Dog Sitting Jobs in Des Moines

Start dog sitting in Des Moines on your own hours

Start small near Downtown Des Moines and East Village and grow as your reviews come in. Dog boarding in Des Moines runs $33 to $68 per night, and you keep up to 90% of every booking.

Petme is live in Des Moines. Get verified and start accepting requests in your neighborhood.

Start dog sittingUp to 90% kept. $22,000 Protection Plan.

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$33 to $68
per night boarding in Des Moines
Up to 90%
of every booking kept by the sitter
$22,000
Protection Plan on every booking
4.9 / 5
average sitter rating on Petme
A local edge

Local know-how pays off in Des Moines

Des Moines has a humid continental climate with hot, muggy summers and cold, snowy winters that drop about 34 inches of snow a year. Sitters walk dogs early or late on humid July afternoons to keep paws off hot pavement, then salt up and shorten routes through January ice.

When demand peaks

Demand climbs over summer travel and the winter holidays, plus Iowa State Fair week in August and move-in weekends around Drake University. Boarding and house sitting lead during vacation stretches while dog walking and drop-in visits carry the workweek for the insurance and finance office crowd downtown.

Know your Des Moines areas

Most bookings cluster Downtown to Beaverdale. Owners look for sitters who know the area and can reach them without a long trip.

Breeds you will meet in Des Moines

Owners here mostly keep Labrador Retriever, German Shepherd, Golden Retriever, Australian Shepherd. Knowing how those breeds behave, and saying so on your profile, is what turns a first booking into a repeat client.

Rates in Des Moines

Choose your services, set your own rates

Typical Petme rates in Des Moines. You set your own price for each service, and keep up to 90% of every booking.

Dog boarding

$33 to $68 per night

Doggy daycare

$24 to $44 per day

Dog walking

$14 to $27 per 30 to 60 minute walk

Drop-in visits

$14 to $28 per 20 to 30 minute visit

House sitting

$33 to $68 per night

Where demand is strongest

Des Moines areas that book the most

Petme bookings in Des Moines come from neighborhoods like Downtown Des Moines, East Village, Sherman Hill, across walks, drop-in visits, daycare, and boarding.

Iowa does not license pet sitters or dog walkers; the state's commercial-kennel license covers boarding and grooming facilities, not a solo walker. Boarding or day hosting several dogs at home may fall under that license, so check before offering it. Des Moines requires dogs to be leashed on a restraint no longer than six feet in public, and the city has no general business license requirement for a solo walker. Pet-care earnings are self-employment income, reported on Schedule C against the platform's 1099.

Downtown Des MoinesEast VillageSherman HillBeaverdaleDrakeIngersoll ParkHighland ParkUnion ParkWaveland ParkRiver BendWoodland HeightsCapitol Park
Why Petme

Built for sitters in Des Moines

Keep up to 90%

You set your rate. Petme keeps a low service fee, and you keep up to 90% of every booking.

Full schedule control

No assigned shifts and no minimum hours. Accept or decline each request and pause your profile whenever you need to.

Protected on every booking

$22,000 in Protection Plan comes with every confirmed booking, so you are never on the hook alone if something goes wrong.

Common questions

Dog Sitting Jobs in Des Moines

What new sitters ask before signing up on Petme in Des Moines.

How much can I earn dog sitting in Des Moines?
Dog boarding on Petme in Des Moines runs $33 to $68 per night, with daycare and walks adding daytime income. You set your own rate per service, and you keep up to 90% of every booking.
Are dog sitting jobs hiring near me in Des Moines?
Yes. Petme recruits sitters across Des Moines year-round, from Downtown Des Moines to East Village, 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.
Can I do dog sitting jobs in Des Moines at 16 or 17?
No. Petme sitters must be 18 or over, so under-18s cannot take bookings yet. From 18 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.
Is dog sitting a good part time job in Des Moines?
It fits part-time schedules well because you are self-employed: no assigned shifts, no minimum hours, and you set your own rate. Many Des Moines sitters take a few bookings a week around a job or studies and scale up or down as their calendar allows.
Can I board dogs in an apartment in Des Moines?
Yes. You set your own house rules: the dog sizes you accept, how many dogs at once, and whether your home suits high-energy breeds. Many Des Moines sitters board small and medium dogs from a flat near a park in Downtown Des Moines or East Village.
What is the difference between dog boarding and doggy daycare?
Boarding is overnight, billed per night, while the owner travels. Daycare is daytime only, billed per day, for owners at work. You can offer either or both and set a separate rate for each.
Do I choose which dogs and bookings I accept in Des Moines?
Yes. You review each request, arrange a meet first if you want, and accept or decline. No assigned bookings and no minimum hours, whether the owner is in Downtown Des Moines or East Village. You set your rates and availability per service.
What protection do I get on dog sitting bookings?
Every confirmed Petme booking, including boarding and daycare, includes $22,000 in Protection Plan for the dog in your care, at no cost to you or the owner. The same cover applies across Downtown Des Moines and East Village.
When is dog sitting demand highest in Des Moines?
Demand climbs over summer travel and the winter holidays, plus Iowa State Fair week in August and move-in weekends around Drake University. That pattern shapes dog sitting bookings in Des Moines across the year. Des Moines has a humid continental climate with hot, muggy summers and cold, snowy winters that drop about 34 inches of snow a year.
What do I need to start dog sitting in Des Moines?
You need to be 18 or over, have a smartphone with the Petme app, and pass ID verification. Owners choose on reviews, availability and a complete profile, so it is worth describing the pets you have looked after, including your own, and naming the Des Moines areas you cover.
Which dogs will I mostly look after in Des Moines?
Owners in Des Moines mostly keep Labrador Retriever, German Shepherd, Golden Retriever, Australian Shepherd, Goldendoodle. 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.
Are there jobs near Downtown Des Moines or East Village?
Yes. You set which parts of Des Moines you cover, so you can keep dog sitting to Downtown Des Moines, East Village and the streets around them. Owners inside that area send booking requests to the sitters who cover it, and you accept or decline each one.
Nearby cities

Dog sitting jobs near Des Moines

Cover more than one patch. Each city page has its own local rates and demand notes.

Cedar RapidsOmahaLincolnKansas CityOverland ParkOlathe
New to pet care? Start here
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Start earning in Des Moines

Set your own rate. $22,000 Protection Plan on every booking, cashback that keeps your clients rebooking, and fast payouts to your bank.

Start dog sitting

Prefer to apply from a laptop? Start your application on the web

Pet sitters near me in Des Moines

Browse verified Petme pet sitters near you in Des Moines: 0% owner fee, cashback on every booking, and $22,000 Protection Plan.

Dog walking jobs in Des Moines

Get paid to walk dogs. Set your own routes and hours, keep up to 90% of every walk.

Doggy daycare jobs in Des Moines

Host dogs during the day. Set your own headcount, hours and rate, and keep up to 90%.

Cat sitting jobs in Des Moines

Drop-in cat visits and in-home cat care. Set your own rate per visit and keep up to 90%.

Pet sitting jobs across the US

Board, host daycare, and do drop-ins too. Set your own rates and keep up to 90% of every booking.

Become a pet sitter in the US

The full US guide to getting started on Petme. Keep up to 90%.