If you’re reading this, then you’ve probably heard about COVID-19. For an up-to-date summary of how it’s affecting Australia, we suggest this resource by the Department of Health. In short, its effects are reaching across the nation, and the pet-loving community is no exception. At Mad Paws, nothing is more important than the safety of our Pet Owners, Pet Sitters, and furry clients. For this reason, we’ve introduced extra safety and hygiene measures for our Pet Sitters.

If you’re reading this, then you’ve _probably_ heard about COVID-19. For an up-to-date summary of how it’s affecting Australia, we suggest this resource by [the Department of Health](https://www.health.gov.au/news/health-alerts/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov-health-alert?utm_source=crm&utm_medium=email_OBRSU_cats&utm_campaign=COVID&utm_content=department_of_health). In short, its effects are reaching across the nation, and the pet-loving community is no exception. At Mad Paws, nothing is more important than the safety of our Pet Owners, Pet Sitters, and furry clients. For this reason, we’ve introduced extra safety and hygiene measures for our Pet Sitters.   

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![COVID-19 Pet Sitter Precautions](https://brainfish-storage-dev.s3-accelerate.amazonaws.com/uploads/194e8db0-bb76-4a6b-9c71-73089473a0b7/a18b5b0f-e607-485c-867d-7a3702763e72/imported?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Credential=ASIAQQB3EWECCZCMWOSS%2F20260522%2Fus-east-2%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20260522T223403Z&X-Amz-Expires=3000&X-Amz-Security-Token=IQoJb3JpZ2luX2VjEF4aCXVzLWVhc3QtMiJGMEQCIFAgbMFDkRyePgO9nz1lT7EE%2FrOK0ZzfjPgnLiNXMiUjAiBTM3z4%2F9mwqMI67%2F0Ximz8VZBGr9TAlXxNJgdgfsJypiraBQgnEAEaDDAzNDQ4Mzc3Nzc5NiIMQpjXl3VTIXktEcFKKrcF2R5AIe99NmYr5y6wD99MzAROU4WGret9U5prL19B2AhxohuE14L2JcGaPF%2Fyo9voIZ%2FwYODOUq94Cx0gjw2MNGHwE0FNGvz3k3elHU1xvVodOBB%2Fe7gZREmHWp%2BO0brIPTINtPeZkwqPSzgG9lG2GT7m7B1jqRnYiOns2VUFrs6lYyLx1mufJNO9AeWq2QSjU4dGiSfFGV0%2FSgF7cRSFTPR6bdAvPw%2B259GE%2BWksJGo64uy%2B166lKF6%2Fo9RYxL8HPdX4j%2FITmFePHMtsSQ4QFagupnMH6the3QWdQokjDzQ2k7eP5Js50yjminbnxSopbD5PTLs5Ofr56KXI8Hr0t9nOGS%2F%2BdfY%2FekkymDybLHPyF31jpssVeV1R5z0fRIRNtEtIO2ja85zd93KumGXTw4OXvJx5fEeovXnf0jtiPOukJuU302g3J2U1aWzMZNSA9UihluJqVYu0faVfBP7LhkPidS07dQY0Umgs8IdyH9%2FRaCtys4rKC82x3nPEqOx%2BaCtaqsxKLkG57shIHip7sDkBIA6fqnqEvuZ3RgkStoq5GqRmcGBM1nDWAFAI%2FI8720D0avzO%2B4oRdvgFAovpOSIDO%2Fy2FokuzeZchPdWwsg%2BM6ZOOmbf4sxCZAiPV8SEYE0X3qjokuiD8pQOq87T69seyKEzaB7hil3rea%2BAnO4rX%2BL1eUxGJjzvpiKkB8qgomHqXNrxqWF3vqN1ks9pkA5890ySzTBggL7jIO1qVj2v1LIYyFq7zMoaK5N%2FbsOsT42lA0zyrVdtS3a9YwOfbglSBPrLGMpgBhJHnOFUjFxPUD1aMUIr%2Fx8FX2hXUhAzY2rxJrb27xnWVNsysVFKN%2FTiu8lkoJIw9JY9X4DSVZpn1rul4KfXeMi30o41tDcjApgD4j36WzP3bgH3CujEtSQADwn8cg0w2pjD0AY6kQErf%2BP1qLAd%2BVqXbdj4TNCmD8pZ4zwqMleSJXOckCQXSWFaX8sRfo%2FCpLSx75LRzRpMNLsDFLjEbymRxSrltDG901yN7V%2Fm%2FLfg4vHsl3d1Fs%2FmQC7Xe8B1DEpsDmT2682fgW7tGLvWmGPvSZkpmopETc5AONaaJt44eIhJ3vQ6pWhsgVqfUvyx%2FsV9NEzXcMkj&X-Amz-Signature=d388ed6d02522c50093185f9f2384e06681620df3327745587609775816b0c83&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&response-content-disposition=attachment&x-amz-checksum-mode=ENABLED&x-id=GetObject)

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Should you have a booking with a Mad Paws Pet Sitter, you can know they’ve taken the right precautions. These measures align with advice from the Department of Health and the [World Health Organisation](https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses), and equate to the following: 

-   **They sanitised their hands before meeting you** – Is your Sitter about to pick up your pet? They’ve just sanitised their hands. Are they dropping off your furry friend after a [Dog Walk](https://www.madpaws.com.au/dogwalkers/perth-wa)? They’ve just sanitised their hands. Whenever your Sitter is about to enter your space, you can be sure that they’ve just sanitised. 
-   **They haven’t returned from an overseas trip within the last 14 days** – If a Sitter has travelled internationally within the last two weeks, we instruct them to stay at home. 
-   **They haven’t met anyone who’s returned from an overseas trip within the last 14 days** – Same deal as above. 
-   **They stay at home if they’re feeling even mildly ill** – Whether it’s a cough, a fever, or the sniffles, we won’t take any chances with your or our Sitters’ health. No matter how mild the symptoms may be, our policy dictates that Sitters stay home if they’re sick.
-   **They arrange contactless pickup and drop-off of your pet where possible** – When booking a Sitter, please arrange for contactless pickup/drop-off in a manner that suits your circumstances.
    -   For example, if you live in an apartment building, your Sitter can collect your furry friend from the lobby. To ensure your pet is only on their own for a few seconds, the Sitter can text you when they are approaching. That way, you can leave moments before they arrive. 
    -   If you live in a house, you can apply the same idea by securing your pet in their crate or carry case in the yard. Once again, the Sitter can call or text on approach so you won’t need to leave your pet for long.
-   **Anything else you might require** – We know this situation is rapidly changing, and we’re here to support you through it. Should you have any other queries or concerns, feel free to discuss them with your Sitter. 

For any other questions, take a look at our FAQ on [COVID-19 and Pet Sitting bookings](https://www.madpaws.com.au/blog/covid-19-pet-sitting/). Looking for more pet-centric insights? We’ve also compiled a piece on [whether COVID-19 can affect your pet](https://www.madpaws.com.au/blog/can-coronavirus-affect-your-pet/). 

Stay safe, pet lovers. Together, we can make it through COVID-19!

COVID-19: How We’re Keeping Our Community Safe

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COVID-19: How We’re Keeping Our Community Safe

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COVID-19: How We’re Keeping Our Community Safe

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