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 Rhode Island
Pet sitting and dog walking need no degree or state exam, but a few registrations come up in every state. Here is what Rhode Island's own agencies say, checked October 7, 2026. Rules change, so follow each link before you file.
1. Register the business
LLCs and other entities register with the Rhode Island Department of State's Business Services Division. A sole proprietor using a name other than their own registers a trade name with the Department of State ($20) for the city or town where they do business, and must renew it each year between September 1 and November 30.
Source: RI Department of State: Fictitious Name vs. Trade Name
2. Sales tax on pet sitting
Taxable
Rhode Island's sales tax law lists pet care services, except veterinary and testing labs, as taxable. The Division of Taxation said this covers boarding, grooming, sitting and training (Regulation SU 12-152). 2026 bills to repeal the tax (H7399, S2372) were held for further study, so the tax still applied when we checked.
Source: R.I. Gen. Laws § 44-18-7.3
3. Licenses for boarding and pet care
The RI DEM Division of Agriculture licenses boarding kennels and doggie daycares ($50 a year, with proof that local zoning allows it). State law exempts anyone who boards no more than four animals for a fee in a residential setting, though DEM can inspect after a written complaint. Check your town's rules too, since they can be stricter.
Source: R.I. Gen. Laws § 4-19-6
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.