Australia is a nation of animal lovers. There are an estimated 24 millioncompanion animals in Australia and around 62 per cent of Aussie households have a pet. However, being a pet-parent comes with a list of jobs and responsibilities, and some pet owners are happy to pay someone else do deal with them.
Tim Fung is the co-founder and CEO of Airtasker, an online platforms that allows users to post odd jobs online, and people willing to do those jobs ‘bid’ on the task with a dollar amount of how much they would like to be paid to do that job, then the job poster accepts the deal they’re happy to pay for, and the job gets done. According to Tim, the Australian Airtasker community is currently over 2.5 million people.
“In 2017, we saw nearly 800,000 new members join the platform, taking the total number of tasks posted per week to over 30,000 today,” says Tim.
“The great thing about Airtasker is that anyone can earn money from sharing their unique skills. From piano removal to scarf-knitting and everything in between – you can get anything done on Airtasker. The fastest growing categories on Airtasker are removals, gardening, painting and cleaning.”
However, Airtasker is also one of those places where you can find strange and amusing job listings.
“Australians really love their pets and on Airtasker we see this adoration expressed first-hand,” says Tim. “While many tasks are run of the mill like pet grooming and walking, people take to Airtasker when they need someone with the right skills to complete all kinds of weird and wonderful tasks.”
From parrot-bathing to cat serenading, Tim says Airtasker is the natural choice for Aussie’s looking for the right person to help them with their… interesting needs.
“The reality is that there’s someone out there with the right skills for whatever need done and we’re able to facilitate that connection.”
Check out some of the more interesting jobs postings on Airtasker right now below.
Bathe my pet parrot – $105
“I have a pet parrot, named Parrot Hilton. She is a fancy bird and can be quite emotional, so previous bird washing experience would be nice, but not essential.”
Assist with dog training – pretend to be a postman – $25
“Hi, bit of a weird one but need someone to be my assistant for training my dog. He gets excited when people come to the door and I need to train him out of it. Basically your job will be to come and knock on the door. So you don’t actually have to interact with the dog and he won’t be jumping on you as he will be on the other side of the door. Probably need you for about an hour at most.”
Dress my persian cat – $50
“I can not dress her because she only prefers a male to do this job. The cat must wear leotards and a tutu, four ballerina slippers (these can be tricky to tie up as she loves to attack the ribbons that are to be tied around her little ankles – slippers alone can take an hour depending how frisky she is) but in all, she’s pretty easy and her ‘bites’ are not that scary, I don’t like to be the ‘bad cop’ as it can mess with her psyche… Her name is ‘Miss burrito’, and you MUST sing Cat Stevens song whilst you dress her. No singing lessons necessary, but must be Cat Stevens or Madonna in which case it must be ‘Material Girl’. This job needs to be done at 7am sharp.”
Looking for dog and cat models – $5
“Did you always want to be a model? You can have the next best thing and have your dog or cat model for me! I’m a photographer with over 20 years experience looking to build a portfolio of pet photography. I would love to take photos of your dog or cat, you’ll get gorgeous retouched images in exchange.”
Someone with endoscope camera to find pet ferret – $300
“Yesterday our ferret broke through the back of a kitchen cupboard and has disappeared into the cavity that seems to accommodate our building’s water pipes. We haven’t seen or heard her and we need to know if she’s in there. The hole through to the cavity is about the size of a fist, we are keen to try cutting the cupboard to get better access if possible. We need someone to bring an endoscope/drain/pest inspection camera to give us a good look in there so we can hopefully find her. Will update with photos when I can get them.”
DOG QUESTION QUIZ MASTER – for fundraiser Quiz Night – $150
“Looking for a competent and entertaining quiz master to create and host a fun general knowledge quiz with the inclusion of some DOG based questions for a not-for-profit Dog Agility Club fundraiser.”
Drive pug dog from Newcastle to Bargo NSW – $220
“I introduce Bob, an elderly pug dog who my Wife and I have been looking after for a few weeks. Bob now needs to return to Bargo, NSW 2574 (about 215km) and needs someone kind and caring who loves dogs to transport him safely and comfortably from us In Fletcher, NSW to Bargo. Bob is a calm character and will probably just sleep on the seat most of the way with some intermittent snoring. He may need one or two toilet breaks on the journey and most likely some water. We have a harness and car seat belt clip for Bob so he will be safe and sound and not be able to move around your car. If you fancy a road trip with Bob calling ‘shotgun’ then make an offer.”
Dog Poo Bin 💩🐕 – $50
“I have a dog I love very much, only problem is she is 30 kgs and she loves to poo. She literally is a little poo machine. I mean like non-stop. Now I am moving places and I have a bin half full of dog poo to get rid of – bin is shared with neighbours, not an option at this stage. I have considered setting it on fire and calling the fire squad, inadvertently losing it somewhere or… reaching out to someone here with a ute and a tip pass. Any saviour able to rid me of this gift by my furry best friend would be appreciated in my life at this point. Otherwise I am praying an alien picks this up. Ps : it is covered and you won’t touch any of it”
Dog tummy rubber – $50
“My little dog likes his tummy rubbed, clockwise, till his foot and tail wiggle. I’ve not had the time to do this. Looking for a tummy rubber, to keep him happy. My rabbit and dog both need grooming ( brushing, etc ) also.”
Make a video for a dog pool party – $35
“I need a video maker or photographer to make a nice video of a dog pool party tomorrow”
CREATE JUMPERS FOR CATS – $100
“We have 4 Sphynx cats. They are hairless and they need warm clothes in winter.
We need jumpers for cheaper than what you find in shops like pet barn, and longer on their back, so custom made is better. We want at least 2 jumpers each cat. I can show examples. See pictures. We know this is a weird task.”
Pick up some pet rats for me 🙂 – $30
“I am without car. Just need someone to go pick up my two new pet rats some time this week (probably Thursday/ Friday or Saturday) .. they cone in a cage. Just need them transported to me from Capalaba to Wooloowin.”
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