PRN Exotic Pet Caretaker
House of Guineas LLC — In-Home Care, San Francisco & The Peninsula
Location: We are San Francisco based, and visits run throughout SF and down the Peninsula. San Francisco and immediately neighboring cities are preferred. We'll consider candidates a bit farther out if you can reliably get to and around the city for visits.
- If you're farther out than that, the commute tends not to be sustainable for a role built on shift block visits. We'd rather be upfront than have it wear you down the road (no pun intended).
- Position Type: PRN (as-needed), permanent, part-time (W-2). There are no guaranteed hours in this role — you'll be offered visits as they come up and take the ones that fit your availability. Visit hours increase substantially October through mid-January, our busiest season.
- Target Start Date: Mid-October 2026
- Schedule: Our work runs in three daily blocks — morning, midday, and evening. Evening coverage is the core of this role. We're looking for someone available for evening blocks at least 3 days per week. Morning and midday availability is a plus, and candidates who can offer it will be prioritized. Weekend availability is also a strong plus.
Holiday availability is required for this role. Our busiest dates are Thanksgiving, December 24–26, and December 31–January 1. Major holidays are paid at time-and-a-half.
- Pay: $23.00/hour to start, with a performance review at 90 days and an increase up to $25.00/hour on a satisfactory review. Every 30-minute drop-in visit is paid as a full 1-hour block.
ABOUT US
House of Guineas LLC provides high-standard care in clients' homes for a wide variety of small mammals, reptiles, and birds across San Francisco and the Peninsula. Founded by a former Engineer and Exotic Veterinary Assistant, our company was born from a profound love for unique pets. We believe that to give the best care to the animals, you need to feel your best.
While this role requires independence in the field, we are a deeply connected team that values genuine camaraderie, whether we are coordinating our next team escape room, talking about our latest video game and D&D campaigns, or sharing updates about our own pets. We want your work here to be fun, rewarding, and full of exciting challenges!
THE POSITION
This is a PRN (as-needed) role. You'll step in alongside our field team to cover in-home care visits when extra coverage is needed; during busy stretches, teammate time off, or scheduling gaps.
The heart of this role is hands-on animal husbandry; the daily upkeep and wellbeing of the animals we look after. Enclosure cleaning, species-specific feeding, fresh water, environmental checks, and enrichment that actually improves an animal's day. You'll thrive here if you take real pride in that work, can operate independently with minimal supervision, and find genuine satisfaction in the routine care that keeps animals healthy.
You do not need a veterinary background for this job. What you need is genuine hands-on experience with exotic pets, a high standard for cleanliness and detail, the observational instinct to notice when something is off, and the reliability to be exactly where you said you'd be, when you said you'd be there.
If husbandry isn't where you want to spend most of your time, this likely isn't the right fit.
PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Animal Husbandry (the core of the job): Provide meticulous daily care and habitat upkeep for small mammals (guinea pigs, rabbits, chinchillas, hamsters), reptiles, and birds, including enclosure cleaning, bedding changes, environmental monitoring, and enrichment.
Dietary Management: Prepare and manage species-specific nutrition. For reptile clients, this includes the safe handling and storage of live or frozen feeder insects and small feeder mammals.
Medication Support: Administer oral and topical medications when a client's pet is on a prescribed course. Comfort with subcutaneous (SQ) injections is a nice-to-have, not a requirement.
Observation & Reporting: Notice and report changes — appetite, droppings, activity level, breathing, posture. You don't need to diagnose anything. You need to notice it and tell us.
Client Communication: Deliver detailed photo and video updates that give clients genuine peace of mind while their animals are in our care.
WHEN SOMETHING GOES WRONG
Most days, nothing does. But this is care for living animals, and we want to be straightforward with you about the rare days.
Your job is to notice and escalate. If you see a red-flag symptom, you contact us immediately. We, as a team, make the call on what happens next. You are never expected to make a medical judgment on your own.
Transport: If a pet needs to be seen, you may be asked to safely transport them to a veterinary hospital and act as the communication link between hospital staff and the client.
Rare, serious situations: Occasionally an animal in our care is elderly or seriously ill, and a difficult situation unfolds while their family is away. These moments are handled strictly through veterinary guidance and explicit client consent. You will never navigate one of these alone.
WHO YOU ARE
Meticulous and reliable. You hold a high standard for cleanliness and detail, and you show up when you said you would. This matters here more than any credential on this list.
Available for evening blocks at least 3 days per week. Evening coverage is the core of this role. Morning, midday, and weekend availability is a plus, and candidates who can offer more days or more blocks will be given priority.
Experienced with exotic pets, hands-on. This can come from many places: years of keeping and caring for your own reptiles, rabbits, birds, or small mammals; volunteering or working at a rescue, shelter, boarding facility; or previous experience in a veterinary setting. A clinic background is welcome but is not required.
Comfortable with the real parts of the job. Handling feeder insects and feeder animals, cleaning soiled enclosures, and giving oral medication to an animal who would rather you didn't.
Strong emotional intelligence. You stay composed and decisive under pressure, and you communicate clearly with clients who love these animals deeply.
Reliable commute. You can reliably commute throughout San Francisco and along the Peninsula, with an operable vehicle and a valid driver's license.
WHY WORK WITH US?
Opportunity to Grow: Start at $23.00/hour with a review at 90 days and an increase to up to $25.00/hour on a satisfactory review.
Proper Reimbursement: Mileage between client sites is reimbursed at the current IRS rate of $0.725 per mile to protect your take-home pay. Note: Driving between client sites during your shift is reimbursed, along with any driving we ask you to do mid-shift — a supply run, or transporting a pet to a veterinary hospital. Your daily commute — home to your first visit of the day, and your last visit back home — is not, as the IRS classifies this as ordinary commuting.
1-Hour Guaranteed Blocks: Every 30-minute drop-in visit is paid as a full 1-hour block to cover travel and charting.
Health, Wellness & Recovery: We are committed to providing dedicated recovery options to maintain your well-being. This includes Workers' Compensation coverage and discretionary wellness bonuses up to $100 during peak quarters.
Team Pet Perks: Team members receive a 20% discount on all House of Guineas drop-in visits for their personal pets, plus a 50% discount on our proprietary, medical-grade cage liners.
Hands-on Training: Your first week is spent shadowing our team in the field before you take a visit on your own. You'll train alongside our caretakers, with our Client Coordinator as support.
TO APPLY
Submit your resume and a summary of your species experience and background to: [email protected]
Please include answers to the following:
This role is primarily hands-on husbandry; daily cleaning, feeding, and habitat upkeep, often working independently. What draws you to that kind of work?
Tell us about the exotic animals you've cared for and in what setting (your own pets, a rescue, a facility, a clinic).
Which days and blocks can you cover? Please be specific. For example, "evenings Monday, Wednesday, Friday, plus Saturday morning." Evenings are what we're hiring for; mornings and middays are a plus.
Are you available to work Thanksgiving, December 24–26, and December 31–January 1? These are our highest-demand dates and coverage on them is required.
Describe a time you had a commitment you couldn't make. What did you do?
Do you have an up-to-date driver's license and an operable vehicle?
Are you comfortable commuting to/within SF and along the Peninsula?
When could you start? We're aiming for a mid-October start (include university return dates if applicable).
Job Type: Part-time
Pay: From $23.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Employee discount
- Flexible schedule
- On-the-job training
- Opportunities for advancement
- Paid time off
- Paid training
- Uniform allowance
People with a criminal record are encouraged to apply
Work Location: Hybrid remote in San Francisco, CA 94122
