Hands N Paws vs Rover: Why Choosing a Local Dog Walking Service in Columbus is Better for You & Your Dog

Dog Walking Service Columbus 21

As a dog parent, your fur baby is undoubtedly a vital part of your family, and you always want the best for them. One of the most critical aspects of taking care of your dog is ensuring that they get plenty of exercise and outdoor time, especially if you’re not able to provide it yourself. That’s where professional dog walking services in Columbus, Ohio come into the picture. Here in Columbus, two of the most popular options are Hands N Paws and Rover.

While Rover is a big corporation that provides dog walking services across the country, Hands N Paws is a locally owned and operated small business that focuses on providing personalized, high-quality care to each dog (and dog parent) they work with.

Here are a few reasons why you should choose Hands N Paws (us!) if you’re looking for a dog walker in Columbus.

Support Small Business

By choosing Hands N Paws, you’re investing in the growth and success of your community. As a local, small business, your support goes directly to individuals and families within Columbus, Ohio, rather than just lining the pockets of a CEO in another state.

Your support allows us to continue to provide meaningful jobs and opportunities for our team of Columbus dog walkers, while also ensuring that we can maintain our high standards of service. And as a small business, we have the flexibility and desire to reinvest in the community by supporting other local businesses, organizations, and events that benefit us all.

Overall, when you support a local business, you’re not just making a transaction; you’re making an investment in the community. Small businesses like Hands N Paws create jobs, support local organizations and events, and contribute to the overall economic growth and vitality of the community. Although Rover dog walkers are super popular nowadays, by keeping your money within the community, you’re supporting and sustaining other local businesses and the local economy as a whole.

Team Approach

Usually, dog parents get connected with one dog walker on Rover. While it’s great that their dog gets to bond with one individual, it isn’t always the best for dog parents, especially when it comes to availability conflicts.

With Hands N Paws, you don’t just get one Columbus dog walker; you get a whole team of people working together to provide consistent, high-quality service to your pup. That means you can have peace of mind knowing that even if your regular Hands N Paws dog walker is sick or unavailable, there will always be someone available to take care of your fur baby.

Taking a team approach to working with our dog parents allows for better sustainability in our relationships with dogs and dog parents.

Genuine Customer Service

At Hands N Paws, we believe that excellent customer support is just as important as providing top-notch dog walking services. As a local business, we are committed to building long-lasting relationships with our clients and their pets. That’s why we offer dedicated, personalized, and genuine customer support that goes above and beyond your expectations.

When you work with a big corporation like Rover, you’re likely just another number in a sea of clients. At Hands N Paws, we understand that every pet is unique, and so are their needs. That’s why we take the time to get to know you and your fur baby to curate our services to fit their specific and individual needs. When you choose Hands N Paws as your dedicated dog walker in Columbus, you can expect a personalized experience that caters to your pet’s personality, energy level, and any special requirements they may have. Essentially, you and your pet become a part of the family!

Screenshot 2023 04 26 at 6.27.44 PM
One of our dog walkers, Mandy L., loving on a pup while on a Columbus dog walking service!

We pride ourselves on being so customer-centric. This is because our #1 goal is to provide you with individualized peace of mind, knowing that your dog is in good hands while you’re away from home and busy with life.

Meet the Owner

Before you even start working with Hands N Paws, you’ll have the opportunity to meet the owner, Benny DiFranco, and get a sense of the company’s values and commitment to quality care. This is something you won’t get with Rover, which is a big corporation with not much personal connection to the community.

@handsnpawsofficial

We LOVE Meet N Greets with our new customers! To schedule yours, visit our website at www.myhandsnpaws.com 🤩💜 #handsnpaws #columbusbusiness #dogwalking #petsitting #columbus #cbus #614columbus #bexley #easton #shortnorthartsdistrict #grandview #upperarlington #polaris

♬ A Day in My Life – Soft boy

Benny meets with all new pet parents at their Meet N Greets. On Meet N Greets, Benny asks very specific questions about your pet(s) and takes the time to get to know everyone on a personal level. In addition to discussing business-related things like scheduling and invoicing, there’s a celebratory element to Meet N Greets with Benny. He takes the opportunity to welcome the pets and pet parents to the Hands N Paws family. He also gives all pet parents his personal contact information and encourages them to reach out if they ever have any questions or concerns in their working relationship with Hands N Paws.

Instead of Rover Dog Walking, Choose Hands N Paws!

In conclusion, if you want personalized, high-quality dog walking services in Columbus, Ohio, Hands N Paws is the clear choice. By supporting a local, small business, you’ll get a team of dedicated individuals who truly care about your pet’s well-being and will provide consistent, reliable care every time. So why choose Rover when you can choose Hands N Paws? Give your fur baby the best and choose local!

Get started with Hands N Paws today!

Benny DiFranco

Benny DiFranco

Hi! Thanks for reading this blog. I am the owner and founder of Columbus, Ohio's very own Hands N Paws. I started this business in 2018 with the purpose of giving more pet parents peace of mind. Looking forward to seeing you on the blog next time!

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Please review this agreement carefully. Your electronic signature on this indicates that you have read, reviewed, and agreed to the following Company policies.
Your signature also indicates that you grant Hands N Paws the permission to add your email address to our mailing list. This is not a binding agreement, however; if you wish, you can click “Unsubscribe” at the bottom of any of our emails to opt out of receiving them altogether. To re-subscribe at any point, please visit our website at www.myhandsnpaws.com and scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page. Enter your email address in the mailing list field and submit.
The terms of this agreement are as follows: “Client” refers to you, “Company” refers to us (Hands N Paws), and “Team Member” refers to the person from our team completing services with your pets. 

 

LIABILITY RELEASE

In case any of the Client’s pets need emergency veterinary treatment, Hands N Paws will prioritize treating the pets and try to contact the Client or emergency contacts. However, the on-site Team Member can take appropriate actions, including getting veterinary care, if needed. The Client gives permission for Hands N Paws to transport the pet(s) to a veterinary clinic or request on-site treatment, and make treatment decisions except for euthanasia if they cannot be reached, or if it’s a life-threatening emergency. The Client is responsible for any veterinary fees incurred, and releases Hands N Paws from liability for any damage or harm to pets or property beyond the Team Member’s control. The Client is also liable for any injuries or damages caused by their pet’s undisclosed aggression to the Hands N Paws team.

 

VACCINATION, LICENSING & ID POLICY

To comply with local laws and ordinances, it is required that all pets have the appropriate vaccinations and licenses. For further information on these requirements, please visit the Ohio State Bar Association’s website at https://www.ohiobar.org/public-resources. You should also check with your veterinarian to determine which vaccinations/shots your pet requires. For safety reasons, we encourage all dogs and cats to wear an ID tag or collar with their name and a contact number while our team is working with them.

 

LOCKBOX POLICY

To ensure access to Clients’ homes during scheduled services, Hands N Paws requires that Clients purchase a lockbox and place spare house key(s) inside it for Team Members to use. Clients can purchase the lockbox on the Hands N Paws website by clicking Buy Your Lockbox. Once it arrives, the lockbox should be programmed with a four-digit code. The lockbox should then be placed on the main door handle or another secure location, and the lockbox code and location information must be entered in the client’s account on Precise Petcare. Alternatively, Clients may elect to provide a code for entry via a garage door or electronic keypad and must enter all necessary codes in Precise Petcare. Clients are strongly encouraged to purchase a lockbox to ensure that Team Members can access pets at all times during scheduled services, especially in situations where power goes out, batteries die, or keys are lost.

PHONE NUMBER EXCHANGE POLICY

It is strongly discouraged that Team Members and Clients exchange phone numbers with each other in working together. Phone numbers are personal and Team Members have specific work hours.
Clients should direct all communications with Team Members in our app, Precise Petcare. Both parties can communicate via submitted journal reports, which Team Members send after completion of all services with pets. More information on this can be found by visiting our client support page at www.myhandsnpaws.com/client-support.
For any pressing/non-emergency communications, Clients are advised to call our office number at (614) 636-6644. Office hours are Monday through Friday 9am-5pm. We are closed on Saturdays, Sunday, and Federal Holidays.
PLEASE NOTE: Office hours differ from fieldwork hours. Office hours are the times in which we provide client support via answering phones, emails, etc. Fieldwork hours are the times in which we offer services/are working in the field with pets. Our fieldwork hours are 7am-10pm (and overnights), 365 days a year.

 

CAT POLICIES

Clients are NOT allowed to request that Team Members “ignore the cat” when providing care for other animals in households that have multiple pets. Regardless of the cat’s disposition, personality, or levels of need, Hands N Paws Team Members must provide some kind of attention and care to the cat during scheduled services. Similarly, Client must create a pet profile for the cat(s) and provide care notes accordingly.

UPDATING PET & CLIENT PROFILES POLICY

Our Team Members can only perform services correctly if they are equipped with the correct (and most up to date) pet care information. You will only be allowed to request services on the basis that pet and personal profiles are updated every 6 months (at minimum). Any Client who attempts to request services at the 6 month mark will receive an error message letting them know that they cannot submit a request if they haven’t made updates to their profiles. If there is nothing to update at the 6 month mark, simply reword a current piece of information and click Save at the bottom of the page.

SPECIFIC VISIT TIME POLICY

Client acknowledges that arrival times for services occur within a two-hour period. It is NOT possible for Team Members to arrive at exact times. This is why time frames appear, rather than exact times, in the dropdown menu when selecting a time for the service(s).
Client agrees to requesting services in the two-hour time frames offered.

 

SERVICES & PRICING

For detailed descriptions on our services, please visit our website at www.myhandsnpaws.com.

Dog Walking
*Rates below apply for up to 2 dogs; add $7 per additional dog
QUICK WALK – 20 mins – $22
STANDARD WALK – 30 mins – $25
LONG WALK – 45 mins – $35

Pet Sitting
*Rates below apply for up to 2 pets; add $7 per additional pet
QUICK VISIT – 20 mins – $22
STANDARD VISIT – 30 mins – $25
LONG VISIT – 45 mins – $35

Cat Sitting
*Rates below apply for up to 2 cats; add $7 per additional cat
QUICK VISIT – 20 mins – $22
STANDARD VISIT – 30 mins – $25
LONG VISIT – 45 mins – $35
Overnight Stay (8-10 hrs) – $80

*Rate applies for up to 2 pets; add $10 per additional pet.

 

 

HOLIDAY PRICING

A $20 surcharge is added to each service that is scheduled on the following Federal Holidays: New Year’s Day, Easter, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve.

 

SERVICE REQUESTS

Upon submitting service request(s), Client will be informed as to whether Hands N Paws can take on the requested work via a confirmation or declination email/notification. Client understands that there is NO guarantee that any/all service requests can be approved; it simply just depends on Team Member availability. Clients are encouraged to submit all service requests as far in advance as possible!

 

SAME-DAY SERVICE REQUEST POLICY

Client understands and accepts the Company same day service request policy as outlined below:
– A $10 convenience fee is added to each service if requested (and approved) with 24 hours or less notice before service(s) is scheduled to occur.
– A $20 convenience fee is added to each service if requested (and approved) with 12 hours or less notice before service(s) is scheduled to occur.
– A $30 convenience fee is added to each service if requested (and approved) with 6 hours or less notice before service(s) is scheduled to occur.

 

OUT-OF-SERVICE-AREA REQUEST POLICY

Client understands and accepts the Company out-of-service-area request policy as outlined below:
– A $10 (minimum) convenience fee is added to each service if requested outside of our current service area.
Please note, this amount is subject to increase depending on how far a client lives outside of our current service area.

 

 

MEET N GREETS

All meet n greets are FREE (and required as part of proper client onboarding) for first-time Clients. To the extent that Clients wish to schedule additional meet n greets, after their first free one, they will be charged $50 per meet n greet.

To schedule a first-time meet n greet (for new clients), please go to www.myhandsnpaws.com and click Get Started.

To schedule additional meet n greets (for current clients), please log in to your client account, go to My Schedule > Request Service and select Meet N Greet in the service dropdown.

 

BILLING

All services are to be paid for via credit/debit card. We accept all major cards (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover). Card information can be added securely to each client account.

For services scheduled as ongoing, you will be auto-charged every Friday evening for the previous 7 days worth of work on schedule, including completed, canceled, and in-progress services.

For services NOT scheduled as ongoing, the day your services are accepted and confirmed is the day you will be charged 50% of your invoice total (as downpayment). Your invoice will be sent to you immediately. You have from then until the date of the last confirmed service to pay your invoice manually. If you choose to not pay manually, your remaining total will be auto-paid (via card on file) on the evening of the last service day.

If any auto-charges are declined, you will be notified immediately. In the first declined attempt, we give you a 24-hour grace period to correct the issue. In the second declined attempt, a late fee of 10% of the invoice total ($10 minimum) will be added. Please look out for emails regarding overdue notices.

Credit cards are required to be added to and remain on file in order for Clients to request any services with Hands N Paws.

Hands N Paws will be paid the amount discussed with no exceptions other than if our Cancellation Policy (outlined below) applies and Client receives a refund in either the form of Account Credit(s), or in emergency circumstances as transferable credit(s) back to their card.

Client may be charged additional fees if Team Members are instructed to, or sees the need to, purchase items for the pet while under Company care, including but not limited to: pet food or treats, litter or cleaning supplies, transportation to the vet and/or emergency expenses for general care of pet(s). Hands N Paws will retain and share receipts as proof of purchase.

 

 

SERVICE CANCELLATION/REFUND POLICY

When Client schedules services with Hands N Paws, the Company has likely turned down other work so as to devote our time to the work requested from said Client.

Client understands and accepts the Company cancellation/refund policy as outlined below:

– 100% refund is issued as Account Credit if cancellation is made at least 48 hours prior to the scheduled service(s).

– 50% refund is issued as Account Credit if cancellation is made at least 24 hours prior to the scheduled service(s).

– NO refund is issued for same-day cancellations/less than 24 hour notice.

PLEASE NOTE: Refunds are NOT transferable. Should you be eligible to receive an Account Credit (based on terms above), that will be auto-added to your account and applied to your very next invoice with us.

 

SERVICES TERMS

Hands N Paws agrees to provide the services stated in this contract in a reliable, caring, and trustworthy manner. In consideration of these services and as an express condition thereof, Client expressly waives and relinquishes any and all claims against Hands N Paws arising out of or relating to the provision of services hereunder, except those arising from gross negligence or willful misconduct on part of Hands N Paws.

Client understands and acknowledges that the environment in which they are requesting Hands N Paws to complete services is reasonably sanitary and safe. We assess home conditions during initial meet n greets. If we determine home conditions to be unsanitary and/or unsafe, we will make it clear to the Client that we cannot pursue a working relationship.

Should a Team Member sustain any injury, disease, or other harm in the course of providing services hereunder, the Client will indemnify Hands N Paws and hold it harmless with respect to all loss, expense, and damage caused thereby, except those arising from gross negligence or willful misconduct on part of Hands N Paws.

Client understands and acknowledges that he/she is responsible for letting Hands N Paws know of anyone who has access to their home and agrees to not contract with any other company and/or care provider during the duration of services booked with Hands N Paws. Client releases and holds Hands N Paws harmless of all loss, expense, and damage caused by anyone entering the Client’s home with their permission or access given to others during the terms of services rendered.

 

 

CONTRACT TERMS

This contract will take effect upon digital signature by Client (clicking “Agree & Submit” below) and will remain in effect until terminated by either party. Client may make online reservations for additional services at any time during the terms of this contract, as subject to Hands N Paws availability. All scheduled services will be governed by all the terms of this contract. We appreciate as much advance notice as possible for the work, but will make every effort possible to accommodate all requests.

Either party may terminate this contract at any time by written notice to the other. Hands N Paws is entitled to payment for all services rendered until notice of termination is received and for any transition services reasonably required to provide for the health and welfare of Client’s pet(s). Hands N Paws will not terminate during a period of scheduled service unless Hands N Paws determines, at their sole discretion, that a serious danger exists to the health or safety of a Team Member or pet. If such concerns preclude Hands N Paws from providing further care for the pet(s), Client agrees to pay for their pet to be boarded at a boarding facility or taken under the care of another party until Client returns. Every attempt will be made to notify Client and/or emergency contacts regarding such situations.

Client acknowledges that by signing below, he/she is providing written approval for the provision of services by Hands N Paws during any service period scheduled by Client and confirmed by Hands N Paws. Upon such scheduling and approval, Hands N Paws will be authorized to enter Client premises and perform services without additional signed contracts and/or written authorizations

 

 

AGREEMENT

I, Client, have reviewed this Client Agreement in its entirety. I will promptly complete all parts of my client account in Precise Petcare, and the information I provide will be detailed and accurate. My electronic signature here will indicate that I am agreeing to all the terms and conditions of this contract, exactly as they are outlined above.