Houndtrust frequently asked questions
Updated September 16, 2026
Houndtrust is business software for solo sitters, boarders, walkers, and groomers. Trust Link gathers the care profile and emergency authorization for the caregiver to review. Houndtrust charges no marketplace booking commission.
What is Houndtrust?
Houndtrust is pet-care business software for independent sitters, boarders, walkers, and groomers. It supports dogs, cats, other pets, and house sitting with or without pets. Trust Link gathers the client and pet-care profile plus emergency-vet authorization. Booking dates and the e-signed care agreement follow in the same workspace. Pip drafts client updates from your quick notes. You can send each one as a clean Simple Update or a collectible Stay Card. Houndtrust is subscription software, not a marketplace.
Does Houndtrust take a percentage of my bookings?
Houndtrust does not charge a marketplace booking commission. Flexible costs $0 per month with five manual booking completions each month. Houndtrust card bookings bypass that allowance and carry one $5 Flexible fee when they qualify. Solo has a $24 monthly founding price, unlimited manual completions, and no $5 Flexible fee. Connected cards also carry a 1.5% caregiver-paid automation fee on the care subtotal, plus Stripe processing fees. Tips are excluded.
How is Houndtrust different from Rover or Wag?
Rover and Wag are marketplaces. They find clients, take a cut from each booking, and keep the relationship on their platform. Houndtrust is software for running clients you already have or earn yourself. There is no marketplace booking commission, and the client stays yours.
Is Houndtrust good for a one-person dog-care business?
Yes. Flexible and Solo support one-person businesses. Teams is a private beta for approved businesses that need worker access, assignments, response tracking, and a team calendar. The beta adds no Teams charge; your existing plan and payment fees still apply. Workers are paid through your existing process, not automatic Houndtrust payroll. See the Teams page to apply.
What does Trust Link actually do?
Trust Link is Houndtrust's private new-client intake link. It gathers contact details, a detailed pet-care profile, health and behavior information, veterinary details, optional records, and emergency-vet authorization. Clients fill it out from their phone, and the client and pet records land in the caregiver's dashboard. Booking dates and the care agreement come afterward.
How much does Houndtrust cost?
There are two plans. Flexible is $0 per month with five manual booking completions each month. Houndtrust card bookings bypass that allowance and carry one $5 Flexible fee when they qualify. Solo adds unlimited manual completions, the money dashboard, Pip, branding, reminders, and advanced automation for $24 per month at the current founding price. Solo has no $5 Flexible fee. New accounts get seven days of full access with no card.
Do dog sitters need a liability waiver?
Most solo dog-care pros should use a signed liability waiver. It sets expectations and records that the owner accepts the normal risks of care. Requirements vary by state, so this is not legal advice. Trust Link records the emergency authorization during intake. Houndtrust sends the separate care agreement for e-signature after the booking is set.
What is emergency vet authorization, and do I need it?
Emergency vet authorization is the owner's written permission for you to seek care if the pet gets sick or hurt. The owner can set a spending limit. Houndtrust collects the authorization during intake.
Can Houndtrust write client updates for me?
Yes. Say a few words about the dog's day and Houndtrust's AI assistant, Pip, turns them into a warm note in your voice. It's an assist, not autopilot: you review everything before it sends. The goal is turning one-time clients into regulars.
What are Stay Cards?
Stay Cards are an optional update style. Before each send, the caregiver can choose a clean Simple Update or turn the same reviewed note and photos into a collectible card with the business name on it. Stay Cards can build into a pack the client saves or shares. The first is a Rookie Card. Rare pulls turn gold, and the 1-in-500 Best in Show card goes full holo. Open Poppy's example pack on the homepage to try it.
How do my clients pay me?
You choose Venmo, Cash App, PayPal, a personal payment link, cash, or connected Stripe card payments. Flexible includes five manual booking completions each month, and Solo includes unlimited manual completions. Connected cards bypass the Flexible allowance, automatically mark the request paid, and carry a 1.5% caregiver-paid Houndtrust fee on the care amount, plus Stripe processing fees. Clients pay no Houndtrust surcharge. After the stay, they can add an optional tip that is never pre-selected and stays 100% yours.
What happens if a connected card payment is disputed?
Your connected Stripe account is the merchant of record, so you are responsible for the disputed payment, Stripe processing and dispute fees, and any negative balance. Houndtrust does not insure the charge. If Stripe finally closes the dispute as lost, Houndtrust returns the proportional share of its own fee tied to the amount lost, up to the fee it collected. Pending and won disputes do not trigger a Houndtrust fee return.
Can I export my clients if I ever leave?
Your clients and their details are yours. Houndtrust is software you run your business on, not a marketplace that owns the relationship, and we never insert ourselves between you and a rebooking. You can export your money data (income and expenses) as CSV from the Money dashboard, and Settings has a one-click Download my data button for your account and business records. If you delete your account, there is a 30-day recovery window before it is removed from active systems. Limited legal records may be kept, and encrypted recovery backups age out on the schedule in our Privacy Policy.
Do my clients get a portal?
Yes. Each client gets a pet portal for updates, photos, and messages. They do not need to download an app.
Does Houndtrust work for boarders, walkers, and groomers too?
Yes. Houndtrust supports boarding, walks, hikes, daycare, grooming, cat sitting, cat drop-ins, other pet care, and house sitting with or without pets. Set your own services and rates. Trust Link accepts up to six pets with Dog, Cat, or Other species choices.
Can Houndtrust text my clients?
Yes. Clients can choose transactional care updates by text on your booking request or Trust Link. The text choice is optional and unchecked by default. Email and the pet portal still work, and clients can reply STOP anytime.
Less paperwork. More belly rubs.
Try everything free for a week, with no card. Houndtrust charges no marketplace booking commission.
Start freeSee Trust Link for new-client intake or Quick Trust Link for pre-stay updates