New Global Pet Sitting Standards: What They Mean for You, and Your Pets

By Yesspet Pet Care

Choosing pet care shouldn’t feel like a gamble. Yet for years, pet parents have had very little to go on when deciding who to trust with their animals. The professional pet-sitting industry has grown rapidly, but without universal regulations, standards of care have varied widely.

That’s why we’re excited to share important news: Pet Sitters International (PSI) has released the first-ever Global Standards for Professional Pet Sitting and Dog Walking Businesses.

And for pet owners, this is a big deal.

At Yesspet Pet Care, we welcome these standards wholeheartedly, because they bring clarity, consistency, and peace of mind to families who want the best for their pets.

Why Global Standards Matter to Pet Owners

In regulated industries like childcare or healthcare, there are clear expectations around safety, training, and accountability. Pet sitting, however, has historically been unregulated, meaning anyone could call themselves a “pet sitter,” regardless of experience or preparation.

PSI’s Global Standards change that.

They establish a public, transparent baseline for what professional pet care should look like, covering everything from animal welfare and emergency preparedness to client communication and ethical business practices.

What this means for you as a pet owner:

• A clearer way to identify truly professional pet care
  
  

• Fewer unknowns when hiring a pet sitter or dog walker
  
  

• Greater confidence that best practices are being followed consistently
  
  

What Are PSI’s Global Standards?

PSI’s Global Standards were developed using decades of industry experience and are built upon PSI’s long-standing Recommended Quality Standards for Excellence, first established in 1994.

This new framework:

• Updates and expands those best practices
  
  

• Makes them publicly accessible
  
  

• Allows pet owners, not just professionals, to understand what quality care really means
  
  

In simple terms, these standards define what professionalism, safety, and ethical care should look like in pet sitting and dog walking, worldwide.

How These Standards Protect Your Pets

When a pet-care company aligns with PSI’s Global Standards, it’s committing to systems that protect your pet before something goes wrong.

These include:

🛡️ Safety-First Care

Clear protocols for emergencies, health concerns, biosecurity, and risk management.

🐾 Consistent, Ethical Animal Handling

Care that prioritizes both physical and emotional well-being, never shortcuts or rushed visits.

📋 Professional Accountability

Proper insurance, transparent policies, reliable communication, and ethical business operations.

🎓 Ongoing Education and Training

A commitment to continued learning and advanced credentials, including PSI’s Certified Professional Pet Sitter (CPPS) designation.

This isn’t about flashy marketing, it’s about preparation, responsibility, and systems working behind the scenes.

Why This Matters When You Hire a Pet Sitter

Many pet parents don’t realize how different professional pet sitting is from gig-based or hobby care, until something goes wrong.

PSI’s Global Standards give you a benchmark to ask better questions and make informed decisions.

When a company follows these standards, they’re saying:

• “We don’t wing it.”
  
  

• “We plan for emergencies.”
  
  

• “We take your trust seriously.”
  
  

At Yesspet Pet Care, these principles aren’t new, we’ve built our business around them for years. What is new is that pet owners now have a shared framework to understand why these details matter.

A Win for Pets, Pet Parents, and the Industry

These standards also help elevate pet care as the skilled profession it truly is, one grounded in knowledge, preparation, and ethical responsibility.

That benefits everyone:

• Pets receive safer, more consistent care
  
  

• Pet parents gain confidence and peace of mind
  
  

• Professionals are held to meaningful, shared expectations
  
  

By defining standards from within the industry, professionals help prevent poorly designed outside regulations and ensure that any future oversight is informed by real-world experience.

Our Commitment at Yesspet Pet Care

We proudly support and follow PSI’s Global Standards because they align with what we believe every pet owner deserves:

• Transparency
  
  

• Professionalism
  
  

• Safety without compromise
  
  

If you ever have questions about our policies, training, or how we care for your pets, we’re always happy to talk. Standards only matter when they’re lived out every day, and that’s exactly what we strive to do.

Your pets aren’t a side gig. And their care shouldn’t be either.