There are two days each semester that bring joy and excitement to campus: therapy dog days. As college students, we have little to no free time between classes, studying, work, and extracurriculars, which means the majority of students have limited interactions with non-human creatures. Living in dorms means that your only real pet option is a fish, and even if you live off campus, it’s a huge responsibility and commitment to have a cat or dog of your own. But what if you had the ability to pet sit or walk dogs based around your schedule? Great news Collegiettes: you can!
A few weeks ago, my roommate and I were sitting in our kitchen doing homework when she asked me if I had ever heard of Rover. After she explained the premise of the website, I immediately pulled it up on my laptop to check it out (and obviously sign up).
Basically, Rover is a website that allows dog owners to search through member profiles in their area who offer services including hosting a dog for overnights at their home, staying with your dog overnight in your home, doggy daycare, daily check-ins, and walks. As a Rover member, you have a whole range of options in terms of what services you want to offer, what your prices are, and what your schedule is. Your profile is extremely customizable. The entire process of signing up took less than a half hour, which included writing a profile and picking photos to upload! It was very straightforward and user-friendly. The last step of the application is running a background check, which takes a few days, so don’t expect your profile to be up and running immediately – this is part of why Rover is so trusted. They go through and approve every application and background check to ensure safe experiences for all dogs. Rover also provides 24/7 emergency support to their members and offers premium pet insurance (covering up to $25,000 per claim) while the dogs are with a Rover sitter.
For someone who loves dogs but simply doesn’t have the time or money to commit to having their own, Rover is a great option and a dream come true. Not only do you get some much needed canine time, but you get paid to do it!