Excursions, School Formals, School shoes, iPads, tuckshop, school fees, laptops and uniforms – it can all add up and create financial pressure on families. However, families have a fun, innovative avenue to make extra money… and it involves pets.
Known in Australia as the ‘AirBnb for Pets’ PetCloud is a national pet sitting website that Pet Owners across Australia can search for available Pet Sitters to care for their pets either in their own home, or theirs when Pet Owners are unable to.
Every booking is covered by insurance and every pet sitter is police checked and insured.
Holiday Fun has got this family saving hundreds Nichola and her two boys live in Sydney, and they tried out pet sitting as a family.
How to get Started
Start off by reading Is Pet Sitting right for me?
1 Join Free. Complete for your free profile, then create a Listing (much like a real estate online listing). Add a description & pictures of your home and backyard. Add your services, prices, verifications and link your Paypal Account.
2. Undergo a Police check
3. Take Online Training. It has reading modules, and then multi-choice.
4. Prepare your Home and Backyard by making it escape-proof and hazard-free for pets. For tips, read the RSPCA Property Guide & Checklist
4. Promote. Get the word out to your neighbourhood that you offer Pet Services through PetCloud. Order your custom PetCloud business cards and sprinkle them around your neighbourhood.
5. Respond to Pet Owner Inquiries and Job Posts Pet Owners will check your calendar and photo gallery and will contact you via PetCloud. Respond quickly to Meet & Greet requests and Bookings.
6 Meet & Greet. Get ready for Meet & Greets by tidying your home & backyard, and securing your fence. Invite the Pet Owner to bring their Pet over to visit your home. Alternatively meet at a neutral location such as a dog park.
7 Feed & Exercise Pets. Care for the Owners pets at the agreed location for the duration of the stay. Send daily picture updates to the Pet Owner.
8 Get Paid by PetCloud. 24 hours after the last day of minding, you will be paid into your wallet on PetCloud.
Notes for Teachers and Parents:
- Internet Safety needs to be kept front of mind for all parents.
- Parents must coordinate all bookings and be present at all Meet & Greets.
- Pet care must be supervised by an Adult at all times
- Parents with internet can access the PetCloud website from anywhere on any device and can create a Listing within minutes.
- An Adult must be available with a car for any Pet Emergencies
- Parents are in control of bookings at all times and are under no obligation to accept any job or pet that will not suit their family or schedule.
Life Lessons that minding Pets can teach kids and teens
Responsibility: Pets require daily feeding, exercise, and affection, not to mention grooming and potty time (and clean-up). Older children can learn how to care for another living creature and even younger children can help with feeding and playtime.
Trust: It’s easy to spill your heart out to your pet, who will offer you unconditional support in return. Pets make wonderful trusted companions for children and can be a first step to helping your child build trust in other relationships, too.
Empathy: Caring for a pet requires compassion, understanding, and empathy. Kids learn to be kind and to take care of others’ basic needs.
Money Management: The money families can earn from Pet Sitting can help towards School Formals, Class trips, new School Shoes, iPads, tuckshop, school fees, Uniforms and even late teens first car.
Community Impact: With every booking, Pet Owners have the ability to make an impact to animal welfare by donating $1 to RSPCA Australia as PetCloud’s primary charity partner.
Respect: Minding a pet teaches children how to respect others. They must touch them gently, tend to their needs, and learn not to disturb them when they’re eating or sleeping.
Self Esteem: Pets show unconditional love, which can be a great boost to a child’s self-esteem. So, too, can the satisfaction that
comes from having responsibility and caring for a pet’s needs.
Loyalty: A pet’s loyalty toward its carer is often unmatched. In turn, children learn the importance of showing loyalty to their devoted furry friend.
Physical Activity: Children who own a dog learn how fun physical activity can be while they play tug-of-war, fetch, or go for walks with their pet. Research shows, in fact, that children in dog-owning families spend more time being physically active than children without dogs which also boosts endorphins and is a stress reliever – great for students with exam pressure.
Patience: Your child will learn patience while the pet becomes comfortable in your home and also during training as your child begins to understand how dogs interpret humans.
Social Skills: Dogs can be an amazing social “ice breaker.” Taking your dog for walks as a family can improve your child’s social skills as you interact with others. Pets may also help children with autism to develop social skills such as sharing.
For those looking at other School Holiday Animal Programs, we also recommend you check out what the RSPCA in your State has to offer:
Queensland
RSPCA Queensland have free project resources under their RSPCA Project AWARE program, they can come and visit to Teach Animal Welfare, they offer Animal Campus Tours, School/ Community Programs, and Kids School Holiday Programs.
South Australia
RSPCA South Australia has free education and resources for Teachers and Families under their AWARE program.
Victoria
RSPCA Victoria offer School Excursions
New South Wales
RSPCA NSW offer animal education programs and experiences for all ages: Primary, Secondary, Tertiary, School Holiday Program, Community Groups, RSPCA AWARE (free resource), Family Fun
ACT
Check out RSPCA ACT’s 2 hour Kids n Kritters Workshops
Tasmania
Check out these resources for Kids and Teachers under the RSPCA Aware Program
Western Australia
RSPCA WA’s School Holiday Program offers a fun, activity-packed day for primary school-aged children (between 7-10 years old).
Darwin
Check out these resources for Kids and Teachers under the RSPCA Aware Program
