Frequently Asked Questions
How long have you been in business?
Bad to the Bone Pet Care was born in 2014, and the team has been growing across Northeast Florida since then. Doug began professionally pet sitting and dog walking in West Jacksonville and Orange Park in late 2013. We expanded in Plant City, Lakeland, and Tampa in 2017.
Are you licensed and insured?
Of course! We have a business license from Florida and are licensed through NAPPS (National Associated of Professional Pet Sitters.) We are insured through Small Business Insurers of the Carolinas. Ask about what our insurance covers in your meet & greet! Full license, insurance, and bonding information available upon request.
How long will it take to be contacted?
Congrats and thank you for filling out your New Pack Member form! The Pack Leader for your area will contact you as soon as possible to pair you with a sitter and make your account. Our goal is to get to everyone within two business hours, though times vary.
What is our most popular service?
Good question! We offer drop-in visits, overnight stays, dog walking, pet transportation, and doggie field trips, but most of our clients request 30-minute drop-in visits. A half-hour visit is enough time for us to love and feed or walk your pets without being rushed. We also offer 15 and 45 minute visits for shy pets or pets that need a little extra love!
What is the cancellation policy?
We charge a 50% cancellation fee if canceling within 12 hours of a dog walk or single drop-in visit, or within 72 hours of an “out of town” stay (live-in care, overnight care, series of drop-in visits). We do not offer any refunds for services canceled within 10 days of a holiday.
I heard you do traveling pet sitting?
Doug, the owner, has a love for animals and for seeing the world. He has combined his passions with offering traveling pet sitting. For a month, he has taken care of a farm in Bend, Oregon, cat-sitting in Denver, Colorado, and is always looking for new opportunities. Arrangements and specifics for traveling gigs are based on an individual basis. Contact us to find out more!
How far in advance should I schedule?
We suggest submitting requests for pet sitting for while you are out of town around a month ahead, and requests for dog walks a week ahead. We always encourage planning as far in advance as possible as our schedules do fill up each day
Will you need a key to my house?
We require all clients to utilize lockboxes for us to gain access to the home. You may provide your own lockbox or purchase one from us. If your neighborhood will not allow lockboxes, we ask for two key copies.
Are you positive reinforcement?
Yes! Doug, the owner of Bad to the Bone Pet Care, is Fear Free Certified and incorporates Fear Free practices into all team training. We will not utilize e-collars, prong collars, or any aversive techniques.
Is my pet sitter background checked?
Yes! All of our pet professionals go through an extensive federal background check process.
What awards have you earned?
Our team of pet professionals was voted Best Pet Sitting Service in Northeast Florida in 2016 and 2017 in the Bold City Best Competition. Our team was also selected as one of the Top Three Jacksonville Dog Walking Companies in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 by ThreeBestRated. We are so thankful to all of our amazing clients for their support and for making this possible.
What if my regular dog walker or pet sitter is not available?
We work together as a team! We always send one of our managers to your New Client Consultation and they will introduce your pets to any of our team members who will be caring for your pets. You may request additional consultations as needed for the price of our 30 minute drop-in visits.
I’m not sure what my pet needs?
Every pet and family is unique, which is why all of our services are entirely customizable! Don’t see what you are looking for? Just let us know what you need, and the odds are we can make it happen!
Where do you go for doggie field trips?
Does your pup love the beach? Or maybe they prefer a nature trail and a puppacino? It’s up to you where we go on our doggie field trips!
Do you have emergency plans in place?
Absolutely. Having been in business for over ten years, we have seen just about everything from hurricanes to a pandemic. We have plans in place for every situation and have built relationships with local veterinarians and other local businesses to ensure your pet’s safety, health, and happiness.
I have a special needs pet, can you help?
Contact us, and if we can’t help you, we’ll help find someone that can! We have several veterinary technicians on our team and have helped pets with things from physical rehabilitation to administering medicine and much more!
What areas do you service?
Our award winning team offers dog walking and pet sitting in Jacksonville, Jacksonville Beach, Orange Park, Middleburg, Northern Lakeland, Plant City, and Eastern Tampa.
What is your payment policy?
Services are not confirmed until full payment has been submitted. All clients are automatically enrolled in AutoPay which will charge the card on the clients account at 11pm the day that we approve the request. Clients may opt-out of AutoPay, however they will be responsible for manually submitting payment upon approval of the request.
Are times guaranteed?
We operate on a two hour window to account for traffic, weather, last minute requests, and other things that come up throughout our day. This means that if Time to Pet shows your visit scheduled at noon, we will arrive sometime between 11am and 1pm. We will guarantee a tighter window for pets with medical needs such as diabetic pets who get insulin.
Who do you recommend for dog training?
We highly recommend MDMT Dog Training!
