HOW TO HIRE · PETS

Hiring a pet carer in Ireland
Some of this work is restricted by law. Each guide says which.

27 guides for hiring pet carers in Ireland, each one checked against the regulator, the statute or the official consumer guidance, with the sources and the month at the end. What to check, what to ask, what a fair quote looks like and what you should be handed when the job is done.

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27 guides. Pick the job you are hiring for.

Grouped the way you would ask for them. Every guide covers the checks, the questions and the quote for that job — then takes you to the pet carers who cover your area.

Upkeep. You book a person for a set number of hours and they do what you ask: there is no scope and no quote, just the rate, the hours and the list.

Skilled, deep and specialist work. These are priced as a job, not as an hour, because they need equipment, a method or a team — and the quote is the thing to compare.

Skilled, deep and specialist work. These are priced as a job, not as an hour, because they need equipment, a method or a team — and the quote is the thing to compare.

Upkeep. You book a person for a set number of hours and they do what you ask: there is no scope and no quote, just the rate, the hours and the list.

Booked by the job: a scope, a written quote and a company answerable for the result.

Booked by the job: a scope, a written quote and a company answerable for the result.

Booked by the job: a scope, a written quote and a company answerable for the result.

Booked by the job: a scope, a written quote and a company answerable for the result.

What every pets guide covers

The checks before you book

The council's animal activity licence and public liability, plus cover for animals in their care — ask what happens if your pet is injured or lost, and trader status under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 — each guide says which of them applies to its own job.

The questions worth asking

Six to eight questions for the job — what is included, who actually comes, what happens if something is damaged — each with what a good answer from a pet carer sounds like.

What a fair quote looks like

What the written quote should contain, the warning signs, and what you should be handed when the job is done — the invoice, and the sign-off where the job produces one.

LISTED ON LOCUFY

Pets businesses on Locufy, across the UK

The most-reviewed pet carers listed with us. Enter your town above to see the ones that cover you.

Businesses are being added.

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How these guides are made

Checked at the sourceEvery legal, safety or qualification point is taken from the regulator or the statute itself, linked in the guide's sources with the month it was reviewed.
IndependentNo provider is named or recommended. The guides describe what to look for; the search shows who is near you, nearest first.
Kept currentEach guide shows the month it was last reviewed. When a rule changes, the guides it affects are updated and the date moves with them.

Questions people ask

It depends on the job. 7 guides in this category name a register or a licence that applies to the work; 20 guides say that none does. Each guide names the body, links to it, and says what the registration covers.

The work itself, what is not included, the materials, the call-out if there is one, the dates, and the total with VAT shown separately. The quote should state the VAT rate; most work in this family is at 20%, so a price 'plus VAT' is that much dearer than it looks. In writing before anyone starts — a message on Locufy counts.

An invoice with the trader's name and address, a note of any guarantee and how long it runs, and — where materials were supplied — their own warranties. Check the work against the written scope before anyone leaves.

Say what is wrong in writing first: under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 a service must be carried out with reasonable skill and care, and work that is not must be put right. If that fails, the Small Claims procedure handles consumer claims up to £10,000 (small claims track) in England and Wales, £5,000 (simple procedure) in Scotland and £5,000 (small claims court) in Northern Ireland.

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How-to guides from the pet carers who do it every day, seasonal checklists, true stories from real jobs, and discounts from pets providers you can only redeem here — about pets, not about us. Never more than one email a month.

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Sources — checked October 2026

  1. Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018, schedule 1
  2. gov.uk (Defra) — animal activities licensing: statutory guidance
  3. gov.uk (Defra) — animal activity licensing process
  4. gov.uk (Defra) — home boarding for dogs licensing guidance
  5. gov.uk (Defra) — dog day care licensing guidance
  6. Animal Boarding Establishments Act 1963, section 1
  7. Animal Boarding Establishments Act 1963, section 5
  8. Animal Welfare (Breeding of Dogs) (Wales) Regulations 2014
  9. Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (Scotland) Regulations 2021, schedule 1
  10. gov.scot — 2021 Regulations: guidance for animal welfare establishments
  11. DAERA — animal welfare enforcement responsibilities
  12. DAERA — council licensing of dog breeding establishments
  13. Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966, section 19
  14. RCVS — Find a Vet
  15. gov.uk — VAT rates
  16. gov.uk — VAT registration thresholds
  17. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  18. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 54 — consumer's rights for services
  19. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 30 — cancellation period
  20. Citizens Advice — deciding whether to make a small claim (England and Wales)
  21. Scottish Courts and Tribunals — guide to simple procedure
  22. nidirect — small claims process (Northern Ireland)