Do Dog Walkers Need A License?
In San Francisco, CA there is a debate going on. Should dog walkers be licensed? It would be a way to regulate the industry plus a way to generate some much needed income for the city.
In 2007 politicians looked into the matter due to reports of lost dogs, verbal abuse, dogs being left in vehicles in the heat, all while being under the care of dog walkers. Unfortunately the issue fell by the wayside, as many issues do.
Due to major budgetary cuts to San Francisco’s Recreation and Park Department the issue is back on the table.
As an industry that has long operated with little oversight, there is considerable debate over what regulations would have the most positive impact and who should enforce them. According to Nancy Stafford, co-director of Pro Dog, many dog walkers would prefer to be licensed through Animal Care and Control, which is already responsible for issuing canine licenses as well as providing guidelines for professional walkers.
Rec and Park owns the majority of land that dog walkers use and profit from (with fees that average $15 to $25 per walk) and sees the potential licensing proposal as a way to recoup some of its routine maintenance expenses. The details of how it would be enforced have not yet been fully worked out, says Lisa Seitz Gruwell, department spokesperson.
Seeing as anyone can call themselves a dog walker having some regulation for the dog walking industry does seem like a good idea. If someone is going to be walking your beloved pup wouldn’t you want to know they have some credentials besides the ad they posted on Craig’s List ? That there are certain rules to conform to in order to keep their license.
As I read this article I wonder if the issue of licensing is money motivated or a concern for the dogs? Should they be licensed through the Rec and Park Department or Animal Care and Control? Give me a bark, let me know what you think.
* Voltas waiting for the dog walker.
This should be a matter of the dogs’ safety and well being, not a matter of the city making profit. I think a license is a good idea and I feel that animal control should be in charge of issuing and upholding the licensing. If profits are a concern then parks and recreation could get a cut. The main concern however is that this remains about the dogs and not about the city trying to make a buck.
I think that it’s a nice idea in terms of regulation – it could be nice to have some set standards in terms of treatment. That said, I think it’s not necessarily a great idea in terms of a way for cities to make revenue. Dog walkers in general do not make a lot of money. They tend to do it because they love dogs and they wish to be self-employed. They sacrifice things such as big bucks, job provided insurance, and employment security in order to do what they love. I don’t think that an additional fee to do their work is necessarily fair, and for some it could perhaps hurt their ability to continue in their work.
In principle, this sounds like a good idea. In practice, however, it will never work. What about the kid down the street who walks the neighbors dogs, is a license going to be required? What’s next, requiring a license to hire the neighbor’s kid to babysit your children or mow your lawn? I just think it would be a logistical and bureaucratic nightmare, creating another level of overpayed city paper pushers. As the previous post says, the adults who do this are not in it to make a pile of money. I think there are already laws on the books that unscrupulous individuals can be charged with if they are cought mistreating the animals. More government is never the answer,
AMEN Agnes’ dad!!
if money changes hands the GVT feels entitled to their “share” and they mean to get it. The easiest way is to proclaim a “need” for your own good, then offer to oversee the ‘fixing’ of the “problem. I’d say if your dog does not like his “walker” that is probably an indication there is a problem. You can fix it yourself…get a new dog walker.
You don’t NEED the GVT to intercede.
I’m a pet sitter & dog walker and carry insurance, as any professional business owner should. I would never allow someone who isn’t insured to walk/petsit my animals as a matter of safety and professional practice. It’s only about $150/yr and there’s no reason the govt needs to get involved.
This totally sounds like a (dishonorable *cough*) way for the city to make money, however, knowing that you have a responsible and qualified person to walk your dogs is a good idea. This could give people basic guidlines and make sure they are serious about it. It’s true, anyone can call themselves a dog walker. However, it does sound like this is one of those ‘get-rich-quick’ things, where they should be ever the more concerned about the dogs wellbeing instead.
Do babysitters need a license? I was walking the neighbors dogs before I was old enough to babysit. I do agree that insurance is important and ultimately getting a dog you have the responsibility to walk your dog and if you can’t then you are responsible for finding someone responsible to do it for you. I know a responsible dog walker who has limits on what she will do because she doesn’t have insurance.
Where would you draw the line. I pay my friend/dogsitter in t-shirts, beer and frozen corn dogs. I don’t think he would want to get a license for that.
I also want to say that that is a killer cute picture
If you are going to make this your career and living the license should come through the city. You are required to have a business license to do business, you should be required to have this one too. Boarding kennels must have kennel licenses in order to operate. The responsibility then falls onto the consumer to make sure that all credentials are there.
I’m a dog walker and own my own business. I have a State tax ID number and business license, as well as insurance. I happily produce all of it to those who ask. I will confess, not one client of mine has ever asked to see anything – not even a reference.
If I were ever in need of hiring a walker, I want a business license number to make sure that they are in good standing with the city, proof of insurance, and references.
Neither Parks and Rec or ACC&C should be in charge of handling the license itself, though funds generated from the license could be funneled towards said entities.
Yes, I think dog walkers should licensed. They are offering a professional service, and they should be licensed. To protect the dogs and prevent abuse. They should also have to present references and have their licenses open to the public, so their qualifications etc can be viewed by clients.
I think dog walkers should be licensed. As a dog owner, I would like to know the dog walker is responsible and will give the kind of care I would. Also, as a dog owner, I would want the license to come from Animal Care and Control, because (to me) it would seem like they would care more about the safety of the dogs, not the money they make off licensing – but, either way, I think it would result in more responsbile dog walkers and therefore greater safety for the dogs, which works out for everyone.
In Park live the different inhabitants – a squirrels, hedgehog,meadow dogs etc. Necessary to take into account their safety!
Even a license is no guarantee. It will give people a false since of security and make the charges for dog walking higher. The walkers aren’t going to eat the fee.
Daycare providers need to be licensed if they have over 5 children to care for but how often are the workers doing something wrong? If you make this big business then they’ll be companies with low paid workers walking your dog for minimum wage. Do you really think they’ll care about your dog?
Lets take Postal workers. They just found first class mail stuffed in storage units. These workers are supposedly overseen by the government. How do you think they are doing?
How about Pharmacy techs? They have to be certified and exactly how many people die from incorrect prescriptions?
Just a thought.
I agree with Gypsy. I don’t even know if Luckee’s groomer is licensed? but i know she does a good job.
ppl that babysit my nephews they are not licensed.
but being licensed looks good on paper. but i don’t think it should be mandated.
I personally have experienced an unfortunate horrifying decision – which will be my forever regret. I sent my husky and dobermann puppy into a licensed boarding school last year to coincide with my overseas trip for 2 weeks. This canine school has been established for more than 50 years in Windsor NSW. My husky had an epilepsy condition which required her to be fed medication 2 times daily morning and night. I voiced this criteria to them and they assured me that criteria would be met, or else I would gladly get someone else to mind her. Also they pushed for grooming upon pickup at an extra cost and I agreed, thought that would nice them smelling great when I picked them up.
2 weeks later that arvo, we were there to bring them home. The junior boy that handed me my husky and mentioned that she’s been given her daily medication so wouldn’t be required her medication until the next day. I was shocked, and proceeded to question the female director about this issue. She denied I even mentioned that my husky had to be fed twice daily; I was furious beyond words, devastated at the same time. I even textered the medication times on the medication bottle loud and bold across and held it in her face. She further said there’s no one there to mind the dogs at night anyway; Truckloads of lies, that wasn’t what I was told in the beginning. All for money sake. My husky had epilepsy condition for 4 years then; daily and diligently, we fed her morning and night, never skipping once; Dutifully regulating her blood test appointments. And here you are, claiming we didn’t mention. My husky died 1 week after she came home – cardiac arrest amongst other complications.
So what can all this licensing assure us owners? Here’s is a firm example of a so call “fully established and licensed” school that does training walking and everything under the sky to do with canine and yet twisted their commitments at the cost my husky’s life. It was an accident waiting to happen; it happened to be my dog, the love of my life. By what standard can this licensing do for us dog owners? I live here in Australia, a supposed dog smitten country, and yet, my faith in these regulated bodies have since been buried and will never be unearthed. There will always be double standards unfortunately.
amen Agnes’ Dad …
What about the kid down the street who walks the neighbors dogs, is a license going to be required? What’s next, requiring a license to hire the neighbor’s kid to babysit your children or mow your lawn? I just think it would be a logistical and bureaucratic nightmare, creating another level of overpayed city paper pushers. As the previous post says, the adults who do this are not in it to make a pile of money. I think there are already laws on the books that unscrupulous individuals can be charged with if they are cought mistreating the animals. More government is never the answer,
Wow this is something else I don’t live in the U.S but I know where I live you just have to buy a dog license and from what I gather it’s always been that way but a license to walk a dog? Now that is umm how do I put it wrong? I mean that’s just ridiculous
I don’t think that having dog walkers licensed will do anything to make the situation better for dogs. Drivers have to pass tests to get their licenses, and there are still plenty of bad drivers on the road. If the walker isn’t treating the dog(s) as he or she should, then issue a fine to that person and be sure the city informs all the dog owners using that walker of the problem behavior. It sounds like the city is trying to make money and it will cause extra expense and trouble for the people who are doing the job well. I think the real indication of how good the walker is happens to be, does your dog like the walker? I have 2 Siberian huskies and anyone who walks a husky will earn his/her money. They are very strong dogs-both physically and mentally. I pity a dog walker who would try to leave my 5 year old, Demon Flash Bandit, in a hot car. He knows how to open car doors, and he would just let himself out. I might add that he better like the music you are playing on the radio because he has been known to change the channel. CA is also the state thinking about adding sales tax to vet care. If the state cares so much about its dogs, why charge sales tax on vet care which might make it more difficult for our furry friends to get the care they need-particularly with expensive treatments. It sounds like the govts. in both the state of CA and its cities are just trying to use dogs to get some extra cash.
First I would like to tell Ninja’s Mom how sorry I am for your loss….It’s bad enough to lose one of your pups due to disease or accidents..but to have something like that happen when you thought you were being so careful must be devastating..
As some of the above posts state,,Licensing does not insure quality whether for dog walkers child care or even nursing homes…
i think this is simply the governments way of trying to earn more money at the expense of people who don’t make much to begin with.
Look at the child care system…The price of child care has rocketed in the last decade partly due to the cost of running day care programs and yet kids are still neglected and abused….
If the government is truly concern they should come up with a better solution…like larger fines for abusers and enforcement of existing laws
I have taken care of people’s dogs for about three years. I have taken some to be nutered, picked them up after the procedure, taken others for check ups- due to owners working.
This all came about quite by accident, but, I have enjoyed it immensely and have cared for dogs and cats, whose owners are appreciative.
When I have taken them out, there is always a bag to pick up their business.
I have many keys, alarm codes and private numbers.
These owners do not always have the time for their pets, but, care enough to call me to help them. It’s about trust. And since it is so sporatic, to be licensed would take away why I do it. Purely for the love of each pet, who is loved very much and for the sheer joy of when the key is turned and they see me!
Government, should not regulate. It would be beneficial if agencies were to crack down on puppy mills, and reported incidences of abuse.
I’m an 11 year old and my brother is 15. We want to start a dog walking buisness but in Linwood, NJ, we don’t know if we need a permit. Help me