Pet Sitter FAQs

A pet sitter is an animal lover who generously volunteers to take in one of our rescued dogs for a short period of time. Learn more.

We use the term “pet sitting” because it avoids some confusion.

• Pet sitting is generally very short-term and the dog is already in the process of being adopted or has been adopted and we just need to bridge the gap between the available transport and the finalization of the adoption.
• We use pet sitters in La Paz, the US, and Canada. In Spanish – there is no equivalent noun or verb for our English word “foster.”
• As a pet sitter, it is clear the dog is not the pet sitter’s to give away if someone wants to adopt it such as a neighbor or friend who sees it and would like it. Instead, anyone interested in adopting needs to complete an application and go through our processes;
• Baja Dogs helps those who rescue and foster dogs in their own homes until adopted. We do not recruit fosters so that a rescued dog can be “assigned” to them. There are too many strays dogs that need rescuing with unknown health and temperament history, too few fosters, and too many risks. We are not replacement for the municipality with the governmental authority to pick up dogs and we do not have a shelter or place to put them after they have been picked up.

There are a variety of reasons, but the logistics of lining up transport to an adoptive home sometimes works in reverse – we have transport but not yet the adoptive home identified. So, we send our dogs up north to a pet sitter and potential adopters can see and interact with the dog before making a final decision. Here are the most common reasons we need a pet sitter:

• The dog is adopted but the transport is available sooner than the new family can receive the dog;
• The dog has a complex transport and needs a place to stay for a night or two on its way to its forever home; or
• The family caring for the dog needs someone to pet sit for a week or two while they are away or unable to keep the dog for that short period of time.

Generally, the time period ranges from a few days to a few weeks. The time period can vary, however, depending on the needs of each dog. We would work out those details with you prior to you receiving a dog.

Dogs and puppies. Puppies must be at least 6 months of age to enter the US and 8 months of age to enter Canada. Sometimes, it is beneficial to keep puppies in groups or pairs so they have the company of their siblings.

If there are any medical expenses, we will reimburse for these – however, most dogs have already been sterilized, vaccinated, and treated for any illnesses so there are almost never any further expenses for veterinary care. We often provide a crate since this is how the dog was transported and might feel comfortable having its own place to sleep. We reimburse for food.