Professional Pet Care Services in Delaware County, PA

With an individual sitter or app-based service, you're one illness, one emergency, or one no-show away from scrambling for coverage at the worst possible time. Five Paws has operated as a professional, insured, and bonded team for over 15 years. You get consistent, scheduled care with real backup coverage, GPS-verified visit tracking, a dedicated online portal, and a management team monitoring every visit. For clients who take their pets' wellbeing seriously and don't want to worry, that reliability is the difference.

When you join Five Paws, you're assigned 1-2 primary walkers who gets to know your dog's routine, personality, and preferences. All of your pet's details — feeding instructions, medications, preferred walking routes, emergency contacts — are stored in our app so that any member of our team can step in and provide the same quality care without you having to explain everything from scratch. Once a visit is complete, you will receive a full update. You'll always know who visited, when, and what happened during every single visit. You also can always send a message back to your sitter if you have any questions.

Five Paws has been proudly serving Delaware County since 2010 — over 15 years of dependable, professional pet care. We've built long-term relationships with hundreds of families across Delaware County including Aston, Glen Mills, Garnet Valley, Media, Havertown, Springfield, Newtown Square, Swarthmore, Drexel Hill, and the surrounding communities.

Yes. Five Paws is fully insured and bonded. This protects your pet and your home, and gives you peace of mind that you're working with a legitimate professional service — not an informal arrangement.

We want to be upfront: Five Paws is the right fit for clients who value professional, consistent care and understand the structure that makes it possible. We work best with families who are comfortable with a team-based approach (meaning your dog may see a small rotation of familiar, vetted sitters rather than one single person), who schedule in advance, and whose pets can be safely handled by our team. If you're looking for a single dedicated sitter who will only ever be your pet's person, there are other services better suited to that model — and we'd rather be honest about that than overpromise.

We specialize in recurring, scheduled dog walking for busy professionals and families who need consistent, reliable coverage week after week. Most of our dog walking clients book regular walks (daily or several times per week) so their dogs have a dependable routine. One-off walks may be available depending on scheduling, but our service is designed for clients who want ongoing, worry-free coverage.

We offer a range of visit time options from a 15-20 minute visit all the way up to a 60-minute visit. Our most popular option is the standard 30-minute visit which usually allows for a 20-25 minute walk. Our team can advise which is the best fit for your dog's breed, age, and energy level.

Your dog will have 1-2 primary walkers who handle the majority of visits and build a bond with your pet. However, one of the key benefits of our team model is that a backup walker is always available. This is intentional. It means you never experience a missed visit due to illness, personal emergencies, or scheduling conflicts. All assigned sitters have access to your dog's complete care profile in our system. You can always click on the visit in the app to see who is assigned and you can read about most of the sitters on the “About Us” page of our website!

We provide dog walking throughout Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Our current service areas include: Aston, Brookhaven, Glen Mills, Garnet Valley, Newtown Square, Media, Drexel Hill, Havertown, Springfield, Swarthmore, Clifton Heights, Broomall, Aldan, Secane, and many surrounding communities. Not sure if we cover your neighborhood? Contact us and we'll let you know.

Our rates all include 2 dogs. Assuming both dogs can be cared for within the given time, the cost would be the same. If additional time is needed, you would be charged for the suitable visit length. For households with more than 2 dogs, there is an $2 charge for each additional dog.

Many of our dogs are a little cautious at first, and we're comfortable with that. Most settle in quickly once they've had a chance to meet someone on their own turf. The sweet spot for our service is dogs who may take a moment to warm up but are genuinely friendly once that connection is made. Where we may not be the right fit is for dogs with significant aggression or reactivity that requires active behavioral work — if your dog is currently working with a trainer on those issues, we'd encourage you to revisit us once that progress is made.

Because we work as a team, your dog may occasionally see a different familiar face - a backup sitter or a new addition to your rotation. For most of our dogs, this isn't an issue. They're friendly and adaptable and that's part of what makes the team model work so well. For dogs who need a little more reassurance, we offer one complimentary introductory meeting to help them get comfortable. If a dog requires repeated introductory visits before they can be safely left with a new sitter, our team-based model may not be the right fit — and we'll be upfront with you about that. We want both sitter and pets to be comfortable.

Possibly, yes. We are experienced with dogs who are leash-reactive or who have quirks — pulling, barking at other dogs, needing specific handling — and we take those details seriously when assigning sitters. That said, we aren't a behavior rehabilitation service, and dogs who pose a safety risk to our team or to others are not a fit for our services. If you're unsure whether your dog qualifies, just reach out and we'll have an honest conversation.

Every walk is GPS tracked from start to finish. Our sitters check in when they arrive at your home and check out when they leave. The office receives immediate notification of any missed or late check-in so we can act quickly. After each visit, you receive a report card with a visit report card, photos of your dog, and any notes from your sitter. The office also reviews every visit report to make sure things went smoothly and as you expected.

We use Time to Pet, one of the top professional pet sitting softwares that are designed for busy pet owners. It's available on both iPhone and Android and takes just a few minutes to set up. Through the app you can request visits, message your sitter directly, view visit reports, update your pet's information, and manage payments all within one place. Many of our clients tell us it's one of their favorite things about working with us.

Yes. The app has a fantastic built-in messaging feature so you can communicate directly with your sitter team and the office! You can send a quick note before a visit, let us know about any changes to your dog's routine, or ask any questions post visit. Most messages are responded to quickly during business hours.

Our system is designed so that a missed check-in triggers an immediate notification to our office. We will follow up and ensure your pet is cared for. In over 15 years of operation, our GPS and check-in system has been one of the most valued parts of our service — it means nothing slips through the cracks.

Getting started is simple. Reach out to us through our website or by phone and we'll review your care needs to make sure we’re a good fit and that we have the availability needed for your services. Once that’s confirmed, we will set you up with an account in our system and have you complete your profile. This will provide us all the care and home details we need. Once your profile is completed, you will be ready to schedule your first visits! The last step of our new client onboarding is to schedule a free meet-and-greet. This is a no-obligation visit where your sitter comes to your home to meet your dog, review your pet's care needs, set up keyless entry, and answer any questions you have.

A meet-and-greet is a complimentary in-home visit before your service begins. It gives your dog a chance to meet their sitter in a familiar, comfortable environment, and lets us gather all the information we need to provide excellent care including feeding schedules, medications, behavioral notes, emergency contacts, and access details. We will assess whether your pets will be okay with our sitters coming into the home. It also gives you the opportunity to ask questions and feel completely confident before we begin.

To provide an efficient and safe system for everyone, we request access to client homes via one of the following options: Lockbox (our favorite!), keypad on door, garage door code or hidden key. The lockbox can be hung on a doorknob (front or back), fence railing, deck railing or pipe. The lockbox location info and code will be stored securely in our TTP system and only assessable to your sitter and Five Paws management. Five Paws will provide the lockboxes at a discounted fee of $15 per box or you can provide your own. Lastly, understanding that systems sometimes fail, Five Paws strongly suggests that a 2nd copy of your key be stored in our safe for emergencies. The spare key may be picked up during your initial meet n greet or may be left at the home for your sitter to pick up at your first visit.

Payments are managed directly through the Time to Pet app. Options for payment include all credit cards as well as ACH deductions.

This is exactly why our team model exists. If your primary walker is unavailable for any reason, our office will work quickly to reassign your visit to another qualified member of our team. If a sitter is not available, our managers are ready and able to jump in. Your pet's care information is always accessible to our entire team so there's no disruption to your dog's routine. You never have to worry or scramble to find last-minute coverage.

Yes. Our team walks dogs rain or shine. We understand that your dog's needs don't pause because of weather, and neither do we. In cases of severe weather, such as dangerous lightning, extreme heat, or hazardous conditions, we may shorten the outdoor portion of a visit and provide indoor enrichment instead, and we'll always communicate with you if that's the case.

Our sitters are trained to handle emergencies calmly and quickly. In the event of a medical concern, we will contact you immediately and, if necessary, transport your pet to your designated veterinarian or the nearest emergency animal hospital. This is why we collect your vet's information and an emergency contact during the onboarding process. Being insured and bonded also means you have additional protection should anything unexpected occur.

Absolutely. Every detail matters to us. Through the app and during your meet-and-greet, you can provide as much instruction as you like including preferred walking routes, dogs or people to avoid, commands your dog responds to, favorite spots, energy level on a given day, and anything else relevant to their care. Your sitter reviews this before every visit.

Yes. In addition to regular dog walking, Five Paws offers pet sitting and vacation care visits so your pets can remain comfortable in their own home while you're away. We'll visit on a schedule that suits your pet's needs, handle feeding, medications, and exercise, and keep you updated with photos and reports throughout. It's often less stressful for your pet than boarding and less stressful for you than relying on friends or family.

Most clients will schedule at 3 or 4 visits per day of at least 30mns each. We suggest scheduling longer visits at the times when your pets are most active and shorter visits at other times of the day to take care of all of their needs. For example, you may wish to schedule 4 visits per day with 30mns for each feeding visit (AM and Dinnertime), a one hour long visit during the afternoon to allow time for a walk and playtime, and a short pottybreak at bedtime when they are ready to sleep. Another popular option is our “Almost Overnight” package which includes a 30mn dinner visit between 5 and 7pm, a 2hr evening visit in the 7-9pm window and a 30mn visit the next day. Most clients will schedule an additional midday visit with this package.

Yes. We provide cat visits and can accommodate other household pets as well. Many of our clients are multi-pet households with both dogs and cats. Let us know what pets you have during the inquiry process and we'll make sure we can meet everyone's needs.

After every visit, you'll receive an update through our app that includes notes on how the visit went along with photos. Our GPS-enabled tracking system also requires sitters to check in when they arrive and check out when they leave — the office is automatically notified of any missed visit so we can act quickly. You're never left wondering.

We assign two primary sitters to each client based on your service area, and we always make every effort to send one of them. However, one of the big advantages of working with a team is that we always have backup coverage. In the event of illness, a vacation, or any unexpected issue, another trusted Five Paws team member will step in. Any backup sitter will have full access to your pet's profile including feeding routines, medications and preferences so care stays consistent even if the face at the door is a familiar new one.

Yes, we do have minimums to make sure your pets stay safe, healthy, and well-exercised. For crated dogs, we require at least three visits per day of no less than 30 minutes each. For young puppies, we may require additional visits based on their specific age and needs. For cats, we require at least one visit every day.

Yes, we're happy to handle medications as part of your pet's care routine. The key requirement is that your pet is cooperative enough for our sitters to do so safely — we can work with a little reluctance, but we aren't able to force medications on a pet who is resistant or stressed by the process.

If there's any question about how your pet handles their medication routine with someone unfamiliar, we strongly recommend scheduling a trial visit before any travel so we can confirm everything goes smoothly. The last thing any of us wants is for you to be away and discover that your pet's medications can't be administered as needed.

Most medications are included at no additional charge. For insulin injections or subcutaneous fluids, there is an additional $8 fee per visit due to the extra time and care involved.

Holiday visits are available with a $10 surcharge per visit. Our covered holidays include New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, Easter, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. We do recommend booking early during these periods — demand is high and availability fills up fast.

We will always do our best to reach your home safely. If road conditions make travel unsafe, we'll contact you right away, and if we can't reach you, we'll reach out to your emergency contact on file. We strongly recommend providing a nearby emergency contact — someone with home access — when you set up your profile, just in case.

Once you are an established client of ours, you can request visits through your personal login on our online scheduling portal or by calling or emailing the office. Payment in full is due on the first visit of your vacation stay. We accept credit cards or ACH through the scheduling system. For holiday bookings especially, we recommend booking as early as possible, as space is limited.