29th annual Professional Pet Sitters Week™ to be celebrated March 5-11
Pet Sitters International is highlighting the importance of professional pet-care services and introducing a new observance to celebrate professional pet sitters and dog walkers.
KING, N.C. (February 28, 2023) — Pet Sitters International (PSI) is poised to celebrate professional pet sitters during its 29th annual Professional Pet Sitters Week™ and this year will launch a new annual celebration—Thank Your Pet Sitter Day™—as a dedicated day for pet parents to express their gratitude for their professional pet sitters and dog walkers.
March 5-11 is the 29th annual observance of Professional Pet Sitters Week, created by PSI to celebrate pet sitters and also to highlight the viability of professional pet sitting as a career and the importance of using professional pet-care services. PSI is the world’s largest educational association for professional pet sitters.
Wednesday, March 8, will be the inaugural celebration of Thank Your Pet Sitter Day, to be observed the Wednesday during Professional Pet Sitters Week each year. Pet parents can download free social-media images to share by visiting www.petsit.com/thanks.
“While PSI’s Professional Pet Sitters Week has served as an annual weeklong observance since 1995 to celebrate professional pet sitters, we think professional pet sitters deserve even more recognition,” said PSI Founder and CEO Patti Moran. “We hope pet parents will take advantage of this special day to recognize their professional pet sitter.”
During this year’s Professional Pet Sitters Week celebration, PSI will also host its annual online summit for pet sitters and dog walkers, FOCUS 2023, sponsored by Business Insurers of the Carolinas.
“This summit is one of many educational opportunities that we offer throughout the year,” said PSI President Beth Stultz-Hairston. “Pet Sitters International is here to provide professional pet sitters and dog walkers with the tools, training and data they need to offer quality pet care and build thriving businesses.”
During Professional Pet Sitters Week, PSI highlights the viability of professional pet sitting as a career. According to preliminary results from a recent survey, PSI’s member pet-sitting businesses reported that both their average number of clients and average number of visits increased in 2022 from the previous year.
“Professional pet sitting has long been a profitable and rewarding career option, and with 70 percent of U.S. households now owning a pet, the need for professional pet sitters will continue to grow,” Moran said.
PSI also uses Professional Pet Sitters Week as a time to stress to pet owners the importance of using only professional pet sitters. Pet owners can visit www.petsit.com/locate to search for a PSI member pet sitter in their area and to download a free pet-sitter interview checklist, which lists seven important questions pet owners should ask any potential pet sitter or dog walker.
The association encourages professional pet sitters to celebrate Professional Pet Sitters Week™ with activities such as pet-sitter networking dinners, special offers for clients, donations to local pet organizations and local media promotions.
To learn more about PPSW or pet sitting as a career, or to locate a professional pet sitter in your area, visit www.petsit.com.
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About Pet Sitters International
Founded in 1994 by Patti J. Moran, author of Pet Sitting for Profit, Pet Sitters International (PSI) is the world’s largest educational association for professional pet sitters, with member pet-sitting businesses in the United States, Canada and more than 15 other countries. PSI members have access to the widest array of business services and educational resources available in the professional pet-sitting industry. PSI’s Pet Sitter Locator is the largest online directory of professional pet sitters, and pet owners can visit petsit.com/locate to find local professional pet sitters.
