Local service guide
Pet Sitting and Walking in Atlanta: Planning Guide
Arrange Pet Sitting and Walking in Atlanta by choosing where your pet will stay, agreeing on visit times and tasks, and testing the arrangement before departure. For paid dog or cat boarding, check Georgia kennel licensing; the rules exempt a licensed veterinarian’s hospital or clinic operating for its customary purposes. Ask GDA if the arrangement’s status is unclear. Leave written care and emergency instructions. [1] [2]
Choose the care arrangement before comparing quotes
Write down your pet’s meals, toilet breaks, exercise, medication, and time alone. Ask your veterinarian about care intervals if your pet has a medical condition. Use that routine to request a schedule and assess whether the caregiver can follow it.
For a walk, specify whether the appointment includes harnessing, outdoor time, water, and an update. For a home visit, list feeding, litter care, cleanup, play, and medication tasks. Ask an overnight sitter for arrival and departure times, daytime absences, and other bookings during your stay.
For boarding, inspect your pet’s sleeping space and meet the person who will supervise them. Discuss resident pets, introductions, separation, and collection times. Georgia’s licensed-facility rules address compatible animal groups, sanitation, secure enclosures, and humane care. Use those requirements to frame questions when considering a licensed kennel. [1]
Check credentials for the actual arrangement
For an establishment maintaining dogs or cats for compensated boarding, Georgia’s rules require kennel licensing. Rule 40-13-13-.07(3) excludes a licensed veterinarian’s hospital or clinic operating for its customary purposes from the kennel definition. Ask GDA to clarify the status of an arrangement if the provider’s explanation leaves you uncertain. [1] [2]
For a provider subject to kennel licensing, request the business name, care address, and current license. Georgia issues the license for the named person and premises and requires separate licenses for separate activities. Use the licensed-establishment search on the Georgia Department of Agriculture’s Pets page to check the provider’s details. [1] [2]
The cited kennel rules do not establish a blanket professional license requirement for every dog walker or sitter visiting an owner’s home. For home care, ask who will enter, who can substitute, and how the provider handles keys and access codes. Request references for comparable care and insurance documentation describing the services covered. [1]
Describe your pet’s escape history, reactions to other animals, and handling limits before accepting an offer. Ask the caregiver to explain how they would manage those situations. Agree on whether walks will be solo and whether you authorize transport or visits to dog parks.
Get a quote with a usable schedule
Request a total for your exact dates, pet count, tasks, and visit schedule. Ask the provider to identify charges for extra pets, medication, transport, holiday dates, key collection, and late pickup. Compare offers using the same instructions. Clarify whether the visit length includes travel or only time with your pet.
Write down cancellation terms, payment timing, and the process for adding visits if your return changes. For overnight care, ask the sitter to describe their daytime absences and a sample day. Decide whether you need additional visits or someone to remain with your pet during specified hours.
Rehearse access and care before departure
Arrange a meet-and-greet and consider a paid trial visit. Watch the caregiver fit your pet’s equipment, secure doors, and follow feeding instructions. Show them cleaning supplies, carriers, spare leads, and medication. Have them repeat medication instructions back to you without changing your veterinarian’s directions.
If your building uses a concierge, visitor parking, or controlled entry, test access while you are home. Give the sitter an approved backup method if a code or key fails. Agree on updates covering arrival, food and water, toileting, medication given, and concerns requiring your response.
Agree on how the caregiver should adapt walks during uncomfortable weather or unsafe conditions. Specify a short toilet outing and indoor activity as an alternative where appropriate for your pet. Leave instructions for drying your pet, checking equipment, and securing the home after each visit.
Set the emergency and backup plan
Leave your veterinarian’s details, an emergency veterinary contact, a local person authorized to help, and written treatment authorization. Discuss transport and payment arrangements. Use guidance from your veterinary team to tell the caregiver when to seek care without waiting for you to answer.
Ask a licensed kennel operator to explain evacuation and replacement-care arrangements. Georgia requires licensed facilities to maintain a plan for evacuation and for distributing and homing animals if the licensee cannot tend to them. Ask how the operator would notify you and arrange collection. [1]
For incidents in Fulton County, leave the field-service number: 404-613-0358, Option 2. The county lists stray animals, dog bites, injured animals, cruelty, and welfare checks among its field-service requests. Keep veterinary contacts alongside this number so the sitter has both treatment and reporting routes. [4]
Fulton County dog and cat registration fees
Local details that affect your job
Check the boarding premises with Georgia’s regulator
For boarding subject to Georgia kennel licensing, match the provider and care address through the licensed-establishment search on GDA’s Pets page. Licenses apply to the stated person and premises. The rules exempt a licensed veterinarian’s hospital or clinic operating for its customary purposes. Ask the Companion Animal Program at 404-656-4914 if the arrangement’s status is unclear. This statewide check applies to qualifying boarding establishments here. [1] [2]
Prepare Fulton County registration documents
Confirm your home’s jurisdiction before using Fulton County’s process. For owners in Fulton County, the county requires dog and cat licensing and offers registration online through PetData, by mail, or in person at 1251 Fulton Industrial Blvd NW. For mail registration, send the registration form, correct fee, and a copy of the rabies vaccination certificate. Include the pet’s registration details in your care handover. [3]
Choose the right incident reporting route
GDA accepts reports about violations at its licensed facilities through the complaint route on its Pets page. Fulton County directs field-service requests such as strays, bites, and injured animals to 404-613-0358, Option 2. Save the appropriate contact with your sitter’s instructions and agree on who will make a report. [2] [4]
Choose care by the coverage you need
| Arrangement | Consider it when | Confirm before booking |
|---|---|---|
| Dog walk | You want an agreed exercise or toilet outing | Outdoor time, equipment, handling limits, and weather alternatives |
| Home visits | You want feeding and pet-care tasks at scheduled times | Tasks per visit, visit windows, medication, and access |
| Overnight care | You want a caregiver to sleep at your home | Arrival, departure, daytime absences, and additional visits |
| Boarding | You want your pet to stay at the provider’s premises | Check applicable Georgia kennel licensing. The rules exempt a licensed veterinarian’s hospital or clinic operating for its customary purposes. Ask GDA if unclear; inspect sleeping space and discuss separation and emergencies. |
Your hiring checklist
- Specify dates, visit windows, tasks, and the longest agreed gap between visits.
- Meet the actual caregiver and agree on who may substitute.
- Test keys, building entry, alarms, harnesses, and door security.
- Leave written feeding and veterinarian-directed medication instructions.
- Request a total quote and written cancellation and extension terms.
- Prepare identification, vaccination records, veterinary contacts, and treatment authorization.
- Agree on visit updates, missed-visit escalation, and backup care.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a sitter need a Georgia kennel license?
Georgia requires kennel licensing for establishments maintaining dogs or cats for compensated boarding, with an exception for a licensed veterinarian’s hospital or clinic operating for its customary purposes. These rules do not establish a blanket license requirement for walks or visits in an owner’s home. Give GDA the care address and arrangement details if the status is unclear. [1] [2]
How should I compare pet-care prices?
Ask providers to quote the same dates, visit lengths, pet count, and tasks. Request a total including extras and ask what happens if you return late. For overnight care, have each provider describe daytime absences so you can compare coverage.
Are Fulton County registration fees sitting charges?
The chart shows county dog and cat license fees, separate from a caregiver’s quote. Fulton County requires owners to license their dogs and cats. Its three-year license option requires a three-year rabies vaccination. [3]
Who should my sitter contact about a stray or bite?
For Fulton County field service, call 404-613-0358, Option 2. The county lists stray animals and dog bites among its reporting categories. Leave that number with veterinary details and your local backup contact. [4]
Sources and scope
This guide combines the sources below with practical planning guidance. Figures apply to the stated geography and period; request a written quote for your property.