Walking The Dog Pet Services

My rates are based on how many pets a client has and how many visits I'm required to do. For example, for drop-in visits I charge $20 for one pet per visit and $3 for each additional pet. A walk for one dog is $20 for 30 minutes and $10 for each additional dog, although, the most I will walk together is no more than three due to safety reasons. The only discount I offer is for new clients who book four or more dog walks. Book four dog walks and the fifth one is free. There is a $12 surcharge for the following holidays per visit: Easter, Memorial Day, 4th of July,Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, the day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years Eve and New Years Day.

I require a consultation so I can become acquainted with the client and the client's pet(s). I now conduct these meet-and-greets on Zoom. I find that these Zoom meetings save time. This is where I would gather all the pertinent information necessary to care for the pet(s) and home. These would be details, such as the feeding and exercise routines, medical history, alarm systems, etc. Plus, a meet-and-greet is a great way to see if the pet sitter and pet(s) are a good fit.

I've never had formal training per se, but rather, life experience. As long as I can remember, I've been the one who has taken care of family pets. When I was a teenager, I became friends with a girl next door who had a black lab, a bird and a horse. Then one week over the summer, she and her family went on vacation and I was asked to watch the bird and horse. They took the dog with them. I was to collect the mail and feed the remaining pets. I had to wake up early every morning to do the task. I didn't mind as it was right next door. That was my first pet-sitting job even though I didn't get paid for it. It was a favor, really. In fact, I'm the designated dog sitter. My brother has a darling Jack Russell terrier that I take care of as a favor whenever he and his family go on vacation.

I've always wanted to work with animals in some capacity, but the opportunity came after I got laid off from my job as an Instructional Media Assistant from a school district. I used to work in elementary school libraries processing books and assisting with cataloging and circulation, which I loved doing. But in 2010, during the economic downfall, I was laid off due to budget cuts, and found myself lost, wondering what to do next. Then I thought of becoming a dog groomer because I love dogs and was fascinated with the art of grooming. So then I researched dog grooming schools, but they were too far away and the tuition was expensive. Then I set about talking to some local dog groomers, but none of them were willing to take me under their wing, teach me the ropes as it were. What was I to do? Well, then I thought about working with dogs in another capacity and during my period of unemployment, I discovered a book written by Patti Moran, the founder of Pet Sitters International (PSI). This book is like the bible of pet sitting. It contains information on everything from how to start a pet-sitting and dog walking business, office procedures and personnel to advertising and business forms. It's also rife with true stories from professional pet sitters that tell how to handle different situations with pets and their owners. After reading this book, I told myself I just had to do it, start my own business taking care of pets. I also read other books and articles pertaining to the pet care industry before I actually started because I wanted to do it right. The rest as they say is history.

I've worked with single people with pets, couples with no children with no pets, couples with children on vacation and professionals who go on business trips.

I don't have a recent project, but I've been a volunteer for the spay/neuter clinics in Mexico. There is a pet rescue association called Jaltemba Bay Area Rescue that is based in coastal Nayarit. Well, twice a year, in the spring and in November, JBAR holds a free spay/neuter clinic for the locals in a small coastal town. The association takes donations and hires veterinarians from Canada and Mexico to perform the surgeries on cats and dogs. When I'm on vacation and I happen to be in town during these free spay/neuter clinics, I like to volunteer.

Besides having a love for animals, you'd want someone who is professional, reliable, trustworthy, conscientious and detail-oriented. That said, there are seven important factors that I think a serious, professional pet sitter should have: 1) A license/permit with the city, 2) Bonding and pet liability insurance, 3) Pet first aid training, 4) Membership in a trade association (PSI), 5) A service agreement or contract, 6) An ability to pass a criminal background check and 7) Great references. These are all the things a potential client should look for in a pet sitter.

Make sure you know all the tasks you need completed. For instance, if you need your mail collected and/or the trash taken to the curb on a certain day or plants watered, then let the pet sitter know at the consultation. Let the pet sitter know if any of your pets require special food or have medical issues or if there is a history of biting.