A free starter kit for dog walkers and pet sitters
A flyer with tear-off phone strips, a matching price sheet, a client intake form, a service agreement with a vet release, key receipt and card on file form, and texts for asking clients for reviews and referrals, free for your email. Pick a color and type in your business name, phone and prices, and the flyer and price sheet download as print-ready PDFs.
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Go to your kitYour starter kit
Download the templates to edit, make your flyer and price sheet as PDFs, and copy the texts you want. To come back to it later, use the link in your email.
Templates to edit
- Service agreement · WordDownload Service agreement
- Client intake form · WordDownload Client intake form
- Price sheet · WordDownload Price sheet
- Flyer · WordDownload Flyer
- Grooming release (for groomers) · WordDownload Grooming release (for groomers)
- Review and referral texts · TextDownload Review and referral texts
- Word files open in Microsoft Word, Apple Pages and Google Docs.
- The agreement, grooming release and intake form are a starting point, not legal advice. Check your state's rules.
- Apple Pages and Google Docs can show the Word flyer's tear-off strips lying flat instead of turned on their side. The PDF flyer below always prints them turned, ready to cut.
Texts for reviews and referrals
Copy a message, change the parts in [brackets], and send it from your own phone.
- Use your Google review link, not Yelp: Yelp asks businesses not to request reviews.
- Never offer anything in return for a review, not even a discount.
- Only text clients who gave you their number, and stop if someone asks you to.
- If a client found you on Rover, keep their bookings on Rover.
Where to find your Google review link
- On a computer, open your Google Business Profile.
- Choose Read reviews, then Get more reviews.
- Copy the link and save it in your phone's notes, ready to paste.
Asking for a review
Ask every client at the same point, a few weeks in. Send your Google review link, which opens straight to the form, so it takes them a minute. Ask once, remind once, and leave it there. Never offer anything in return for a review.
After the first few weeks
Hi [client name], it's [your name]. [Pet name] and I have had a few weeks together now. Would you leave me an honest review on Google? It helps other people in [area] find me. [review link]
After a cat visit
Hi [client name], [cat name] ate breakfast and the litter box is clean. Would you leave me an honest review on Google? A line or two is plenty. [review link]
When a client says something kind
Thank you, that made my day. Would you mind putting that in a review? A line or two is plenty. [review link]
A reminder, a week later (once only)
Hi [client name], in case it got buried, here's that review link again: [review link]. Thanks either way.
After they leave one
Just saw your review. Thank you, [client name]. Give [pet name] a scratch from me.
Replying to reviews
Clients expect a reply, so answer every review within a week, in your own words. Keep a reply to a bad review calm and short, and take the details to a text or call.
Replying to a kind review
Thank you, [client name]. [Pet name] is a joy to walk, and I'm glad the [morning walks] are working for you. See you [Tuesday].
Replying to a bad review
Thank you for telling me, [client name]. I'm sorry [Friday's visit] wasn't what you expected. I'd like to put it right, so I'll text you today to talk it through.
Asking for referrals
Your regular clients know other people with pets. Ask them, and say what you have room for.
To a regular client
Hi [client name], I have room for [two] more regular clients on [days]. If you know anyone nearby who needs a [dog walker / pet sitter], I'd be grateful if you passed on my number.
With a thank-you (only if you want to offer one)
Hi [client name], if a friend books with me because of you, you both get your next [walk / visit] free. They can text me at this number.
Thanking a client for a referral
[Friend's name] just booked a meet-and-greet and said you sent them. Thank you, I really appreciate it. [Your next walk is on me.]
Replying to someone who was referred
Hi [name], thanks for getting in touch. [Client name] said you might text. I'd be glad to come over and meet [pet name]. Which day works for you this week?
Asking for a Nextdoor recommendation
Hi [client name], if you're on Nextdoor, would you recommend me there? Neighbors look there when they need a [dog walker / pet sitter]. Here's my page: [Nextdoor link]
If a neighbor asks in a local group
If you ever see a neighbor asking for a [dog walker / pet sitter] in a local group, would you tag me or pass on my number? Thank you.
Asking a new client how they found you
Thanks for booking, [name]. How did you hear about me? If someone sent you my way, I'd like to thank them.
What's in the starter kit?
Everything to have ready before your first client: a flyer and a price sheet you fill in here and download as PDFs, a client intake form and a service agreement as Word files, a grooming release for groomers, and texts to copy when you ask for reviews and referrals. None of it carries our logo, apart from one small line at the foot of the page.
- Flyer
- A photo of a dog, a cat or a groom in an arched frame, your services and prices, the badges you tick, and eight tear-off strips with your phone number. Pick one of four colors and download it as a PDF, or edit the Word file.
- Price sheet
- Each service with its length, what it includes and its price, plus your extra-pet and holiday fees and your cancellation and payment terms. Same colors as your flyer. PDF or Word.
- Client intake form
- Contact details, vets and emergencies with the pet poison helpline, a page for each pet with its routine and behavior, cat and grooming pages, a quick-reference card, and a separate slip for door and alarm codes. Word file.
- Service agreement
- What a visit includes, schedule, cancellations, payment, keys, weather, emergencies, a backup carer and liability, plus five forms for clients to sign: a vet release, permission to give medication, a key receipt, an emergency pet guardian and a card on file authorization. Word file. See every section and form.
- Grooming release
- For mobile groomers: consent to shave a matted coat, extra care for senior pets, no sedation unless a vet prescribes it, and a check of the pet together at pickup. Word file.
- Review and referral texts
- Short messages to copy and send from your phone, the rules for asking for reviews, and how to find your Google review link. On the page and as a text file.
The service agreement, grooming release and intake form are a starting point, not legal advice. Rules differ from state to state, so check yours, and ask a lawyer to read the agreement and the grooming release before you use them.
Is the starter kit free?
Yes. Give us your email and say whether you walk dogs, sit pets or groom, and the kit opens on this page. There's nothing to pay, now or later, and you don't need a Reeve account to use any of it.
What formats are the files in?
The flyer and price sheet download as PDFs with your details in, on US Letter paper, in the color you pick. The flyer, price sheet, intake form, service agreement and grooming release also come as Word files, which open in Microsoft Word, Apple Pages and Google Docs. The review and referral texts are on the page and in a plain text file.
How often will you email me?
First, one email with the link to your kit. After that, a short series over about two weeks on pricing your walks, finding your first clients, and handling cancellations and late payers. The last one or two tell you about Reeve. Every email has an unsubscribe link, and one click takes you off the list.
Can I change the templates?
Yes. The Word files are yours to change: the wording, the layout, the fonts, your own logo, and anything you want to cut. The PDFs are made from what you type here, so to change their design, start from the Word file.
Is the service agreement legal advice?
No. It's a general starting point for walkers, sitters and groomers in the US. Rules on contracts, liability and pet care differ from state to state, so check yours, and ask a lawyer to read it over, and the grooming release too, if you can.
Where to go from here
Photos: Erin Vey, Andriyko Podilnyk and Matt Nelson on Unsplash