Local service guide
Pet Sitting and Walking in Burnaby: Hiring Guide
For Pet Sitting and Walking in Burnaby, choose someone who can follow your pet’s care schedule and handling instructions. Arrange a meet-and-greet, compare written quotes and check the provider’s business licence. Ask for an issued Metro Vancouver commercial-use permit if the walker proposes regional-park outings. Agree on routes, home access, emergency decisions and backup care before handing over keys. [2] [4]
Choose the care arrangement before requesting quotes
List the tasks you need someone to complete. For drop-in care, include feeding, fresh water, litter care, toilet breaks and companionship. For walking, describe the exercise you want and situations the handler should avoid. For overnight sitting, specify arrival and departure times, sleeping arrangements and how long you permit the sitter to leave your pet alone.
Give candidates the same brief: dates, arrival windows, number of pets, care instructions and access arrangements. Ask who will attend and whether they may substitute another person. Arrange a supervised introduction and a trial visit or walk before committing to care during a longer absence.
Describe pulling, escape attempts, fear of strangers, reactions to other animals and handling sensitivities. Have the candidate explain how they would manage those situations. Consider an individual walk if you want to avoid group interactions. Give explicit permission for any off-leash exercise or vehicle transport.
Compare complete quotes and check credentials
Request a written total for your booking. Ask the provider to list care duration, travel, additional pets, medication, cancellation terms and any taxes or booking charges. Clarify whether the quoted time covers exercise, care inside your home or the whole period from pickup to return. For overnight sitting, agree on daytime coverage as well as overnight hours.
The City requires businesses operating in Burnaby to hold a valid business licence, including home-based businesses. Request the provider’s business name and licence details. If their licensing status is unclear, contact City Licensing to confirm which licence applies to their operation. [4]
Ask for proof of insurance and an explanation of coverage for pets in the provider’s care, home access and transport. Metro Vancouver requires commercial dog walkers in regional parks to hold a commercial-use permit and provide comprehensive general liability insurance of at least $5 million per occurrence. Apply that insurance threshold when checking a regional-park outing. [2]
Approve a specific walking route
Have the walker name the park or street route before booking. In Burnaby’s municipal off-leash areas, handlers must keep a leash in hand, leash dogs before and after using the area, and leash and remove dogs that display aggressive behaviour. The City limits each person to two dogs in those areas. [1]
For a small dog, discuss the enclosure arrangement as well as the destination. Confederation Park has a separate fenced enclosure for small dogs. David Gray Park has a fenced enclosure with a separate small-dog area. Ask how the walker will supervise your dog and handle entry, exit and encounters with other dogs. [1]
Burnaby Lake Regional Nature Park requires dogs to stay leashed throughout the park, including trails, and excludes dogs from picnic areas. Metro Vancouver operates the park. Before a lake outing, have the walker check Metro Vancouver’s park advisories for current access information and show their issued commercial-use permit. [2] [3]
Prepare the home handoff and emergency plan
Write feeding quantities, medication instructions, routines and behaviours that should trigger a call. Leave your veterinarian’s details, an emergency contact and instructions for authorizing treatment if the sitter cannot reach you. Ask your veterinarian to clarify any medication or care instructions the sitter does not understand.
Test the key, entry code or building access with the person doing the care. Explain door and gate routines, supply locations and escape precautions. Agree on visit updates and key return. Name a backup person who can take over if the provider cannot attend, and explain how that person will gain access.
Check the collar before the handoff. Burnaby requires dogs over four months old to have an annual licence and keep the licence tag fastened to their collar. The City states that it mails new or replacement tags for arrival five to seven business days after receiving the application. Allow for that interval if you need a tag before travel. [5]
Published annual dog licence fees for routine categories
Local details that affect your job
Group walks need a handler count
Burnaby’s two-dogs-per-person limit applies in its off-leash areas. If a walker proposes a larger group there, ask how many handlers will attend and how they will divide the dogs. Approve the outing only after the provider explains an arrangement that meets the limit. [1]
Regional-park permission needs advance planning
Metro Vancouver asks commercial dog-walker permit applicants to allow up to four weeks for processing. An application does not guarantee approval. For a proposed Burnaby Lake outing, check that the walker holds an issued permit. Agree on another route if the provider still awaits approval. [2] [3]
Distinguish Warner Loat from Burnaby Lake
Warner Loat Park has a fenced off-leash enclosure a block from the Piper Avenue entrance to Burnaby Lake Regional Park. Dogs must remain leashed on the lake park’s trails. Specify which destination you authorize, and have the walker check Metro Vancouver’s park advisories before planning lake access. [1] [3]
Match the booking to your care needs
| Your situation | Arrangement to discuss | Confirm before booking |
|---|---|---|
| Feeding and home care during an absence | Drop-in visits | Tasks, arrival windows, care duration and updates |
| You want to avoid group interactions | Individual on-leash walk | Handling instructions and your approved route |
| You want overnight home care | Sitter staying in your home | Overnight hours, daytime absences and access |
| You approve a municipal off-leash outing | Walk with named handlers | Maximum two dogs per person in Burnaby off-leash areas |
| The walker proposes Burnaby Lake | On-leash regional-park walk | Issued commercial-use permit and Metro Vancouver park advisories |
Your hiring checklist
- Write the care tasks, dates and acceptable arrival windows.
- Identify the person attending and approve substitutes in advance.
- Arrange a meet-and-greet and a trial care session.
- Request an itemized total and written cancellation terms.
- Check business licence and insurance details.
- Approve the route, group arrangement and transport plan.
- Test home access and leave supplies with written instructions.
- Agree on updates, emergency authority and backup care.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much should I budget for a sitter or walker?
Request written quotes for your exact schedule and tasks, then compare total cost and care time. Clarify travel time, extra-pet charges, medication tasks, cancellation terms and any taxes or booking charges before accepting a quote.
Can a walker take my dog off leash at Burnaby Lake?
Dogs must remain leashed throughout Burnaby Lake Regional Nature Park, including its trails. If you approve off-leash exercise nearby, discuss Warner Loat Park’s fenced enclosure as a separate destination. For lake access, have the walker check Metro Vancouver’s park advisories. [1] [3]
Does a regional-park permit replace a business licence?
Check both. Burnaby requires businesses operating in the city to have a valid business licence. Metro Vancouver requires a commercial-use permit for dog walking in regional parks and says additional licences may be required. [2] [4]
What should I clarify about overnight sitting?
Agree on arrival and departure times, sleeping arrangements, daytime absences and anyone else who may enter your home. Put feeding, medication, exercise, updates and backup care instructions in writing. Test access before you leave.
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.