As long as the owners read the terms and conditions 
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has THS considered offering vet bill reimbursement insurance?. If I knew THS would get involved if I had difficulty getting repaid Iād feel reassured.
Especially when Iām sitting in a different country than where my bank account is located.
Why should THS offer such insurance? Itās completely down to the owners to ensure their vet bill is paid and, as others here have said, we as sitters should ensure that owners have an account set up or an arrangement with the vet that they can settle up on returning home. I must admit, Iāve never asked the question during my video conversation but am certainly going to do so from now on. So far Iāve only had to take one dog to the vet and he had to stay in. The owners returned 2 days later and settled up.
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Itās rare to have an account set up at the veterinaries here in the U.S. Or maybe just not in Chicago. Normally everything is paid upfront or after the services, or you leave a deposit (for surgeries). And my pet insurance that I have through work, I have to pay out of pocket first and then file a claim. I would rather just have the vets office call me directly and settle it via phone. In my welcome guide I give specific instructions to call me or have the vet office call me if they cannot cover the costs that I would 100% reimburse right away.
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@Keith1 Wise can handle transfers between all of those cheaply and efficiently. Its free to set up an account and much better rates and fees than Paypal. Let me know if you want more info ( I wrote a case study on Wise vs Paypal) or a referral code. Only you would need to set up the account I think.
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I agree with @Timshazz
I use Wise all the time for international transfers. Have used them for years and saved a fortune- transfers are always super fast with excellent real time rates.
Paypal is great for online payments & private transfers in the same currency but has horrible rates for cross-currency transfers.
You two are so down with the kids @Timshazz @Lokstar - of course Wise is the way forward for @Keith1 
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I used to lead the content team at a personal finance company, where we covered money transfer, among countless other topics. We reviewed Wise and other money transfer platforms. This is the review for Wise, in case useful to any THS folks:
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@Maggie8K The above article is for US based sitters. But I can confirm Wise is a great option for all users everywhere. I frequently transfer between UK & Germany (both ways)and from European to Asian destinations like Thailand & Bali (and back) Its quick, easy and saves a fortune.
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Yup, @Lokstar. NerdWallet now also operates out of the U.K. (we bought a U.K. company when I was still there) and Canada, and was breaking into Australia, last I heard. Their reviews are most robust for the U.S., but companies like Wise operate globally. For the purposes of writing a review like this, NerdWallet writers and editors wouldāve tested transferring money among various countries, though they wouldnāt have done it across all countries.
After reviewing the policy, I would appreciate hearing the recommendations of the THS staff regarding situations where the veterinary expenses exceeds $100 USD. Firstly, itās important to note that not all sitters may have the means to cover such substantial vet bills. Secondly, seeking reimbursement from the owner at the end of the sit could pose challenges. Lastly, even if the homeowner promptly reimburses the sitter, any significant international money transfer may draw the attention of the IRS or other tax authorities.
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Hi Angela,
Here is a simple solution in addition to HOs having accounts with a regular vet ā if possible, or other system ā āCall us and weāll venmo you cab fare and speak to the vet.ā Since emergencies can happen even outside the home and sometimes sitters canāt take the pet to the vet with the account, in an emergency when the HO canāt be reached by phone/WhatsApp etc because they are literally in a cave or on a plane then:
Why not have HOs give authorization for emergency treatment with a credit card number to stored information at THS? There could be a 24 hour emergency number at THS that could be called to reach someone at THS for emergency authorization on the card. This would be in a worst case scenario ā where the HO canāt be reached ā the sitter can get the pet to emergency treatment and not have to worry about payment and the HO doesnāt spend the rest of their life lamenting that they missed a call. (If there is insurance information, the emergency system would know about it.)
This would also be a VERY reassuring service to offer HOs. Also since it is THS exclusive ā HOs canāt use it if their pet is NOT being sat for by a THS sitter, it will encourage membership and not going outside of the THS system. Itās a win for HOs, sitters, and the company.
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Interesting suggestion thank you for taking the time to scope this out @Marion I will certainly pass it on.
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Actually, itās not true that you canāt have a vet account set up. People can leave credit cards on file and a note that the sitter can approve charges for care. The item being pointed out is if you canāt reach the petās person. If you canāt be reached, you should have a card on file, you should never ask someone to pay your expenses for you.
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@lou28 , are you in the UK? My UK HO told me this wonāt work there. Vets do not store card numbers and will not approve a credit card purchase unless the card is producedā¦
Yeah butā¦ in real life emergencies: You are walking the dog. The dog is attacked by another dog. The dog is bleeding from wounds and you have to get into an uber and get the dog to a vet STAT. Itās Sunday. The regular vet where the account is stored is closed. You use your phone to find the nearest 24 hour animal hospital. You get there. There is no account on file. You canāt reach the pet parent who you know is on a plane. The only emergency number you have is a neighbor who is: āWhat now?ā What do you do? Thatās the nightmare scenario that needs to be resolved.
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I think this is because of the U.K. data laws and possibly something similar in Europe ?
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Most Ubers would refuse.
Yes, nightmare scenario.
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True. In NYC a scenario like this happened to a friend. Not a sitter. It was her dog. She was able to an Uber. It was a small dog, maybe the driver didnāt notice or sensed her desperation.
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Sad if true. Deliveroo has my credit card info on file in the U.K. and brings food to my sitsā doors based on that info. Iāve never produced my card to them. How do Brits order from Amazon and such?