Free pet sitting contract template.

What each clause does

Each clause is short on purpose. A client should be able to read the whole agreement in a few minutes, and you should be able to explain every line out loud. Here's why each one is there.

1. Services

This names the service type, the dates, where care happens, and the visit schedule. Most disputes start with "I thought you were coming twice a day", so write the times, not just "daily visits". If the pets stay with you, the template swaps the client's address for your home.

2. Fees and payment

State the rate, what it's charged per (visit, night, day or the whole booking), when payment is due and how to pay. The template has no deposit clause and relies on the cancellation fee instead; add a deposit under Other terms if you take one. If you're not sure what to charge, see the pet sitting rates guide, the house sitting rates guide, or the dog sitting and boarding rates guide. If a client first found you on Rover, read Rover's terms of service before you book them directly on this contract, and see what Rover's fees cost Canadian sitters.

3. Holiday rate

Only appears if you fill it in. Christmas, March Break and long weekends are when sitters are most booked, so many charge a flat surcharge per visit or night. Writing it down now avoids a surprise line on the invoice later.

4. Changes and late returns

Flights get delayed. This clause says extra visits or nights are billed at the same rate, and that changes should be agreed in writing, which includes a text message.

5. Cancellation

Pick a notice period (48 hours is common for drop-ins; a week or more for holiday sits) and a fee for cancelling inside it, such as a percentage of the booking or the first day's rate. The clause also commits you to giving notice if you have to cancel, which makes the policy feel fair to the client.

6. Care of the pets

The client confirms that the feeding, medication and behaviour notes are accurate, including any history of biting or escaping, and that they'll leave enough supplies. The pet details card at the end of the contract holds the specifics for each animal.

7. Veterinary care and emergencies

This is the clause that matters most on a bad day. It sets the order of calls (owner, then emergency contact), names the vet, and authorizes you to approve treatment up to a dollar cap if nobody answers. The client stays responsible for the vet bill and repays anything you front. Ask the owner to call their clinic ahead of the sit and say you're authorized to bring the pet in.

8. Keys and home access

How you get in (key, lockbox, door code) and how the key comes back at the end. It also promises you'll keep codes private and only enter the home to do the job. This clause is left out for boarding, since the pets come to you.

9. House duties

Mail, plants, garbage day and anything else you agree to. Listing them means both sides know what's included in the rate, and what isn't.

10. Photos and updates

Choose whether you may post pet photos on your business social media or only send them to the owner. Either way, the template never allows photos of the home or the client to be posted.

11. Liability

Written in plain English: you'll take reasonable care, you aren't responsible for illness or injury that happens despite that care, the owner is responsible for damage or bites their pets cause, and you're responsible for your own carelessness. A clause that tries to excuse a sitter from everything is more likely to be challenged and reads badly to a new client. A contract also doesn't replace insurance; ask an insurer about pet care business coverage if you sit regularly.

12. If the client does not return

Rare, but it happens. If the owner hasn't returned or been in touch within the time you set (48 hours is a common choice), you keep caring for the pets at the normal rate, contact the emergency contact, and can arrange boarding at the owner's cost if no one responds.

13 and 14. Other terms, entire agreement and signatures

Add anything specific under Other terms, such as "no off-leash parks". The final clause says the signed document is the whole agreement and that a photo, scan or e-signature counts. Electronic signatures are generally valid in Canada; Ontario's Electronic Commerce Act, 2000 (section 11, checked September 2026), for example, says a legal requirement that a document be signed is satisfied by an electronic signature. The exceptions, such as wills and powers of attorney, don't touch a pet sitting agreement.

House sitting contract

A house sitting contract is the same agreement with the emphasis shifted to the home. Choose House sitting as the service type above and the document is titled House Sitting Agreement, the service clause describes overnight stays with pet care and home care, and pets become optional, so you can use it for a sit with no animals at all.

For house sits, spend more time on these parts:

• House duties. Tick mail, plants and garbage, and add anything else under Other house duties, such as rotating lights, running taps in winter, or shovelling the front steps.
• Keys and access. Note the alarm code arrangement and who else has a key (a cleaner or a neighbour), so nobody is surprised.
• Other terms. Guests, smoking, use of the car, and whether you may work from the home during the day are worth one line each.
• The rate. House sits are usually charged per night. See the house sitting rates guide for what Canadian sitters charge.

How to use the contract with a new client

1. Hold a meet-and-greet before the first booking. Fill in the pet details together and test the key or lockbox.
2. Download the PDF and send it to the client before the start date, or print two copies and sign them at the meeting.
3. Keep a signed copy for every client. For repeat clients, one contract can cover future bookings if nothing important changes; update the pet details whenever medication or feeding changes.
4. Send the invoice at the end of the sit, with the same payment terms the contract states. The free invoice generator does this in a minute, and the receipt generator covers clients who want a receipt.

Questions