Local pet sitting jobs in Scotforth, Skerton and the rest of Lancaster

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.

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

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

Earnings depend on the services you offer and the hours you put in. As a worked example at Lancaster rates, eight dog walks a week at the lowest walk rate come to about £344 a month, and four nights of house sitting a week at the top rate to about £774. 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%.

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 Lancaster rates that week comes to about £88. Taking more overnight stays is the quickest way to raise it, because they pay the most per booking.

Dog walking pays £10–£16 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.

Boarding at the sitter's home pays £22–£36 per night, and house sitting (you stay at the owner's home) pays £28–£45 per night. Overnight care pays more per booking than any other Petme service, so a few stays a month move your income the most.

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 that covers every booking automatically.

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.

Every booking is covered by the Petme Protection Plan, which includes up to £20,000 in veterinary expenses if something happens to the pet in your care. It's automatic on every reservation: no separate purchase, no claim paperwork upfront. Petme also offers 24/7 customer support so you're never left handling an emergency alone.

Skerton lies north of the River Lune, across Greyhound Bridge and Skerton Bridge from the centre. The area south of the Lune and east of the canal has towpaths close by. Scotforth East and Scotforth West are both in LA1, and Stagecoach buses also run out to the university.

Yes if you board regularly. Most Lancaster sitters need a Home Boarding Licence from Lancaster City Council 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.

Lancaster's centre is compact, held between the railway, the canal and the River Lune. Georgian terraces and quayside buildings sit near 53.6 acres of wooded paths in Williamson Park. The West Coast Main Line and Heysham Port ferries both leave from close by.

You can cover much of Lancaster without a car. Stagecoach buses run from Lancaster bus station across the district and to the university, and many cycle routes use towpaths. A car helps for longer trips, with M6 junctions 33 and 34 close by.

Plan around the Lancashire school holidays: half term from 26 October 2026, then Christmas after 18 December. The jazz festival runs in September, the music festival in October, and Light Up Lancaster in November.

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 Lancaster bands on this page.

Either, and you choose which. Most Lancaster 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.