How to host animals at home and earn extra income

A little extra money is always a good thing, right? So today we’re going to talk about how to host animals at home and earn some extra income. 

For pet lovers, this is a great way to spend more time with them. In addition, this is an increasingly common need for cat and dog owners, who see their pets as part of the family. 

So, when a “pet parent” needs to travel or be away for some reason, they choose to board their pet with someone they know will take care of it and keep it healthy in their absence. 

Do you have space at home and want to know how to earn extra income by hosting animals?

In this post, you will see:

• How does the work of hosting animals at home work?
• What do I need to host animals at home?
• How to start hosting animals at home?

How does the work of hosting animals at home work?

This is how this work: you make yourself available to receive animals for a certain period of time, as if it were a small hotel. You set the prices and the pet owners leave their dogs or cats at your home for as long as they need them. 

The interesting thing is that many people prefer to leave their pets in houses that offer this service rather than in dog boarding facilities, which tend to be more expensive and are not always able to offer such personalized service. 

It is a satisfactory initiative for those who have children, who will have many activities throughout the day, and for those who want to adopt a pet to “test” it out first with a real experience. 

In general, there are only advantages, both for those who leave their four-legged children and for those who are the hosts. 

What do I need to host animals at home?

To begin this work, first of all it is essential to be patient and understand that animals get used to your home and may find this sudden change strange, even if it is temporary. 

Other important things are:

Backyard with space

The animal needs to be free to play, run and burn off energy. This is one of the requirements that pet owners value a lot when choosing where to leave their pets. 

Furthermore, it is important to prepare the environment in advance so that, in the event of stress in pets due to the change of environment, adaptability is easier. 

Love for animals

You can't have animals at home without loving them. This is the most important prerequisite! A pet owner who knows that their pet, who is a member of the family, will be in a place where they are loved, can resolve their issues calmly and then ask for the service again. 

Patience with pet messes

It's also worth remembering that dogs and cats are not stuffed animals: they poop in the wrong place, pee, like to bite objects, and run around. 

Having some separate toys for these animals can be very interesting.

Free time to dedicate yourself

While you are working on this task, you will need to spend time feeding the animals that are with you, cleaning up after them, and playing with them. Dogs, in particular, love interacting with humans, and offering this to them will make them feel at home. 

How to start hosting animals at home?

Now, let's talk about the profitable part: turning this hobby into a business! Having a basic knowledge of sales and marketing can help a lot in this part, however, when it comes to pets, everything tends to be easy and flows very well. 

Spread the word

Don't be shy! Tell everyone about the work you're doing and your availability. 

However, here’s an important tip: before you start advertising, try to list the possible questions that you will be asked about this work and define some rules. For example:

1. What size pet will I accept to stay in my home? Small, medium, large or any size?
2. Will I pick up and drop off the pet, or will I not have this service?
3. How many days can the animal stay in my house?
4. What are the prerequisites? For example: being sociable, getting along with other animals, getting along with children…

And then, let everyone know that from a certain day onwards, you will become a pet host. 

Start with your friends' pets

You probably have friends and family who have pets, and they could be your first customers. 

Start by offering the service to them and ask them to recommend it to other people, and this way, your network of contacts will multiply and you will be able to keep your schedule always full. 

Join animal groups on Facebook and online platforms

This work has become so common and necessary that today there are groups on Facebook exclusively for this purpose: hosts offering to welcome pets and pet owners looking for this service. 

In addition to Facebook, several online platforms with free registration are also exclusive for this exchange. Some of them are:

DogSafe

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Set a value

Perhaps, of all the work, this is the hardest part: pricing. On all these platforms and in the Facebook groups themselves, you can check the prices that are being practiced in the market. 

But don't forget to analyze your cost. Consider the following points:

• Will the animal's food be included in the price or will it be charged separately?
• Include the cost of cleaning the premises
• Put a value on your labor – outings, games, time spent

And then, define how much you will charge. 

Did you like the content?

This is a job that involves, above all, a lot of love! Don't rule out this option. You will have happier, more dynamic days and you will even earn extra income. 
If this content was useful to you, take the opportunity to read it too “Online private lessons: earn money from home”.

Nathalia Silva September 14, 2021