If they give you a last minute request, you can equally set up last minute terms. You can either say “no” or you can simply tell them that new tasks aren’t permitted after agreement with no payment so you’re going to charge gas and a professional cleaning fee.
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My Personal take;
If the HO requires the sitter to drive the dogs to a walking place they should provide a vehicle and the fuel. If they expect a sitter to use their own car, and the sitter is willing, they should provide the fuel and also whatever coverage is needed to keep the sitters car clean. I would not feel the need to fill the tank again if an owners car was used only for the dogs.
We always try to get sits where the dogs can be walked from the door. We dont take dogs in our own car- we don’t have space when ‘on the road’ and don’t want dog hair or dirt in it. Once we arrived at a sit that, from the pics, looked rural. In reality there were busy roads around and the dogs needed to be driven to their walks. This had not come up in the video call (but now it is a Standard question!) The owner immediately put us on his insurance to drive one of the family cars.
As with other aspects of sitting- the expectation for sitters to pay upfront for Vet bills or home repairs & claiming it back, paying for extra pet food etc etc.. This is all entirely the responsibility of the owner.- A sitter should never be left out of pocket in service of a sit.
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I entirely agree with you, and I did ask, on arrival, if I could use one of their cars but was told no because, the one ( of 3) they used for the dog was temperamental. Even though I’ve mentioned in a post sit message that future sitters should be reimbursed for petrol/parking that doesn’t seem to have registered with them. Only my comment about a restraint has been noted and I was thanked for that advice.
I think that now we’ve both written our reviews I’ll send another message.
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@Smiley Good idea. You could also tell them they should discuss the car issue for dog walking- in advance- so other sitters don’t get put on the spot or taken advantage of like you were!
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Yes, it wasn’t in the Welcome Guide either
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I’m in UK. If I do a sit in UK, or in Europe and take the car, then I’d just expect to use my own car as part of the ‘barter’ package. Owners would have to sort out insurance for their car and there’s the potential for lots to go wrong driving someone else’s car. If I did a sit in a country I’d flown to and did not have my own car, then I’d sort all that out with HO before agreeing to a sit.
In fairness, on ALL the sits I have done the pets have had ‘pocket money’ and the pet parents have been more than generous with thank you gifts. You can tell the sort of people HOs are during the consultation discussions and by reading reviews.
The 2 phrases ‘be careful what you wish for’ and ‘beware the law of unintended consequences’ spring to mind. If sitters start demanding to be paid for fuel, HOs might start demanding payment for gas/electric/water used whilst staying in their homes! The whole point of THS is that it’s a trade-off. We get a free holiday in a proper home plus the company of adorable pets. The HOs have the peace of mind that their pets are cared for and the house is occupied.
As regards the fee for THS we all have a choice - keep our memberships and pay up, or leave. The new fee is only roughly the cost of 2 coffees in a café. It may well deter some people, but OTOH we’ll know that those who are still here are committed to the ethos of THS. On both sides!
I do get the impression that most of the problems aired on this forum happen in USA? It’s certainly put me off ever applying to sit there, though I’m sure there are some great opportunities. Also, the forum seems to be so full of the negatives, with very few threads about wonderful experiences.
Happy New Year to you all xx
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So what if they do?! They are getting a free service. Boarding their pet or actually paying a sitter would cost them waaaay more.
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Once you are there already, it’s a tricky situation
Why do you accept sits where you can’t go out of the house?
That’s why ALL SITA have to be insured by HE. So hosts cannot mess with you last minute
Exactly! I keep saying that THS has to set up standard, not run an all goes show
You should have asked to be reimbursed
Well, not that nice
Jerks, not nice
We were at the house already. Nothing mentioned about the dog’s anxiety in the Welcome Guide. The Home Owner was off on a river cruise up the Rhine. We were in UK.
We met the “ dog walker” who came during our stay and told us it was the most difficult dog she had to deal with. The Home Owner had lost his wife to cancer very suddenly and recently. We felt sorry for him and felt strongly that he needed a break away. We didn’t realize the full extent of the dog’s issues till we had been there a day or two, also making contact with the lovely long suffering neighbour (94) , also a pet owner, who often had to step in and feed the dog, let it out as the Home Owner was very sporty; golf, tennis etc. and subsequently late back from matches and competitions!
His son had bought him an energetic pup as a companion during the pandemic! Big Mistake.(He’d thought this would help Dad get over the loss of Mum. )
Hope that answers your question.
I could leave the house but pup came too!
I’m more circumspect now!
We weren’t really doing tourist stuff anyway.
it was just a week.
A LONG week!
I use a restraining lead which clips into regular seat belt, if dogs are on back seat of car, (or front seat if it is a small dog). I use the boot for larger dogs, Collies, Labradors etc. It is illegal, in UK at least, to have unrestrained dogs.
I also have a brand new back seat “hammock” which catches all the sand after a beach walk, I haven’t had to use it yet, as the dog I regularly sit near a beach, the owner provided one.
I have never asked for payment to have car cleaned, but I think I might do in future, as a full mini valet costs £40, I have only had this done 3 times in my 2 years as a sitter.
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Great tips and of course I want the dog safe as well as travelling humans! It’s important too to be within the Law.
Walking a tightrope otherwise!
Some Home owners are surprisingly cavalier about car safety for their pets which really surprises me considering how much they invest in them in other areas.. food, treats, coats and walking paraphernalia!
It’s a bit of a cheek to expect the sitter to use their own car, period! To announce it only once you’ve arrived is a bit of a bait and switch situation, and you’d have been within your rights to refuse.
We’ve taken dogs out in our own car but never at the explicit instruction of the HO. We have protective liners etc but it’s still an effort to remove dog hairs (worst ever was a Dalmation)!
In this instance, I they most certainly should contribute towards fuel at the very least, but if they haven’t already offered they probably don’t feel inclined to do so. Please include this detail in your factual review.
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We all are, Smiley! 
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You must be choosing the wrong sitters.
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