Bookings, deposits and client texts for a pet sitting business, with these forms ready to sign on your phone.
Pet Sitting Business: BookingBookings, deposits and client texts for a pet sitting business, with these forms ready to sign on your phone.
How to start a pet sitting business in Massachusetts
Pet sitting and dog walking need no degree or state exam, but a few registrations come up in every state. Here is what Massachusetts's own agencies say, checked October 7, 2026. Rules change, so follow each link before you file.
1. Register the business
LLCs file a Certificate of Organization with the Secretary of the Commonwealth's Corporations Division. A business using a name other than its legal name, including a sole proprietor not using their own name, files a business certificate (DBA) with the clerk of the city or town where the business is located.
Source: Mass.gov: Starting a business in Massachusetts
2. Sales tax on pet sitting
Not confirmed: ask the state
We could not find a Massachusetts Department of Revenue statement on pet sitting or boarding. Check with the Department of Revenue before you start.
Source: Mass.gov: Sales and Use Tax
3. Licenses for boarding and pet care
Massachusetts law treats any establishment that boards, holds or provides day care, overnight stays or training for other people's animals for pay as a commercial boarding or training kennel. The only exception for individuals is someone who boards or cares for animals temporarily and not in the normal course of business. Kennel licenses come from your city or town clerk (in Boston, the police commissioner), so check with them before boarding dogs in your home.
Source: Massachusetts General Laws c.140, ยง136A
4. Also worth checking
- Your city or county: a local business license, and home-business (zoning) rules if dogs stay overnight in your home.
- Insurance: ask an agent about liability coverage and bonding for pet sitters.
- Paperwork: a written service agreement, a veterinary release and a key agreement for every client.
Free forms for your first clients
Pet Sitting Contract TemplateThe agreement a client signs before the first booking: services, rates, deposit, cancellations, vet care, home access and behavior.Dog Walking Contract TemplateFor regular walks: schedule, leash and equipment, solo or group walks, bad weather, cancellations and payment.Pet Sitting Client FormEverything to collect from a new client before the first visit: contacts, feeding, medications, vet, behavior and routine.Veterinary Release Form for Pet SittersLets the sitter get a pet seen by a vet when the owner can't be reached, with a spending limit the owner sets.Key Release Form for Pet SittersHow keys and entry codes are handed over, stored, used and returned, and who pays if one is lost.Pet Sitting Meet-and-Greet ChecklistWhat to cover when meeting a new client and pet: the walk-through, health and safety, and the paperwork.Pet Sitting Invoice TemplateA one-page invoice: services by date, fees, the deposit received and the balance due.
This page is general information, not legal or tax advice.