Creature Comforts ADK is an independent pet supply store in downtown Westport, NY, serving pets and their people throughout the Adirondack Coast. We offer quality pet food, treats, toys, supplies, and everyday essentials, along with services including dog walking and in-home pet care.

As a small, locally owned business, we believe great customer service means being helpful, knowledgeable, and genuinely invested in the people and pets we serve. We’re building the kind of neighborhood pet store where customers know they can stop in with a question, find what they need, and see a familiar face behind the counter.

Our team is small, hands-on, and collaborative. Everyone plays a role in keeping the store running, caring for our customers, and helping Creature Comforts grow.

Happy pets on the Adirondack Coast.

Creature Comforts ADK | Westport, NY

Creature Comforts ADK is expanding into in-home pet care, and we are looking for reliable, compassionate people to join us as independent contractors.

This is a flexible, per-visit position. You will travel directly to clients' homes to provide dog walking, cat care, and eventually overnight and housesitting services.

We are looking for people who genuinely love animals and understand that being entrusted with someone's pets and home is a responsibility we take seriously.

Services We Offer

Dog Walking

Dog walks are scheduled during daytime hours and may be provided as individual walks or group walks.

Walkers may combine compatible dogs from different clients into a group walk with the clients' permission. A maximum of five dogs may be walked together, in accordance with our insurance coverage.

All dog walks will use GPS-enabled walk tracking. Walkers will use their smartphone to track the route and duration of each walk, allowing pet owners and Creature Comforts ADK to see that the walk was completed as scheduled.

Group walks can make this a particularly rewarding opportunity for walkers:

Each client's walk is paid separately, even when dogs are walked together.

For example, if five clients each book a $20 walk and their dogs are safely combined into one group walk:

5 × $20 = $100 in total service revenue

70% walker share = $70

The walker is responsible for determining whether dogs can be safely and appropriately walked together. Safety and the individual needs of each dog always come first.

Cat Care Visits

We will also provide in-home care visits for cats.

Visits may include:

• Feeding and refreshing water
• Cleaning or changing litter boxes
• Checking on the pet and providing companionship
• Giving medications or other routine care when appropriate and agreed upon
• Checking the home for any obvious concerns
• Communicating anything unusual or concerning to the pet owner

Overnight & Housesitting Care

Creature Comforts ADK will also be offering overnight pet care and housesitting.

These services may include staying overnight in a client's home, caring for their pets, maintaining their normal routines, and providing basic home care while the client is away.

Overnight and housesitting services will be introduced as the program grows and may provide additional opportunities for contractors who are interested in this type of work.

Compensation

This is a per-service independent contractor position, not an hourly position.

For dog walks and pet care visits, the contractor receives 70% of the listed price of each completed service.

An example:

If a dog walk costs $20:

Walker receives $14.

If five $20 dog walks are combined into one group walk:

Total client charges: $100

Walker receives: $70

This allows walkers to increase their earning potential by efficiently combining compatible walks when appropriate.

Compensation for overnight and housesitting services will be established separately based on the service provided.

Availability

We are looking for people who can commit to at least two weekdays of daytime availability per week for dog walking and pet care visits.

Additional availability is welcome and may allow for more bookings.

The schedule will be based on client demand and the contractor's availability. This is intended to be a flexible opportunity rather than a fixed weekly schedule.

Requirements

• Must have a valid driver's license
• Must have reliable access to a personal vehicle
• Must be able to travel to clients' homes
• Must be comfortable entering clients' homes and responsible with keys and access codes
• Must be comfortable handling dogs and cats
• Must be physically able to walk dogs outdoors in a variety of weather conditions
• Must have a smartphone capable of running our GPS-enabled walk-tracking app
• Must be comfortable using a smartphone for scheduling, communication, GPS walk tracking, and visit documentation
• Must be willing to undergo a background check
• Must be willing to complete Pet CPR/first-aid training
• Must be willing to provide references

Previous professional pet-care experience is a plus, but not required. Experience with dogs, cats, animal care, veterinary work, training, grooming, boarding, or similar work is welcome.

What Makes a Great Pet Care Provider?

We are looking for people who are:

• Dependable
• Punctual
• Trustworthy
• Comfortable working independently
• Attentive to animals' individual needs
• Good communicators
• Comfortable following detailed instructions
• Respectful of clients' homes and property
• Calm and confident around animals

Most importantly, we want people who will treat every animal in their care as if it were their own.

Training

All contractors will receive training on Creature Comforts ADK's pet-care procedures, client communication, safety expectations, GPS walk tracking, and visit documentation.

Pet CPR/first-aid training will be required as part of onboarding.

Additional training will be provided as we expand our services to include overnight and housesitting care.