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 Missouri
Pet sitting and dog walking need no degree or state exam, but a few registrations come up in every state. Here is what Missouri's own agencies say, checked October 7, 2026. Rules change, so follow each link before you file.
1. Register the business
LLCs file with the Missouri Secretary of State. Anyone doing business under a name other than their true name must register a fictitious name with the Secretary of State ($7, good for five years).
Source: Missouri Secretary of State: Fictitious Name Registration FAQ
2. Sales tax on pet sitting
Not taxable
The Missouri Department of Revenue's Pet Supply Stores & Care Services tax matrix (effective 10-24-2022) lists kennel and daycare services, professional grooming and pet training as exempt. Supplies you buy for the business are taxable.
Source: Missouri Department of Revenue: Pet Supply Stores & Care Services Tax Matrix
3. Licenses for boarding and pet care
Missouri's Animal Care Facilities Act requires a license for pet sitters who board dogs or cats in their own homes for pay. Visits to the pet owner's home are a different case. Check with the Department of Agriculture's ACFA program before boarding any pets.
Source: Missouri Department of Agriculture: Animal Care Facilities Act (ACFA) Program
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.