The basics
Homely Paws connects pet owners with local carers who look after pets in the carer's own home. Your pet stays somewhere that feels like a house, not a kennel.
Homely Paws is an introduction service. We help owners and carers find each other and handle the booking. The care itself is an arrangement between the two of you.
Three things that follow from that, and catch people out if they don't know them up front:
- There is no collection service. The owner brings the pet to the carer's home and collects them at the end. We don't transport pets and carers aren't expected to.
- The owner supplies the pet's things. Food, bedding, lead, toys, medication. More on exactly what, below.
- Carers choose who they take. A request is a request, not a booking. It only becomes real when the carer accepts.
How a booking works
- Find a carer and message themEvery carer can be messaged before you commit to anything. Use it — ask about their home, their own pets, their routine.
- Arrange a meet & greetWe strongly recommend meeting before the first stay, with your pet there. It's the single best way to avoid a booking that doesn't work out. It's free and it's normal to ask.
- Send a booking requestYou'll give the dates, the type of care, details about your pet, an emergency contact and your vet's details.
- The carer accepts or declinesThey have your request and can ask questions first. Nothing is confirmed and no money is due until they accept.
- Drop off, and collectAt the times you've agreed. Bring everything on the checklist below.
- Leave a reviewOnce the stay is done. Only owners who've actually completed a booking with that carer can review them.
What the owner brings
The carer provides a home, their time and their attention. Everything specific to your pet comes from you — animals get unsettled by a change of food or bedding, so familiar things matter more than convenient ones.
Every stay, however short
- Food — enough for the whole stay, plus one extra day in case you're delayed. In their usual brand.
- Feeding instructions — how much, how often, and any foods to avoid.
- Collar with ID tag — legally required for dogs in public in the UK, and it must show your name and address.
- Lead and harness for dogs.
- Any medication — clearly labelled, with written instructions and doses.
- Your vet's name and phone number.
- An emergency contact who can make decisions if you're unreachable.
Overnight stays, and anything over a day
- Bed or blanket that smells of home — this does more for a nervous animal than anything else you can pack.
- Two or three familiar toys.
- Bowls, if your pet is fussy about them.
- Poo bags, litter and litter tray, or cage bedding, as relevant.
- Grooming bits for a longer stay — brush, towel.
- Vaccination records. Many carers ask for these, and they're entitled to.
Tell the carer the awkward things. If your dog is reactive to other dogs, guards food, can't be left alone, escapes gardens, or has bitten before — say so in the booking request. A carer who knows can manage it. A carer who's surprised by it may have other animals in the house.
What the carer provides
Included
- A safe, secure home
- Fresh water at all times
- Feeding to your instructions
- Daily exercise and company
- Administering medication you've supplied
- Updates during the stay
- Contacting you if anything is wrong
Not included unless agreed
- Food or treats
- Bedding or toys
- Collection or drop-off
- Grooming or bathing
- Training
- Vet transport costs
- Anything not discussed in advance
Anything in the right-hand column can be arranged directly with your carer — just agree it before the stay, including what it costs.
Drop-off and collection
Agree exact times in your messages before the stay, and stick to them. A carer's day is built around them, and they may have another drop-off after yours.
- Allow fifteen minutes at drop-off. Walk through the routine in person — feeding, quirks, where things are in the bag.
- Hand over everything at once. Coming back with a forgotten item is an extra journey for you and a disruption for them.
- Say goodbye briefly. A long, anxious farewell makes a pet more unsettled, not less.
- Confirm your collection time before you leave, and tell the carer as soon as you know it's changing.
Late collection
Life happens — delayed flights, traffic. But a carer who expected their house back at 6pm may have another booking arriving.
| Up to 1 hour late |
No charge. Just message your carer as soon as you know. |
| More than 1 hour late |
The carer may charge their hourly rate for each additional hour. |
| Overnight, unplanned |
Charged at the carer's overnight rate. Agree it by message. |
| Uncontactable for 24 hours |
The carer will contact your emergency contact. If nobody can be reached within a further 24 hours, they may contact us and, if necessary, a local rescue or the council. This is a last resort and has never happened — but a carer cannot be left indefinitely responsible for an animal. |
Extra charges are arranged directly between you and your carer. Agree them in writing over Homely Paws messages so there's a record.
Vet care and emergencies
This is the part worth reading properly. If your pet becomes ill or is injured during a stay, the carer needs to know what they're allowed to do — and you need to know what you'll be asked to pay.
What we ask every owner to agree
- You authorise the carer to seek emergency veterinary treatment if they believe your pet needs it and can't reach you.
- You set a spending limit in the booking request. Below it, the carer can authorise treatment without waiting. Above it, they must reach you or your emergency contact first — unless a vet advises that a delay would cause serious suffering.
- You are responsible for veterinary costs, including reasonable travel to the vet. The carer isn't expected to be out of pocket for your pet's health.
- The carer will take your pet to your own vet where practical, and to the nearest available emergency vet where it isn't.
What we ask every carer to do
- Contact the owner first, wherever there's time to.
- Then the emergency contact.
- Keep every receipt.
- Never delay treatment for an animal in distress because they can't reach anyone.
Pet insurance is worth checking before you book. Most UK pet insurance policies still cover your animal while it's being looked after by someone else, but some exclude paid care or require the carer to be named. Five minutes with your policy now is better than finding out at the vet.
Cancellations
Our policy is modelled on the standard used across the UK pet-care industry. It tries to be fair to owners whose plans change, and to carers who turned away other work.
If the owner cancels
| When | What happens |
|---|
| Before the carer accepts |
Nothing owed. A request isn't a booking. |
| More than 24 hours before the stay starts |
Full refund of everything paid. |
| Less than 24 hours before |
The first day is charged in full and goes to the carer. Any remaining days are refunded. |
| After the stay has started |
Days already used are charged, plus one further day. Everything beyond that is refunded. |
If the carer cancels
A carer cancelling a confirmed booking leaves an owner without care, sometimes days before a holiday. We take it seriously.
- The owner is refunded in full, always, including our booking fee.
- We'll help find another carer where we can.
- Repeated late cancellations will mean a carer is removed from Homely Paws.
Changing dates
Moving a booking to different dates isn't a cancellation and isn't charged as one, as long as the carer is free and agrees. Shortening a stay at the last minute is treated as a partial cancellation.
Emergencies are different. Bereavement, sudden illness, a pet that dies before the stay — message us and we'll sort it out sensibly.
Fees and payment
- Carers set their own rates and receive them in full. Nothing is deducted from a carer's rate.
- Owners pay a 15% booking fee on top of the carer's rate. That's what keeps Homely Paws running.
- Nothing is charged until the carer accepts. Sending a request costs nothing.
- Joining as a carer is free. No subscription, no listing fee.
While we're getting started, payment is arranged directly. Card payments through the site are coming. Until then, we'll be in touch after a booking is confirmed to sort out payment. Please keep bookings and messages on Homely Paws — it's the only record either of you has if something goes wrong.
Insurance and responsibility
Homely Paws does not provide insurance. We're an introduction service, not an insurer, and there is no cover behind a booking. We'd rather tell you that clearly than let you assume otherwise.
Owners
You remain responsible for your animal, including for any injury or damage it causes while in someone else's home. Under the Animals Act 1971, a keeper can be liable for damage their animal causes — which is why disclosing known behaviour honestly matters so much. Check whether your pet insurance covers stays with a paid carer.
Carers
You're providing a service in your own home, so arranging your own cover is worth doing. UK specialist pet-sitting insurance is widely available from providers such as Cliverton, Protectivity and Pet Business Insurance, and typically costs less than most people expect. Check whether your home insurance is affected by paid work at your address.
Verification
Every carer's identity is checked by hand before their profile goes live. Where a carer has supplied a DBS certificate number and we've verified it, a DBS badge appears on their profile. A DBS check is not a guarantee of anything — it's one useful signal among several. The others are the meet & greet, the reviews, and your own judgement.
None of this is legal advice, and it doesn't replace terms you might want a solicitor to look at. If you're unsure where you stand, get proper advice.