Petme sitter guide · Dublin

Start pet sitting in Dublin: the guide with 19 answers

Plenty of Dublin sitters start alongside another job and end up with a calendar full of repeat clients from Ballsbridge and Rathmines. You name the price and get paid once each stay wraps up.

Dublin sitters work a market unlike anywhere else on the island: apartment-dense, transit-first, and packed with owners who travel constantly for work and holidays. Rates are 30 to 50% above the rest of Ireland. This guide covers what new Dublin sitters need to know before signing up.

Apply to be a Petme sitter in Dublin

Up to 90%

of every booking kept by the sitter

20,000

Protection Plan maximum for eligible vet costs

250K+

members on Petme

4.9 / 5

average sitter rating

Earnings snapshot

What Petme sitters actually earn in Dublin

You keep up to 90% of every booking one of the strongest take-home rates in the industry. The numbers below are the live rate bands in Dublin. Sitters set their own price within these bands, and most active sitters earn €619 to €1,376 per month, depending on the mix of services and how many overnight stays they take.

Service	Rate range	Per
Dog walking	€18 to €28	walk
Drop-in visit	€18 to €28	visit
Pet boarding (at sitter's home)	€38 to €60	night
House sitting (at owner's home)	€50 to €80	night
Doggy day care	€28 to €45	day

Top Dublin cities for sitter demand right now:

BallsbridgeRathminesPhibsboroughRanelaghDrumcondraSmithfield

Ready to set up a profile and pick your rates? Start your application.

The practical side

Everything sitters in Dublin need to know before signing up

Earnings are only half the picture. Below are the tax, scheduling, protection, and payout realities of running a Petme sitter profile in Dublin. We've written them out the way an experienced sitter would explain them to a friend.

Cashback for high performers

Beyond the up to 90% you keep on every booking, Petme pays cashback on top. The more you sit and the stronger your reviews, the larger the cashback tier you unlock. High-performing sitters with consistent 5-star reviews and steady booking volume earn the biggest bonus. Automatic, no claim paperwork, paid out alongside your normal weekly payouts.

Apply in Dublin

Protection on every booking

The Petme Protection Plan provides up to 20,000 on every reservation. Automatic on every booking. No separate purchase required. The 24/7 support team is there for emergencies, so you are never alone with a problem at 3am.

Seasonal demand

Dublin demand peaks during the summer holiday window (mid-July through August), the October mid-term, the Christmas-to-New-Year stretch and Easter. February is the slowest month. Sitters who hold availability over bank holidays charge a 15 to 25% premium.

Payouts within 2 days

Petme releases your payout automatically once a booking is marked complete. The money lands in your bank account within 2 business days. No invoicing, no chasing the owner. The platform takes care of it.

Set your own schedule

Accept only the bookings you want. Pause your profile any time. There are no minimum hours and no schedule lock-in. Most Petme sitters in Dublin start while holding another job and only go full time once their calendar fills naturally.

FAQ

19 questions, answered straight

These are the questions Petme sitters in Dublin actually ask before signing up, and the ones they wish they had asked sooner. Each answer is specific to Dublin, not a generic template.

How much do pet sitters earn in Dublin?

Earnings depend on the services you offer and the hours you put in. As a worked example at Dublin rates, eight dog walks a week at the lowest walk rate come to about €619 a month, and four nights of house sitting a week at the top rate to about €1376. Overnight boarding and house sitting pay the most per booking, drop-ins and walks the least. You keep up to 90% of every booking: Petme's service fee is 10-20%.

How many hours a week do Dublin sitters put in?

You set the week yourself. One example: 4 dog walks during weekday lunchtimes, 2 drop-in visits in the evenings and one overnight stay at the weekend. At the lowest Dublin rates that week comes to about €158. Taking more overnight stays is the quickest way to raise it, because they pay the most per booking.

What can Dublin dog walkers charge per walk?

Dog walking pays €18–€28 per walk on Petme. A 30-minute neighbourhood walk is typically priced near the lower end; longer walks, multi-dog walks, or walks in busy city centres command the upper end. You set your own rate when you build your profile.

How much does overnight boarding pay in Dublin?

Boarding at the sitter's home pays €38–€60 per night, and house sitting (you stay at the owner's home) pays €50–€80 per night. Overnight care pays more per booking than any other Petme service, so a few stays a month move your income the most.

What does Petme charge sitters per booking?

Petme takes 10-20% from each completed booking and the sitter keeps up to 90%. The fee covers payment processing, customer support, and the Petme Protection Plan for eligible vet costs.

How quickly is sitter pay released in Dublin?

Payouts are released automatically once a booking is marked complete in the Petme app. The money lands in your bank account within 2 business days. You don't need to invoice the owner or chase payment: the platform handles it end-to-end.

What protections do sitters get on every booking?

The Petme Protection Plan, which can contribute up to €20,000 toward eligible vet costs if something happens to the pet in your care. It is a discretionary fund, not insurance. Petme also offers 24/7 customer support so you're never left handling an emergency alone.

Are any formal qualifications required to sit in Dublin?

You need to be 18 or older, own a smartphone capable of running the app, complete ID verification, and demonstrate genuine experience around animals during your profile review. Some local rules apply for commercial-scale boarding: see the country-specific question below.

When should I expect my first booking in Dublin?

It depends on the services you offer, your rates and how many owners near you are looking, so there is no fixed wait. What you control is the profile owners choose from: at least 4 clear photos, a written bio, clear service descriptions and rates in line with Dublin. Opening your calendar over school holidays and Christmas, when owners travel, puts you in front of more requests.

Can I pet sit alongside my regular job?

Yes. You set your own availability and accept only the bookings that fit, so sitting in Dublin can run alongside a full-time job: dog walks fit lunchtime windows, drop-in visits fit evenings, and weekend boarding fits around a Monday-to-Friday week.

Which Dublin neighbourhoods have the highest sitter demand?

Ballsbridge, Rathmines and Phibsborough lead booking volume thanks to dense residential pet ownership and regular traveller profiles. Ranelagh is growing as more families move out from the city centre. Lighter competition in the outer parts of County Dublin means a new Dublin sitter often books faster there than rates alone would suggest.

Do I need a licence to board pets at home in Dublin?

Ireland has no national home boarding licence. Walking, drop-in visits and occasional day care need no registration. Regular home boarding falls under your local-authority bye-laws and may require notification once it becomes a routine activity; contact County Dublin council before you start advertising boarding. The Animal Welfare Act 2013 and DAFM standards apply throughout.

How does pet sitting in Dublin compare to other Irish cities?

Dublin rates run 30 to 50% above Cork and Galway in absolute terms, and booking volume per sitter is higher too. Competition is tighter, so strong photos, a written bio and competitive pricing matter more here than in mid-size Irish cities.

Do I need a car to sit in Dublin?

No. Dublin is the one Irish city where car-free sitting is fully viable. Most clients are within a Luas, DART or walking distance. A folding crate helps for occasional cross-city collections but a car is not required.

When are the busiest seasons for Dublin sitters?

Summer (mid-July through August), the October mid-term, Christmas and Easter are the peak windows. Dublin sitters often charge a 15 to 25% premium during bank-holiday weekends. February is the quietest month and a good time to refresh your profile.

Where do I apply as a sitter in Dublin?

Apply at petme.social/ie/become-a-pet-sitter. How soon the first booking in Dublin comes depends on your services, your rates and the owners near you. What you control is the profile: 4+ photos, a written bio and rates in line with Dublin.

Do I need a pet sitter certification to sit in Dublin?

No pet-sitter certification exists in Ireland, and Petme does not require one to sit in Dublin. You need to be 18 or older, pass ID verification, and show genuine experience with animals in your profile review. A dog-first-aid or animal-care course is never required, though it can help you win bookings.

Does "pet minding" mean pet sitting on Petme in Dublin?

Yes. Pet minding is the common Irish term for the same work: dog walking, drop-in visits, day care and overnight boarding. On Petme you list whichever of these you want to offer around Dublin, set your own rate for each, and manage every pet-minding booking in one app.

Can I run pet sitting in Dublin as a business?

Yes. Many Dublin sitters treat it as a sole-trader income: Petme brings the bookings, handles the payments and adds up to €20,000 through the Protection Plan for eligible vet costs, and you keep up to 90% of each booking. You register with Revenue and file a Form 11 once your earnings pass the self-assessment threshold.

Ready when you are

Apply to become a Petme pet sitter in Dublin

The full apply page has the signup form, service-by-service rate setting, and ID verification flow.

Start your application