Resources for Miami Pet Care
A working list of what to gather before the first booking with any Miami pet-care provider, plus the public bodies worth checking against. It is written for owners of dogs and cats by an independent guide, and it is not a booking page.
What to gather before anyone holds your key
Most first visits that go wrong start with a detail nobody wrote down. The list below is the set of things a provider will reasonably ask for, so the first meeting is about your pet rather than a search through drawers.
Work through it in order. Gather the records first, because a provider may need them before anything else is agreed, and leave the key handover until the rest is settled.
The working list, in order
Vaccination records
Keep the current rabies certificate and any other vaccine records together. A boarding or daycare provider may ask for them before a first stay.
Dog license tag
If you have a dog, check that its Miami-Dade license tag is current and that the dog wears it. The county’s licensing page is linked further down this page.
Medication notes
Write down each medication with its name, dose, timing and how it is given, plus what to do if a dose is missed. Add the prescribing vet’s name and number.
Household instructions
List feeding amounts, usual walk routes, the words your pet responds to, and anything it must not do, such as a particular door or meeting another animal.
The key handover
Agree in writing where the key goes, who else holds a copy and when it comes back. Ask how the provider keeps keys once a job ends.
Where people get stuck
Do I need my own vet’s number if the provider has one?
Yes. The provider may not know your pet’s history, and your vet is the one to call for medical questions.
What if a provider asks for something I do not have yet?
Say so at the start. Ask what they need and by when, then decide whether that timing works for you.
Is this list enough on its own?
No. It covers what you hand over. Choosing the arrangement is on How I Help, and the first meeting is covered on First Conversation.
Where to check what you are told
Three public bodies are worth knowing before you sign anything. Pet Sitters International runs a Pet Sitter Locator, where you can look up a sitter’s insurance, bonding and background-check status for yourself instead of taking the sitter’s word for it.
The International Boarding & Pet Services Association is the trade body for boarding and daycare facilities, groomers, walkers and sitters. Its About page describes the business resources and staff education behind the industry, which gives useful context when a facility talks about its training.
For anything local, the county is the regulator. The Miami-Dade County Animal Services page Get an Animal License says that dogs over four months old need a county license tag, and that animal businesses are licensed through Animal Services. Confirm what the county licenses with the county itself.