Holiday Booking Messages for Pet Businesses: 5 Templates You Can Make Your Own

The short answer: holiday messages work best when they're short, honest and say what happens next. Tell people which dates you're actually open, don't call something booked until it is, and keep keys, codes and medical details out of public replies. Below are five templates you can copy, change and send.

Before you use any of them, replace every [BRACKETED PLACEHOLDER] with real details and delete lines that don't apply. Check your calendar right before sending, not from memory. Your schedule can change between breakfast and lunch.

1. Announce your holiday availability

Say what's open, without "only 2 spots left!" unless you've actually counted. Pick one next step.

Hi [CLIENT NAME], quick heads-up on holiday care. I currently have openings for [SERVICE] on [DATES]. If you'd like to ask about any of those dates, reply here with your dates and your pet's name and I'll check my calendar. — [YOUR NAME], [BUSINESS NAME]

2. Reply to an inquiry (not a booking yet)

This one gathers details and says plainly that nothing is locked in.

Thanks for reaching out, [CLIENT NAME]! I've got your request for [SERVICE] on [DATES]. To check whether I can take it, could you send [DETAILS YOU NEED, e.g. pet's name, number of pets, visit times]? This isn't a confirmed booking yet. I'll get back to you by [WHEN YOU'LL REPLY] either way.

3. Confirm an agreed appointment

Send this only after you've both agreed on dates, services, price and policies. Use your real numbers and your real policy, not new ones made up for the holidays.

You're confirmed, [CLIENT NAME]. Here's what we agreed: Pet(s): [PET NAMES] Service: [SERVICE] Dates and times: [DATES AND TIMES] Price: [AGREED PRICE] Policies: [LINK TO OR SUMMARY OF YOUR EXISTING POLICIES] If anything here looks wrong, reply and I'll fix it.

4. Send a friendly prep reminder

A few days ahead, remind people what you need. Ask for access details and care notes privately. Never in a public comment.

Hi [CLIENT NAME], looking forward to seeing [PET NAME] on [DATE]. Before then, please make sure I have [WHAT YOU NEED, e.g. food, leash, updated emergency contact, any care changes]. If anything about access or care has changed, send it to me privately through [PRIVATE CHANNEL]. See you soon!

5. Say you're full, kindly

Being fully booked is fine. Just don't promise a spot that may never open.

Thanks so much for thinking of me, [CLIENT NAME]. I'm fully booked for [DATES]. If you'd like, I can add you to my waitlist and message you if something opens up, but I can't promise it will. You may want to keep looking in the meantime. [OPTIONAL: Other dates I do have open: DATES]

Make them sound like you

Change the wording until it sounds like how you talk to clients at the door. Use the pet's name. Mention something true and specific, like "Biscuit's usual afternoon walk," but don't add made-up warmth or promises.

Stick to one call to action per message: "reply with your dates" or "book through my form," not both. Two choices often mean people pick neither.

And leave out invented deadlines, holiday fees, deposits or discounts you don't actually charge. If you do have a real holiday policy, link to the version clients already agreed to.

Keep private things private

Holiday inquiries often arrive as public comments. Answer with something like "Thanks! I'll message you privately," then take it to DMs, text or email. Travel dates plus an address tell strangers when a home is empty. Door codes, key spots and medication details belong in your intake paperwork, not a thread.

Respect "no thanks"

Send availability announcements only to people who've agreed to hear from you. If someone asks you to stop, stop and note it so you don't message them next season. If you send email marketing, follow the opt-out rules for your email tool and location.

Clear holiday messages go hand in hand with clear paperwork. If you're tightening up your forms too, see our pet sitter forms and documents checklist, and if you walk dogs, our guide to what to include in a visit report covers what to send after each visit. More for walkers lives on the dog walker resources page.

Get your intake paperwork ready

Before holiday clients say yes, it helps to have your forms ready. Our free Booked & Ready Pet Pro Starter Pack is delivered by email when you sign up below. It includes a new client intake form, pet emergency information form, daily pet report card, pet business readiness checklist and a short "Five Documents Every Pet Business Needs" guide.