A pet sitter becomes part of your parent's home routine the moment you hand over a key and a feeding schedule. You will not be standing in the doorway, so the questions you ask before the first visit do most of the work.
Local option: New Plan Care gives families in the St. Louis area in-home help so a parent can stay home: companionship, help with bathing and dressing, meals, and overnight care. Call (314) 405-0887.
Confirm the basics on paper
Ask each sitter for proof of liability insurance and whether they are bonded. Ask for the certificate itself, then confirm the policy is active with the insurer rather than trusting a photo of a card. Ask whether they work alone or bring in a second person for holidays or sick days, and whether that person is covered too.
Compare the access plan
Ask who holds each key, where spares are kept, and whether the sitter will need an alarm code. Write down how keys are returned when the job ends. A sitter with a clear answer about entry, locking up, and what they touch in the house is easier to trust than one who says it depends.
Compare the check-in
Ask how often they visit, how long each visit lasts, and what they send you afterward. Ask whether they send a photo of the dog, a short note on food and water, and a message if anything looks wrong. Ask how quickly they answer a call or text, and who they contact if you cannot be reached.
Set the vet line before it is needed
Ask what the sitter will do if the dog is ill or hurt. Decide which clinic is closest, whether the sitter can approve treatment, can only call you, or should call a named person in your family or a helper in St. Louis. Put any spending limit in writing and tell the vet who may approve care. Ask whether the sitter has handled an emergency before and what they did.
What to do tonight
Make a short list of three sitters and send each the same five questions: insurance, keys, visit length, check-in format, and vet authorization. Note which one answers the whole list without being pushed. If you need a local name to call for a backup, the Local Help for a St. Louis Parent page is a place to start. Keep the notes with the dog's records.
What to leave with the vet
Leave the vet a written note with the name of the person who may approve care, the best phone number to reach them, and the sitter's name and number. Include the dog's vaccination record and any standing instructions, and say whether the sitter may bring the dog in. If the dog already has a treatment plan, leave a copy so the vet and the sitter are working from the same page.