Rover

Rover is a pet care marketplace that connects pet owners with people who offer dog walking, pet sitting, boarding, house sitting, drop-in visits, and daycare. If you enjoy working with pets, it can be a practical way to earn extra income from local clients.

You create a sitter profile, choose the services you want to offer, set your rates and availability, and describe the types of pets you are comfortable caring for.

Rover also requires sitters to complete a safety quiz and identity verification, with background checks required in some markets.

Once your profile is approved, pet owners in your area can find your services and send booking requests. You remain an independent contractor, so you run your own pet care business rather than working as a Rover employee.

Your earnings depend on the services you offer, your rates, demand in your area, and how many bookings you accept.

Rover currently states that standard US providers take home 80% of their booking earnings, although fees can differ by country and some US providers may be part of a different fee pilot.

Rover handles payments rather than sending them directly between you and the pet owner. After you complete a service, the funds normally appear in your Rover account two days later, after which Stripe transfers them to your bank account. Bank processing can take up to five business days in some cases.

Rover can suit someone who wants a flexible local side income and already feels comfortable caring for dogs or other pets.

Availability depends on the country and local market, so it is worth checking Rover before building a profile around it.