EC Petcare: Positive Reinforcement Pet Sitting for All Your Pets, Walking and Training for Your Portland, OR Dogs and Puppies

It means we utilize positive reinforcement techniques only to train and care for your pet. This means that we do not use any form of force or punishment, and we will not utilize shock collars, choke chains, prong collars, slip leads, e-collars, or any other aversive devices. Instead, we focus on building a trusting relationship with your pet through patience, encouragement, and rewards. We are always here to answer any questions you may have about our training methods.

We take the selection process of our Providers very seriously to ensure that we only hire the most qualified and passionate individuals to care for our clients’ pets. Our process includes several steps to guarantee that we are hiring the best of the best:

Initial Interview: The first step is a thorough interview process that assesses the candidate’s experience, qualifications, and work ethic.

Behavioral Interview: We conduct another interview to focus specifically on the candidate’s understanding of dog behavior and handling. This helps us ensure that our Providers are well-equipped to handle any situation that may arise.

Background Check: We conduct a comprehensive background check to verify that the candidate has no criminal history and is a trustworthy individual.

Animal Care Experience: We only hire individuals with experience in animal care, whether it’s through dog training, doggy day care, vet tech degree, fostering, shelter volunteering, or similar.

In-Person Shadow Day: Once hired, we require the Provider to complete an in-person shadow day where they accompany an experienced Provider on a job to get a better understanding of our expectations and responsibilities.

By following this selection process, we ensure that our Providers are highly qualified and passionate individuals who are dedicated to providing the best possible care for our clients’ pets.

PET SITTING SERVICES: You’ll receive a full refund if you cancel 3 weeks prior to services. 2-3 weeks notice will result in a 50% refund/charge. Under 1 week’s notice, you will be charged 100% of the fee for the service.

WEEKLY DOG WALKING: No charge if a 24 hour notice is given, 12 hour notice 50% of total walk price will be charged, day of service 100% will be charged.

TRAINING: 48 hr notice no charge. Under 48 hrs 100% charge

At EC Petcare, we understand that sometimes plans change unexpectedly. However, our policies concerning cancellations are firm concerning canceling PET SITTING services within a week of the service, WALKING the same day of the service and training within 2 days of the service. Here are some reasons why our policies are as such:

Scheduling: When you book a service with us, we reserve that time slot specifically for you and your pet. This means that we may have turned down other potential clients to accommodate your needs. If you cancel within the mentioned time frames above of the scheduled date, it may be difficult for us to fill that time slot with another client.

Preparations: Before each appointment, we spend time preparing for your pet’s service. If you cancel at the last minute, we may have already invested time and resources in preparing for your pet’s care.

Staffing: We hire and train our staff based on the demand for our services. Last-minute cancellations can disrupt our staffing and make it difficult to provide quality care to our other clients.

While we understand that unexpected situations may arise, we encourage our clients to book pet sitting services when they are certain they will need them. If you must cancel within a week of the scheduled date, we will do our best to work with you to find a solution that is fair to both you and our business. However, we cannot guarantee a refund due to the reasons outlined above.

We take the privacy and security of our clients’ information very seriously.

We use a secure, encrypted portal called Time To Pet to store all client information, including details about your pets, scheduling, invoicing, payments, and communication. This platform is only accessible to our team, including the manager and pet sitter assigned to your account, ensuring your information is kept confidential. Additionally, the portal sends updates with pictures during the provider’s services, which are also synced to your email, so you can always stay informed about your pet’s care.

We understand the importance of building a relationship with your pet care provider, and we would love to meet you and your furry family. However, due to our busy schedules and high demand, we typically only schedule meet and greets when there are upcoming service dates planned.

If you schedule a meet and greet with a provider in advance but do not book services until a later date, there is a chance that the provider may already be fully booked. We want to ensure that we can accommodate your needs and provide the highest level of care for your pets.

That being said, we are always happy to answer any questions you may have about our services and can provide you with information about our team and our policies. If you have any concerns or need assistance in planning your pet care needs, please do not hesitate to contact us.

We take the security of our clients’ homes and pets very seriously. Here’s how we handle access to your home:

Keyless Entry: To minimize the number of keys in our possession, we work with our clients to find a key-less entry into their home. This can include a lockbox, coded garage door, digital lock, hiding spot, or an office manager (for apartments/condos).

Here are some options for keyless entry:

• Key Lockbox – these range between $12-$20. Can change the code any time, great for emergencies if someone else needs to get into the home.
• Touchless KeyPad
• Hiding Spot Outside
• Drop off/Pick up From Neighbor
• Drop in Mail Slot (when services are complete)
• Office – Apartment Complexes
• Access through garage (please note, if the power ever goes out, this can be an issue)

Key Exchange: If you prefer to have your key picked up and dropped off, we offer a $15 (each way) key exchange service. This fee helps compensate our Provider for their time and gas expenses.

We understand that some pets require medication to maintain their health and well-being. Here’s how we handle medication administration:

No Additional Charge: We do not charge an additional fee for administering medication to your pet. It is simply part of our pet care services.

Clear Instructions: To ensure that our Providers administer medication correctly, we ask that you provide us with clear and detailed instructions for administering medication to your pet. This includes dosage, frequency, method of administration, and any special instructions.

Pet and Provider Safety: The safety of our Providers is of utmost importance to us. If a pet shows signs of aggression or danger towards our Provider during medication administration, we reserve the right to discontinue the service to ensure the safety of our Providers.

We understand that it’s important for you to feel comfortable with the person who will be taking care of your pet while you’re away. Here’s how we handle the process of meeting your pet sitter:

Information Gathering: First, we collect all the necessary information such as dates and details about your pets to determine which of our Providers would be available to meet with you.

Account Setup: Next, we create an account for you through Time To Pet, our pet care management software. You only need to provide basic information such as your address, phone number, and any helpful notes about your pets for the initial meet and greet.

First Meet and Greet: The first meet and greet with your pet sitter is always free. This is a great opportunity for you to get to know your Provider and for your pet to become familiar with them.

Additional Meets: If you feel that your pet needs more than one meet and greet, we offer additional visits for $25 each. These additional visits are great for nervous pets or if you haven’t used our services in a while, as they help to create a better bond between your pet and their Provider.

We do our best to assign the same provider to your crew for each service. However, there may be times when your usual provider is unavailable due to scheduling conflicts or planned time off. In these instances, we will work to find a qualified and trained substitute provider from our team to ensure that your pets receive the same level of care.

Please rest assured that all of our team members are experienced, trained, bonded, and insured. They have also obtained their Pet CPR certification to ensure they are prepared for any situation that may arise.