Training in Animal Care - PetCloud Academy

Training - PetCloud Academy

Why every sitter on PetCloud should complete the Pet Professionals course 


One short course. More bookings. Lower risk. A badge that sets you apart from every sitter who hasn't bothered. Here's everything you need to know.


Hear from Pet Sitter and Dog Walker Cecilia about the course.  
Date published: 23 Oct 2021


7,939sitters already enrolled


$99one-off cost
often tax deductible


2–3 hrsself-paced, online


$25,000potential max
court-ordered loss

The reality check

Pet care comes with real legal responsibility — whether you realise it or not

Under Australian Consumer Law, every pet sitter and dog walker must guarantee they use an acceptable level of skill and technical knowledge when providing services, and take all necessary care to avoid loss or damage. That's not a recommendation — it's a legal obligation.

What does that look like in practice? It means researching a breed before a Meet & Greet. It means knowing how to spot signs of illness. It means having an escape-proof, hazard-free environment if you offer in-home boarding.

Without training, you could face
1
Up to $25,000 in potential court-ordered losses if a pet escapes, drowns, is injured, needs emergency vet care, or goes missing
2
Accusations of negligence or cruelty — which can be publicly damaging and career-ending
3
Council fines if a pet in your care breaches local by-laws

The good news? Completing the PetCloud Academy Pet Professionals course is one of the clearest ways to demonstrate you took reasonable steps to prepare — exactly what courts and owners look for.

What the course covers

10 modules developed in collaboration with senior RSPCA vets — covering everything you need

  • Preparing your home — including a backyard safety checklist
  • Basic dog care — guide to introducing animals to your space
  • Meets, greets & customer service — communicating with owners professionally
  • Pet behaviour challenges — separation anxiety, carrying home, toilet training
  • Basic cat care — preparing your family and property for cats
  • Pet emergencies — first aid, spotting illness, finding emergency contacts via PetCloud
  • Insurance liability — what to do if accidents happen
  • Local & state laws — your obligations as a pet professional
  • Getting a strong listing & marketing it — grow your client base with confidence
  • Assessment — complete and earn your badge

The ranking advantage

Pet owners search by trust signals — make sure yours stand out

PetCloud displays a Pet Professional Training Completed badge on your profile when you finish the course. This badge shows pet owners — at a glance — that you've done the work, taken the training seriously, and can be trusted with their family member.


Think of it this way: if a pet owner is choosing between two sitters and everything else is equal, the one with the training badge wins every time. It's a visible, verifiable proof point — and at $99, it costs less than a single emergency vet callout fee to earn.

The cost breakdown

$99 — and there are two ways it could cost you nothing

Course price: $99 AUD
Option 1 — Potentially Tax deductible self-education expense
If you earn income from pet sitting or dog walking, the cost of this course may be claimable as a self-education expense. Ask your tax agent — many sitters claim the full $99 back at tax time.
Option 2 — Paid for by your Employment Service Provider
ESPs like WorkSkil Australia can access funding to cover training costs for participants. If you're referred to an ESP through Centrelink, simply ask them — they may pay the full course fee on your behalf.

Bonus materials included

You don't just get the course — you get a full business starter kit

Who it's for

Whether you're new or experienced, this course adds value

The Pet Professionals course is designed for pet sitters, house sitters, doggy day carers, dog walkers, and pet taxi drivers. It doesn't matter if you've been doing this for a week or a decade — the RSPCA-backed curriculum covers scenarios and legal obligations that most experienced sitters have never formally learned.

It's self-paced, completed entirely online, and typically finished in 2–3 hours. There's no exam pressure — just practical, vet-developed knowledge you can apply immediately.

Ready to rank higher and protect yourself?
Join 7,939 sitters who've already completed the course. Your badge is waiting.
Takes 2–3 hours. Costs $99. Could save you $25,000.

Once you have completed the Pet Professional Course, take a screenshot of your completion page saying 100% and upload that - we will receive it in our queue and will allocate a digital badge to your listing.  We don't offer a downloadable certificate as the training is exclusive to the PetCloud platform only.

If you have trouble accessing the course please use a chrome browser and set it onto incognito mode. Please contact us if you face any trouble



You will be assigned a digital badge to your PetCloud profile and we will promote your listing across our social media accounts sharing to you to Pet Owners.  The badge helps you stand out in search results when Pet Owners are searching the platform for someone high quality, knowledgeable and professional and increases your chances of getting chosen for jobs as it shows you take the care of their furbaby seriously.