Durham pet sitter, self-employed: colleges, villages and the coast


Company:	WoofWalk
Salary:	£15 to £20 an hour
Hours:	Part-time
Location:	DH1 3EH
Working pattern:	Field-based
Job type:	Contract
Posting date:	23 Oct 2026
Closing date:	22 Nov 2026

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Summary

Durham has academics, hospital staff and a lot of village households, and many of them have dogs that are better off at home when the owners are away. Three self-employed pet sitters, please: one for the city and colleges, one for the villages to the west and one for the coast around Seaham. This is sitting, not walking.

You look after the dog in the owner's home. That can be a daily visit, a few nights or a week. You keep to their routine for meals and medication, take the dog out, give it company and send an update each day,.

Public sitter listings put home visits around Durham at about £11 and home boarding anywhere from £25 to £55 a night. Those are other sitters' prices.

You set your own rates, per visit and per night. WoofWalk does not employ sitters or pay wages, and cannot promise bookings; owners pay through the app and the payment is paid out to your bank. Tax, National Insurance and insurance are yours to keep in order.

If you were thinking of taking dogs into your own home, be aware that this is home boarding. A licence from the council has to be in place first, and the app lists it as a separate service. Sitting at the owner's home has no such requirement.

Nothing to pay to join. Your first 14 days are commission-free; after that WoofWalk takes 15% of each booking. At five of your own clients joining through you, your rate becomes 10% for life. Any client you bring yourself is on the 10% rate from the first booking.

Over 18 only. Apply on Find a Job, saying which area you can reach and whether overnights suit you.

Essential requirements

Reliable and trustworthy, as owners hand you their keys and their pets. Calm and caring with dogs and cats. Good communication with owners. A smartphone to use the app.

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