Your pet sitting side gig in Chicago

Add the parts of Chicago you want to work in, then owners nearby request you directly. Because you set both the area and the rate, the pet sitting requests that reach you are already the ones close enough to be worth taking.

Adding dog walking takes a rate and a short description. It is the quickest way to widen the pool of Chicago owners who can find you, and you can remove it again whenever you like.

On Petme in Chicago, dog walking at $17 to $28 per 30 to 60 minute walk, drop-in visits at $18 to $28 per 20 to 30 minute visit, doggy daycare at $32 to $58 per day, dog boarding at $45 to $80 per night, house sitting at $45 to $80 per night. With sitter cashback you keep up to 90% of every booking.

Yes. Petme recruits sitters across Chicago year-round, from Lincoln Park to Wicker Park, and owners send booking requests directly to sitters in their area. There is no vacancy list to wait on: you create a profile, set the areas you cover, and accept the requests you want.

No. Petme sitters must be 18 or over, so under-18s cannot take bookings yet. From 18 you can start without formal experience: you need a smartphone with the Petme app, to pass ID verification, and a profile that describes the pets you have cared for, including your own.

It fits part-time schedules well because you are self-employed: no assigned shifts, no minimum hours, and you set your own rate. Many Chicago sitters take a few bookings a week around a job or studies and scale up or down as their calendar allows.

Most new sitters start with dog walking and drop-in visits, then add boarding or daycare once they have a few five-star reviews and know their schedule.

Petme bookings in Chicago come from neighborhoods like Lincoln Park, Wicker Park, Lakeview, across walks, drop-in visits, daycare, and boarding.

Yes. You set a rate for each service and your own available hours, and you accept or decline each request, whether the booking is in Lincoln Park or Wicker Park. No assigned shifts, no minimum hours.

Every Petme booking includes $22,000 in Protection Plan for the pet in your care, at no cost to you or the owner. The same cover applies whether you sit in Lincoln Park or Wicker Park.

Boarding peaks over the winter-holiday travel window and the June-to-August vacation stretch; daily lunchtime walks run steady year-round for downtown and North Side commuters. That pattern shapes pet sitting bookings in Chicago across the year. December through March brings sub-zero wind chills, lake-effect snow, and heavy road salt along the Lakefront Trail.

No formal qualification is required. You need to be 18 or over, have a smartphone with the Petme app, and pass ID verification. Experience helps you win your first pet sitting bookings in Chicago, so it is worth describing the pets you have looked after, including your own, on your profile.

Owners in Chicago mostly keep Labrador, Goldendoodle, French Bulldog, German Shepherd, rescue mixes. Saying on your profile which of those you have looked after helps owners choose you, because most are looking for someone already comfortable with their dog's size and energy.