interact with your pets. For more details, please visit Rover's Trust & Safety page.

What kind of pets can sitters on Rover look after?

Rover was created to make it easy to find loving care for dogs and cats of any age, from puppies and kittens to senior pets. Some pet sitters do understand how to look after other pet types, such as birds, rabbits, lizards or fish, and they may list this experience in their profiles; however, Rover is intended for dog and cat care.

Can I find available pet sitters at short notice via Rover?

If you need a pet sitter at short notice, start by entering your dates into a Rover search. Look for the green tick symbol at the bottom of each listing to find sitters who have recently updated their availability. Star Sitter status is also a good indicator that a sitter is likely to respond quickly to your message. The Star Sitter programme recognises pet sitters and dog walkers who have a track record of highly rated care for pets and responsive, reliable service for pet owners on Rover.

Not seeing the sitters you need? Try broadening your search to include sitters who live a little further away.

Tip: Pressed for time? When searching, contact a few sitters at a time to find the best fit for your family even faster.

How do I know a pet sitter is reliable?

Rather than relying on one factor, Rover offers multiple trust signals to help pet owners evaluate a pet sitter’s reliability. Identity verifications, star ratings, repeat pet owners, photo updates and Star Sitter status are all ways to identify a reliable sitter.

Another important step is a Meet & Greet or trial day. Both methods offer a way for the pet owner to verify whether a pet sitter is the right fit. Trial days are booked as regular services, like doggy day care or overnight boarding, and can serve as a low-pressure practice run to see how your pet interacts with their potential sitter before committing to a longer stay. Successful Meet & Greets and trial days can help reduce your pet’s stress during the actual booking and give you peace of mind while you’re busy or travelling.