Become a sitter
Earn from pet care on your own terms.
Nearpaw sitters are neighbours, students, vet nurses and retirees who love animals. You choose the jobs, set the price and keep 90%.
Why sit with us
Fairer fees, closer jobs, better tools.
Keep 90%
A flat 10% platform fee on completed bookings. No subscription, no listing fee, no owner fee eating into what you can charge.
Jobs a few streets away
You set your radius (1–5 km). Walk to most bookings; no cross-town driving.
Bid on what suits you
Owners post jobs; you choose which to bid on and at what price. Recurring walks mean steady weekly income.
Insurance included
Every paid booking is covered by Nearpaw’s pet care policy while the booking is active (details on the Safety page).
HMRC-ready export
Download a CSV of every booking, fee and payout for your Self Assessment in one click.
Meet before you commit
The free meet & greet protects you too — you can decline any pet you are not comfortable with.
Earnings
What could you make?
- Owners pay
- £700
- £0 owner service fee
- Nearpaw fee (10%)
- −£70
- Covers payments, insurance, support
- You take home
- £630
- per month, before tax
Illustrative only. You set your own prices; earnings depend on bookings in your area.
Requirements
What you need to get started.
- Aged 18 or over and living in or near Milton Keynes
- Government-issued photo ID for identity verification
- A short (30–60 second) intro video for your profile
- Genuine experience with the species you list
- A UK bank account for payouts (via Stripe)
- Optional: an enhanced DBS certificate for the DBS badge
- 1
Create your profile
Tell owners about your home, experience and which pets you are confident with.
- 2
Verify your ID
A two-minute check through our verification partner. Most are approved within a day.
- 3
Record your intro video
Owners watch it before booking — it is the single biggest trust signal on your profile.
- 4
Add a DBS (optional)
Enter your certificate number and we check it on the DBS Update Service.
- 5
Start bidding
Browse nearby jobs, send a price and a message, and arrange a meet & greet.
FAQ
Sitter questions.
When do I get paid?
Payment is held when the owner confirms the booking and released to your Stripe account after the booking is marked complete.
Do I have to accept every job?
No. You only bid on jobs you want, and you can decline after the meet & greet with no penalty.
Do I need to be self-employed?
Most sitters are. Income from Nearpaw is usually taxable; the earnings export is designed to make your Self Assessment straightforward. We are not tax advisers — check gov.uk or an accountant.
What about pets I have never looked after?
Only list species you have real experience with. Owners can see this on your profile and it is part of the review tags.