Petme sitter guide · Exeter

Exeter pet sitters keep calendars full with loyal retiree clients

Exeter mixes settled older households with the University of Exeter, and the Exe estuary trail runs south towards Topsham.

Exeter is a compact cathedral city, with period streets in St Leonards, the university beside Pennsylvania and Topsham on the estuary. This guide covers what new Exeter sitters need to know.

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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 Exeter

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 Exeter. Sitters set their own price within these bands, and most active sitters earn £413 to £894 per month, depending on the mix of services and how many overnight stays they take.

Service	Rate range	Per
Dog walking	£12 to £18	walk
Drop-in visit	£12 to £18	visit
Pet boarding (at sitter's home)	£26 to £42	night
House sitting (at owner's home)	£32 to £52	night
Doggy day care	£18 to £30	day

Top Exeter cities for sitter demand right now:

HeavitreeSt LeonardsPennsylvaniaTopshamPinhoeAlphington

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

The practical side

Everything sitters in Exeter 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 Exeter. 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 Exeter

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

Exeter peaks during summer, Christmas, Easter and university term breaks.

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 Exeter start while holding another job and only go full time once their calendar fills naturally.

FAQ

Your Exeter sitter questions, answered straight

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

Is boarding the best-paid service in Exeter?

Boarding at the sitter's home pays £26–£42 per night, and house sitting (you stay at the owner's home) pays £32–£52 per night. Overnight care pays more per booking than any other Petme service, so a few stays a month move your income the most.

How does Petme's service fee work?

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.

When do Exeter sitters get paid?

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 cover comes with a Exeter 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.

Do I need qualifications or licences to start?

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.

How long until my first Exeter booking?

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 Exeter. Opening your calendar over school holidays and Christmas, when owners travel, puts you in front of more requests.

Can I fit Exeter sitting around full-time work?

Yes. You set your own availability and accept only the bookings that fit, so sitting in Exeter 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.

What do Petme sitters in Exeter actually take home?

Earnings depend on the services you offer and the hours you put in. As a worked example at Exeter rates, eight dog walks a week at the lowest walk rate come to about £413 a month, and four nights of house sitting a week at the top rate to about £894. 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%.

What does a typical week look like for a Exeter sitter?

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 Exeter rates that week comes to about £104. Taking more overnight stays is the quickest way to raise it, because they pay the most per booking.

What does a dog walk pay in Exeter?

Dog walking pays £12–£18 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.

Which parts of Exeter should a new sitter cover first?

Start with the streets you can reach on foot or with a short drive, because owners look for a sitter close to home. Heavitree, St Leonards, Pennsylvania and Topsham are all part of Exeter; name the two or three you actually cover in your profile rather than the whole city.

Do I need a home boarding licence in Exeter?

Yes if you board regularly. Most Exeter sitters need a Home Boarding Licence from Exeter City Council or East Devon District Council for Topsham once boarding becomes a recurring activity, under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018. Dog walking, drop-in visits and occasional day care below 5 days a year typically do not require a licence. Allow 6 to 10 weeks for the inspection and certificate.

How does pet sitting in Exeter compare to other UK cities?

Exeter is compact, with Dartmoor close by. Walks here run £12 to £18.

Do I need a car to sit in Exeter?

A car helps for service into the wider Devon area; central Exeter is workable on foot.

When are the busiest seasons for Exeter sitters?

Summer, Christmas, Easter and university term breaks peak.

How do I start sitting in Exeter and how soon do bookings come in?

Apply at petme.social/uk/become-a-pet-sitter, complete ID verification and build your profile. How soon the first booking comes depends on the services you offer, your rates and the owners near you, so give them what they need to choose you: several clear photos, a written bio and rates in line with the Exeter bands on this page.

Is pet sitting in Exeter part time or full time work?

Either, and you choose which. Most Exeter sitters start part time around a job or their studies, taking a walk or a drop-in visit a day, then add overnight boarding once regular clients build up. There are no set shifts and no minimum hours, so you accept the requests that fit your week and decline the rest.

Ready when you are

Apply to become a Petme pet sitter in Exeter

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

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