Amber Walden is planning a big trip to the Dominican Republic for her 28th birthday — and it's being paid for by jet-setting New Yorkers who have hired her to watch their pets.
As a manager at Park Slope Veterinary Center, Walden is frequently asked by clients to pet-sit. But it wasn't until she and her boyfriend Zane McDonald joined Rover — a site that connects pet owners with potential nearby sitters — that Walden started earning real dough.
The couple cleared $8,000 over the winter holidays caring for dogs, including tending to four Chihuahuas at a Brooklyn wedding who were to walk the bridesmaids down the aisle.
"We had to get them dressed, make sure they were going to the bathroom, not messing up anyone's dress," says Walden. "That was a hell of a day, but they gave us a great tip."
Gone are the pet-sitters of yore — broke 20-somethings uninterested in holding down a 9-to-5. Now, thanks to sites like Rover and its competitor DogVacay, caring for dogs and cats is a lucrative side business for industrious, tech-savvy animal lovers.
"You can certainly make thousands of dollars doing it," says Aaron Hirschhorn, DogVacay CEO and co-founder.
It's a nice way to make a little extra money. - Diana Suko
Rover and DogVacay connect dog- and cat-sitters with pet owners looking for boarding — either at their own home or the sitter's — in an Airbnb-like fashion. Each company takes a 15 percent cut of the sitters' earnings in exchange for handling marketing, billing, online calendars and insurance. An application process and reviews ensure that prospective sitters are qualified and dependable.
Both sites have one or two members who make six figures a year pet-sitting, but the average is more modest.
At Rover, full-time sitters average $3,300 a month; part-timers $900; and those with just one to two stays a month about $250, according to a company spokesperson.
Retirees, stay-at-home parents, freelancers, teachers and students are typical DogVacay hosts, says Hirschhorn.
"New York is not cheap to live in. It helps us with rent," adds Walden. "It's helping Zane go to school. It's come in handy so much."
Photo: Michael Duva
Walden's veterinary training puts their rate at the higher end of the spectrum, which averages around $30.
Clients like Isabel Lopez, 38, say they are happy to pay more for Walden given her expertise. Lopez drives from the East Village to Brooklyn to drop off Zeke, an 8-year-old Staffordshire terrier, and Luther, a 3-year-old Boston terrier, whenever she travels.
"It was a little further out for us, but Amber works in the animal field and that was kind of key," she says.
Diana Suko, a 31-year-old actress who lives in Harlem, pads her income by $200 to $300 a week with DogVacay. She charges $45 per day.
"I didn't want to have 12 different jobs where all I was doing was running from job to job," she explains. "It's a nice way to make a little extra money."
But while spending your day with furry critters may seem painless, it is still a job.
"Even when they're relatively easy dogs, it's work. You have to get up earlier to let them out; you have to plan your schedule," says Suko. "It's not as much a piece of cake as you might think it is. You are taking care of a life."
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