This is one time where it doesn’t matter if you’re a cat person or a dog person, as you’ll soon see that there are tons of answers to the question of how to make money with dogs – or cats! Whether you’re keen to make money dog walking, pet sitting or other things that take advantage of your love of animals, you’ll soon see that looking after pets can be a great side hustle. You can even make money off your dog!
For me, I struggle to pick a side in the eternal cat person v dog person battle.
You see, my house when I was growing up was essentially a zoo. And I wouldn’t have had it any other way!
With six cats, two (massive) dogs, some mice and a few fish, it’s safe to say that all of us had no choice but to grow up to be complete animal lovers.
However, as my landlords since I moved out of home haven’t allowed me to have my own pets, seeing how to make money with animals is also a great excuse for me to play with someone else’s pets – and get paid for it!
So this is a great way to earn some cash on the side, especially if you’re an animal lover.
Maybe you’re lucky enough to have your own four-legged child and would like to make some money from your love of others’ furry friends.
Or you may be in the same situation as me and can’t have your own pets for some reason.
For example, a friend of mine adores cats but her partner is deathly allergic to them. I’m not exaggerating at all when I say that it was almost a relationship dealbreaker for her.
And another friend simply can’t afford a pet right now. She’s prioritising paying off her debts and the cost of a dog just isn’t a good idea at the moment.
So take a look at these ideas for how to make money with dogs or cats and start earning some extra cash while embracing your love of animals.
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1. How to make money pet sitting
It’s estimated that pet owners in the US spent $6.11 billion on services for their pets in 2017. This includes grooming, pet sitting and dog walking.
Suffice to say, with that much money being spent on people’s animals, there’s some serious cash to be made here.
Meaning that if you’re asking yourself how to make money with dogs (or cats), this is a great way to do so.
In addition, owners generally like to leave their pets in calm, quiet home environments rather than kennels. Some may even prefer keeping their pets at home, whether the owner is simply out during the day and wants someone to visit while they’re at work or if they’re going away for a longer period.
So if there’s an option that allows pet owners to do this, then they’re happy and the pets are happy. Better yet, you’re happy if you’re an animal lover that gets to make money pet sitting!
You can always put up flyers or advertise on Craigslist if you’re interested in this.
But a far easier way that I’d recommend looking into is Rover.com.
It’s essentially a babysitting site for pets. Screening is quite strict, as they want to ensure that the animals are in good, safe hands, so you’ll want to create a strong profile.
This will include setting out what you’re willing to do so (e.g. overnight pet sitting, day sitting or visits at the animal’s home) and which animals you’re willing to watch.
The site is primarily geared to dog sitting, but you can also offer to sit for cats, hamsters, guinea pigs and other animals.
(Apparently this has included goats, lizards, fish and birds, so take your pick!)
You’ll also have to give information about you and your family, including where your four-legged guest will be staying.
Finally, you have to list your availability and your rates. Something like dog sitting overnight will earn you more money than simply visiting the animal at its home.
The company states (source) that sitters that take two or three dogs for two weeks each month earn about $1,000 per month, while someone who treats it as a full time job can make an average of $3,300 per month.
It’s also completely free for you to be listed as a pet sitter and it’s up to you whether you accept or reject a request for your services.
So if you’re looking for how to make money with dogs, pet sitting is a great side hustle, especially if you love animals and have the time and space to give them what they need.
To find out more or to start creating your application, check out Rover.com.
2. How to make money dog walking
Rover.com doesn’t only let you make money pet sitting – you can also make money dog walking through their site.
A booking for dog walking or dog sitting is apparently made every four seconds through their website, so there’s certainly demand for dog walking services.
The application process is the same as the one set out in the previous section. Note in particular that you have to be over 18 years old, so this won’t be an option for a teenager looking to make some extra money.
But if you’re an adult with some spare time a few afternoons a week and need some extra cash, why not look into whether this is a way for you to make money dog walking.
You can even take the guest dogs for a walk with your own dogs, subject to approval by the owners.
This essentially means that you can make money off your dog by earning money from something that you’re already doing!
Take a look at Rover.com to find out more.
3. How to make money dog grooming
If you’re still looking into how to make money with dogs, what about if you make money dog grooming?
Pet grooming can include simply washing the animals or may extend to trimming (or even styling) fur, as well as clipping nails.
Whatever the extent of grooming that people wish for their pets, many often simply don’t have the time or, for more elaborate tasks, the skill to do it themselves.
And this is where your money-making opportunity presents itself!
Sittercity allows you to sign up to make money dog grooming. Depending on your skill level and the kind of tools you already have, you can set your profile for anything from just pet bathing to more extensive grooming.
Simply fill in your profile at that link, including some background information so that owners can be comfortable knowing who’s looking after their pet.
Once your profile is live, owners can then contact you to request your services. You can set your own rates and accept or reject whichever request you like.
Seeing how to make money dog grooming is an especially great side hustle if you already own your own pet and are used to washing and/or grooming him or her.
After all, you’ll presumably already have your own equipment so it won’t take much extra effort to wash and style someone else’s pet – with a pretty good payoff for doing so!
4. How to make money with dogs’ pet accessories
Are you good at knitting, say, little dog-sized jumpers? Could your jewelry-making skills extend to particularly fabulous cat collars? Can you sew together something that ends up being a rather magnificent dog toy?
This cat is clearly thrilled to hear about your costume skills (Source: Suddenly Cat)
Or maybe you’re really talented at making costumes?
Skills like these are in hot demand from pet owners. (The animals are not always quite as enthusiastic…)
So one great answer to the question of how to make money with dogs (or cats!) could be by putting these talents to good use by creating amazing pet accessories.
After all, that $6.11 billion spent by owners in the US in only one year included all the little trinkets that they may not necessarily need…but just couldn’t resist!
Etsy is a great way to sell the pet-related masterpieces that you make. You could also get some inspiration by searching “pet accessories” and getting ideas from the results that appear.
(Warning: It’s like a black hole of some of the cutest handmade things you’ll ever see. I spent way too long scrolling through what’s on offer.)
Don’t be disheartened by the fact that people are already selling things like this on Etsy – it just shows how much demand there is!
Alternatively, try Amazon Handmade for selling your creations. You’ll have access to Amazon’s massive audience and while the fee is slightly higher than Etsy, there’s no listing charge and the listings never expire.
Give them both a go and see which one gives you the best results!
5. How to make money with dogs or cats by pet sitting – while on vacation
One of the most expensive parts of travelling can be paying for accommodation. So what if I told you that there was a way to stay somewhere for free – combined with getting a built-in pet?
After all, why not combine the question of how to make money with dogs or cats with “how to do this while having an amazing holiday”!
HouseCarers.com allows people to stay in houses all over the world and the only costs you’ll pay are things like heating fees. Rent and other ongoing bills, such as internet or cable TV, are all covered by the homeowner.
And many of the locations are absolutely spectacular.
At the time of writing, there are postings looking for people to stay in a house in a forest in Bulgaria, a snow-covered countryside retreat in Sweden, a bungalow in the Brazilian rainforest and a country manor in Tuscany. Sounds terrible, I know.
And this isn’t to mention the more “normal” places you can stay, even within your own country.
However, the best part for all of you animal lovers out there is that many homes on HouseCarers.com come with pets. Often, homeowners are also pet owners and want to save money on the cost of boarding their pets while they’re travelling.
So that’s where you come in! By simply agreeing to take care of someone’s pets along with their home, you get to save potentially thousands of dollars on accommodation for your next holiday.
And these savings essentially let you make money pet sitting while on vacation!
But as a fellow animal lover, I’m sure those savings would just be icing on the (Bulgarian/Swedish/Brazilian/Tuscan) cake for you!
To find out more on how to make money with dogs using this strategy (and to start planning your next seriously discounted holiday), take a look at HouseCarers.com.
Just one more thing…
If you liked finding out about 5 Super Simple Tips on How To Make Money With Dogs (Or Cats!), why not share it with your friends?
They love making extra money too, after all!
