Houndtrust Pet Sitting Software guards the four moments where a small pet business can lose time, money, or trust: intake, arrival, the stay, and payday.
Quick Business Snapshot
Houndtrust is pet sitting software for independent sitters, walkers, and boarders. David Van Wagoner, also known as Dave Waggins, built it while running his own home dog boarding business in Salt Lake City. The platform gathers the business side of pet care into one dashboard. It tracks who the client is, when the pet arrives, which paperwork exists, what news owners receive, and how the money moves. So solo professionals can manage a full day from one screen.
How Houndtrust Began
A personal fix that grew into a product for other independent pet sitting professionals.
Houndtrust began as a household job, not a startup pitch. David and his wife had boarded dogs at home for six years when the admin side became the weak spot. The care itself worked well, but the records around it did not. So David first wrote software for himself. Once it held up in daily use, he opened it to other independent pet sitting professionals.
That origin still sets the priorities. Every feature has to help a caregiver who works alone, often with several animals at once.
What Sets Houndtrust Pet Sitting Software Apart
- Comes from a working caregiver. David still boards dogs and still runs his own clients through the platform. So new ideas face a real boarding week before they stay.
- Starts after the client says yes. Sitters bring their own clients, set their own rates, and keep the relationship. Houndtrust does not stand between the sitter and the owner. It organizes the work that follows.
- Teaches as well as sells. A free business course and a set of guides help independent caregivers improve pricing, paperwork, and client habits, even before they pay for any software.
How Houndtrust Handles Each Booking
That’s pretty interesting, covering everything in 4 steps!
Intake: Details Arrive Before the Dog Does
A new client opens a Trust Link, a private page the pet sitter sends. The family adds care routines, veterinary details, and emergency authorization. The sitter then reviews everything and decides whether to accept the booking. Owners need no download, since any browser works.
Arrival: Last Minute Changes Surface Early
A pet’s health or routine can shift in the weeks between booking and drop off. Before a returning client arrives, a Quick Trust Link asks what is different now. The sitter reads the answers first and prepares the right way.
The Stay: Owners Hear From You Fast
Owners worry during a stay, and a quick message eases that. The sitter can send a short Simple Update or a Stay Card with a photo. Families open either one in their own portal. On the Solo plan, Pip, an AI helper, drafts the wording.
Payday: Rates, Records, and Payments Line Up
Pet sitters set their own rates. For card payments, a sitter connects a Stripe account, and Houndtrust adds its own fee on top of processing costs. Money collected another way, such as cash, Venmo, PayPal, or Cash App, goes into the same records.
Two plans cover the range. The Flexible plan starts at $0 each month and allows five manual booking completions. The Solo plan costs $24 monthly at the current founding price and lifts that cap.
Who Houndtrust Pet Sitting Software Serves
Home boarders, dog walkers, cat sitters, and house sitters all find a fit. Services range from overnight stays to quick visits, and sitters can build custom offerings too. The core tools work now. Teams, built for businesses with staff, remain in a private beta open to approved testers. Local matching runs as a limited pilot. So the platform suits professionals who already have clients best.
Try Houndtrust Pet Sitting Software
Ready to see it in action? Visit Houndtrust and send your next client a Trust Link.
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