Au Pair and Pet Care | Can an Au Pair Care for Pets?

If you’re thinking about welcoming an au pair into your home to care for your children, you might be wondering, “Can an au pair care for pets, too?” The simple answer to this question is no — you cannot require an au pair to tend to your pets.

When an Au Pair May Care for Your Pets

While providing pet care can’t be a formal job requirement for an au pair, there are instances when an au pair may assist. If your children are responsible for tending to your pets, for instance, your au pair may help them perform their pet care duties as a natural extension of her child care responsibilities.

Additionally, even though you can’t compel an au pair to care for pets, many of them become so entrenched in the lives of their host families that they volunteer to lend a helping hand. Just like they care for your children, a lot of au pairs are more than willing to care for your pets when you can’t do so yourself — and sometimes even when you can.

How to Know If an Au Pair May Be Willing to Tend to Your Pets

If you’d like to host an au pair who shares your affection for pets, the interview is an ideal time to figure out if a candidate has an interest in animals. When you interview a prospective au pair, you should let the individual know that you have pets in your home, and tell her what kind of pets you have. You should inquire about any allergies she may have as well to ensure she won’t have a reaction to being in the same home as your pets.

No matter what, you want your au pair to feel comfortable and safe in your home even if she prefers not to care for your pets. Asking if she’s okay being around animals before she arrives is important.

Even if a prospective au pair assures you that she will be more than happy to tend to your pets when you interview her, you still cannot make providing pet care a mandatory part of her job. An au pair can only care for pets on a voluntary basis because her primary responsibility is to look after your children.

Contact EurAupair for More Information

To learn more about the duties you can and cannot require an au pair to perform during her time in your home or for more information about our EurAupair Intercultural Child Care Programs, contact the friendly staff at EurAupair.