Dog Walker & Pet Sitter

Groton, CT

Part Time

Entry Level

Ready to swap spreadsheets for slobbery kisses?

If you're fresh out of college, living the stay-at-home parent life, or between jobs and craving something fun, active, and meaningful, this might be your perfect transitional role. At Barks & Recreation, we don’t just walk dogs; we build trust, create joy, and give pets their best lives (and help their humans breathe easier while we do it).

Whether you’re figuring out your next big move or testing the waters of the workforce, this part-time job offers flexibility, skill-building, and plenty of fresh air and of course lots of doggy kisses.

🐾 Join Our Pet-Loving Crew

We’re a growing, local pet care company rooted in compassion, connection, and community. We’re looking for someone who’s:

✨ Kind, dependable, and eager to learn
🐕 Naturally obsessed with animals
🤹‍♀️ Ready to stay active in any weather
💬 Communicative, organized, and a great team player

What You’ll Do:

Walk, hike, play with and care for dogs (and some cats!)
Visit pets in their home for neighborhood walks or head out for adventures on local trails
Provide love, attention, and professional care
Document visits & take wall worthy photos of the pets in our care
Grow into new roles and areas if interested; admin, marketing, training, social media, HR and more!

What You’ll Need:

🗓 Availability at least 3 days/week (including 2 weekdays), with a 4+ hour block between 9AM–4PM
🚗 A reliable, insured, pet-friendly car
📱 Smartphone with camera, GPS, and internet access

Pay & Perks:

💵 $16.95/hr + tips (average $3–9/hr)
🚙 Paid mileage, flexible schedule, retirement savings
🐶 Employee pet care discounts + real on-the-job learning
📈 Growth potential in ALL areas of small biz—HR, admin, marketing, training, and beyond

No experience in pet care? No problem, paid training is part of the process! If you’re dependable, animal-obsessed, trustworthy and a good communicator, we can teach you the rest.

Come grow your resume (and your heart) at Barks & Recreation. Apply today. 🐾💛

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Why are you interested in being a dog walker? Why would you be an excellent addition to our team?*

While the primary focus of the job is walking dogs there are times we care for other animals.
Can you care for dogs, cats, small caged animals in homes, chickens and other small outside farm animals (with training)?*

Do you feel comfortable walking multiple (2-3)dogs at a time?*

Are you comfortable handling dogs over 50 pounds?*

Can you maintain a brisk walking pace for up to 6 hours (non-consecutive) per day in any type of weather (rain, snow, heat)? Can you squat down and bend over multiple times per hour (putting on harness, picking up poop)?*

Are you able to run or light jog for a few minutes with dogs?*

Are you willing and able to DRIVE and WALK in rainstorms, heat, and snow storms (AKA all new England weather)?*

Pet Care Specialist drive from client home to client home. A valid drivers license, and a registered and insured vehicle is a requirement of the position.
Do you have a valid drivers license AND an insured, reliable vehicle that you the primary user of and are willing to have dogs or other pets in?
*Mileage is reimbursed at $.20/mile*

We serve clients in the majority of New London County, how far from home are you willing to travel? (this position reimburses at $0.20/mile)*

We serve clients from 6am-9pm, with our busiest time being 9-4pm.
What is your availability?* Totally Open availability with no other commitmentsI am available 4 or more consecutive hours between 9-4p, minimum of 3+ WEEKDAYSI am available 4 or more consecutive hours between 9-4p, minimum of 2+ WEEKDAYSI have consistent availability on weekends for a minimum of 4 hours between 9-4pI have some availability outside of 9-4pmI am not available for above options and understand this will take me out of the running for this position

Holidays are often our busiest time and all Pet Care Specialists are required to be available. Holidays typically have a shorter schedule and there is holiday pay. I am available all holiday'sI am available for some holiday'sI am not available for any holiday's, even minor ones, and understand this will take me out of the running for this position

Clients often request services or changes to their service on short notice and management reaches out to employees to check availability via Slack, our communication platform. Are you confident you can check communication within Slack multiple times daily?* yesno

We are only interested in working with people who want to build long term relationships with the pets in our care. If you are hired AND enjoy the job, how long do you see yourself staying with B&R?*

Employees use their personal smartphone to access our software app, a smartphone with reliable data, a good camera, and GPS is a requirement for the position.
Do you own a properly working smartphone with reliable data, a good camera, and GPS and are comfortable using it while working?*

We are very active on social media and our Pet Care Specialists take both selfies and video's to use on social media. Team member start participating in social media 4-6 months after starting. Are you comfortable with taking selfies and being on social media?* Absolutely, I love social media and look forward to creating stories and reelsWith some training I'm all about itI do not want to be on social media or I don't do selfies

How much do you need to earn per month?*

If selected for a position, the company will perform a pre-employment background check, reference check, and work history verification.
Have you ever been convicted of a crime, felony, or misdemeanor?*

You wake up in the morning and feel a little under the weather and its raining, you are scheduled to do visits at 6 homes. What do you do?*

You are headed home with your leftovers after a lovely dinner with friends when a homeless person asks for spare change. What do you do?*

You are off for the day and have plans to go to a holiday party! Your manager calls you and asks you to cover a sick co-worker for a few pet visits. You can be late for the party, but you don't want to. What do you do?*

You are at work and need to complete a task but don't have all the instructions and no one is around to tell you, what do you do?*

What types of methods do you find most effective when correcting problem behaviors in pets?*

How many years have you been a caretaker of PERSONAL pets?*

How many years of professional or volunteer animal experience do you have?*

What is your age range?* under 2020-2223+

Is there anything else we should know about you or your availablity?

Human Check*

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Barks and Recreation LLC

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