Youth Pet Sitting Course

Young man walks a dog

Develop leadership skills while learning about being a responsible pet caregiver!

Youth will learn all about:

  • The Five Freedoms of Animal Welfare;
  • Responsible pet ownership;
  • How to care for an animal daily;
  • Identifying signs and symptoms of animal illnesses (including zoonotic diseases);
  • Positive reinforcement with pets;
  • Understanding animal body language;
  • How to safely handle popular pets;
  • Communicating with clients; and,
  • How to keep themselves and the pet they are looking after safe, (including preparing an emergency pet first aid kit).

This course is the perfect opportunity for youth planning to open their own pet sitting or dog walking business and is a great addition to a resume. Participants will receive an OHS Youth Pet Sitting workbook and a certificate of completion at the end of the course.

Age Requirement: Between 12 and 17 years of age

Cost: $75

Program Hours: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

To be placed on an interest list for OHS Youth Programs that are not currently open for registration, select the “Interest List” button below. Select the calendar date (December 31, 2023) and time (11:59 pm) and select “Book Now”.

Interest List

COVID-19 Safety Protocols: To ensure the safety of OHS staff, volunteers, participants and animals, we ask that participants stay home if they are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 or live with a person who has tested positive for COVID-19 in the last five days. At this time, masking is not required for OHS programs, although youth who feel more comfortable wearing masks are encouraged to do so. We are regularly monitoring public health regulations and will update our COVID-19 safety protocols if anything changes.

Youth Pet Sitting Course – Cancellation & Refund Policy: Refund requests received 48 hours in advance of the scheduled program are eligible for a refund of $50 (a $25 non-refundable administration fee applies). Refund requests received within 48 hours of the scheduled program are not eligible for a refund.

Full refunds will be issued in the event the OHS has to cancel a scheduled program.

For more information or to be added to an interest list, email programs@ottawahumane.ca or call 613-725-3166 ext. 298.