Bookkeeping for dog walkers and pet sitters
A dog walking or pet sitting business bills recurring weekly walks, one-off sittings and holiday boarding, often through a scheduling app. Mispar reconciles app payouts, tracks walker pay, and prepares monthly books in your own QuickBooks Online or Xero file. Plans start at $229/mo.
Best for: Dog walkers, pet sitters, overnight boarding providers and small teams with W-2 or contractor walkers.
Tracked
Recurring clients
Matched
App payouts
Reconciled
Walker pay
Visible
Holiday peaks
Where dog walker and pet sitter books usually go wrong
- Client payments through several apps, none reconciled to the bank.
- Prepaid visit packages booked as income when paid.
- Subcontracted walkers paid without records.
- Travel and supplies left unrecorded.
How Mispar keeps your dog walkers and pet sitters books clean
Industry-specific accounts and categorization, with the reporting scope agreed before work starts.
Scheduling app payouts
Match Rover, Time to Pet, or Stripe payouts to reported services, net of fees.
Recurring walk income
Keep weekly recurring clients apart from one-off sittings so the base is visible.
Walker pay
Reconcile per-walk or hourly walker pay to payroll or contractor records.
Holiday and boarding income
Record holiday boarding and overnight rates in their own line so peaks are readable.
Insurance and bonding
Keep liability insurance and bonding costs as their own account.
Supplies and transport
Track leashes, waste bags, vehicle costs and fuel in their own accounts.
Key and cancellation fees
Keep lockout, key pickup and cancellation fees in their own income line.
Meet and greet charges
Record meet and greet fees apart from recurring walk income.
Reports a dog walker or pet sitter can use
- Income by client and by service.
- Prepaid package balances.
- Walker payments by person.
- Monthly profit for quarterly estimates.
A simple, predictable process
From kickoff to your first clean close, here is exactly what happens.
Map services and pay
We list your services and how walkers are paid.
Set up payout tracking
Payout reports get matched so income lines up with the bank.
Reconcile each month
Payouts, walker pay, insurance and supply costs are reconciled against the bank statement each month.
Deliver monthly statements
Monthly statements arrive ready for your CPA with an open-items list.
Illustrative example
A client books two weeks of daily walks through the app. The payout arrives minus the platform fee, the walker's per-walk pay is tagged to those walks, and the insurance premium stays in its own account. This is an illustration of the method, not a customer case or a guarantee.
Dog Walkers and Pet Sitters bookkeeping — your questions
Can you work from Rover or Time to Pet reports?
Yes. We work from their payout and service reports, matched to your bank.
Can you track walker pay per walk?
When walk counts are reported, yes. Pay is reconciled to payroll or contractor records.
What do you need each month to keep pet care books?
Scheduling and payout reports, payroll or contractor records, supplier invoices and access to your bank feeds.
Can you show recurring vs one-off income?
Yes. Recurring walks and one-off sittings are separate income lines.
Do you give tax advice? (dog walkers and pet sitters)
No. We keep the books and hand them to your CPA.
Can you track cat sitting apart from dog work?
Yes. Service types can each be their own line when your app reports them apart.
How do you handle payments from several apps?
We reconcile each app's payouts to the bank so every deposit is explained.
Can you handle tips through the app?
Yes. Tips are tracked per payout and matched to what walkers are paid.
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