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Should I use Mad Paws?

Browse from over 40,000 trusted Pet Sitters Australia-wide with Mad Paws - view profiles and book with confidence. - madpaws.com.au

Depends. Reasonable buy if you're an Australian pet owner who wants home-based care instead of kennels and will vet sitters yourself. Skip it if you're outside Australia or need published rates and strong platform guarantees before paying.

Confidence

Medium. Based on 14 public sources — Reddit threads, Facebook groups, official site, App Store, competitor listings.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support quality
  • Security posture

Pricing

Pay per booking

Sitter-set; ~$30/day per dog reported

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed

Best for

  • Australian dog owners travelling
  • Cats needing home visits
  • Owners avoiding kennels
  • Sitters wanting side income

Not for

  • Pet owners outside Australia
  • Anyone wanting fixed, published rates upfront
  • Multi-pet owners on tight budgets
  • People unwilling to prepay into a platform wallet

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

Money is held by Mad Paws after you approve a booking; disputes reportedly get messy

medium

Rates are sitter-set and unpublished; ~$30/day per dog means multi-pet trips add up fast

medium

Sitter fees/take-rate not disclosed anywhere in sources; earnings may be smaller than expected

medium

No public security page; safety rests on reviews and vetting you do yourself

Pros and cons

Pros

  • 40,000+ sitters across Australia to choose from
  • Boarding, sitting, drop-ins, day care and walking in one place
  • Owners report preferring it over kennels
  • Browse, compare reviews and chat before booking
  • Sitters earn side income caring for animals

Cons

  • Some users call it 'convenient but a bit dodgy'
  • Payments held by platform; a booking dispute went to legal advice
  • Not cheap: ~$30/day per dog quoted
  • No published pricing or public security page

Sources & method

Analyzed 10/05/2026 - 10 sources - No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

official x3review x6security x1

Key stats

  • Value for money: 3/5

    Rating

  • Sitter-set; ~$30/day per dog reported

    Starting price

  • 10

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 3/5. Users say 'not cheap' but prefer it over kennels
  • Ease of use: 3/5. Browse profiles, compare reviews, chat, book
  • Feature depth: 3/5. Boarding, sitting, drop-ins, day care, walking
  • Support quality: 2/5. Booking dispute escalated to legal advice on Reddit
  • Security posture: 2/5. No public security page found
  • 40,000+ Sitter network Australia-wide, company claim
  • ~$30/day Typical boarding rate per dog, one Melbourne sitter report
  • None Published pricing Sitters set their own rates

Pricing

Pay per booking

Sitter-set; ~$30/day per dog reported

  • No published rate card found
  • Platform fees/take-rate not disclosed

Security

No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

What users say

Owners generally like the care versus kennels, but some distrust the marketplace and payment-holding disputes surface on legal forums.

“Ive used it for my two dogs, the sitter has earned $30 per day per dog, it's not cheap but a great service and we much prefer to kennel.”
Reddit, r/melbourne
“Sites/apps like MadPaws, pawshake, or PetBacker?? What are your experiences? They seem convenient but a bit dodgy.”
Reddit, r/melbourne
“I was on mad paws for 2 years and they have to pay in advance to mad paws once you approve, madpaws holds the money”
Reddit, r/AusLegal
Full analysis

Based on 14 public sources — Reddit threads, Facebook groups, official site, App Store, competitor listings.

40,000+ Aussie sitters and decent word of mouth, but no published pricing and payment disputes reported. Vet sitters yourself.

Methodology

Based on 14 public sources — Reddit threads, Facebook groups, official site, App Store, competitor listings.

Sources

  1. Mad Paws official sitemadpaws.com.au
    official
  2. Mad Paws security pagemadpaws.com.au
    security
  3. How does Mad Paws work? (FAQ)madpaws.com.au
    official
  4. Mad Paws App Store listingapps.apple.com
    official
  5. Reddit r/melbourne owner experiencereddit.com
    review
  6. Reddit r/melbourne 'a bit dodgy' threadreddit.com
    review
  7. Reddit r/AusLegal payment disputereddit.com
    review
  8. Reddit r/AussieFrugal sitter earningsreddit.com
    review
  9. Reddit r/MadPawsAU sitter/owner forumreddit.com
    review
  10. Care.com dog sitter listingscare.com
    review

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