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Doug Keeling, owner of Bad to the Bone Pet Care in Jacksonville, Florida, has received the professional pet-sitting industry’s highest honor and will represent the industry throughout 2023.

KING, N.C. (December 1, 2022)—Pet Sitters International (PSI) has named Doug Keeling, owner of Bad to the Bone Pet Care in Jacksonville, Florida, the 2023 Pet Sitter of the Year™. PSI, the world’s largest educational association for professional pet-sitting and dog-walking business owners, presents this award annually to a member who exemplifies the passion and professionalism of the pet-sitting industry.

“The PSI membership is made up of the most professional, educated and passionate pet-care business owners around the world, so selecting a winner for this top award is no easy task for the judging panel,” said PSI President Beth Stultz-Hairston. “However, Doug’s commitment to his clients, their pets, and his team, along with his outstanding efforts to support others in the pet-care industry, makes him an ideal recipient for this title.”

As PSI’s 2023 Pet Sitter of the Year, Keeling will serve as the “face of the professional pet-sitting industry” throughout 2023 and be officially recognized at PSI’s 2023 Pet Sitter World Educational Conference in Winston-Salem, N.C., this fall.

“Doug has already gone above and beyond to share his knowledge with fellow pet-sitting business owners—as a speaker, writer and network leader—and we know he will be able to inspire and motivate even more fellow pet-care professionals as the 2023 Pet Sitter of the Year,” added Stultz-Hairston.

Keeling started pet sitting in 2013 after seeing someone post on a Reddit forum about dog walking to earn extra money and, within six months, was able to quit his other job and begin pet sitting and dog walking full time. Since that time, his business has grown to service more than 1,000 families across Northeast and Central Florida. His team of over 30 pet-care professionals was voted the Best Pet Sitting Service in Northeast Florida multiple years. Keeling also offers traveling live-in style pet care worldwide and offers long distance pet transportation.

“The pet-care industry, and more specifically the pet-sitting community, is one of the most unique and rewarding places one could find themselves,” said Keeling. “As Pet Sitter of the Year, I will use my knowledge and experience as a business owner to help other PSI members turn their businesses into well-oiled machines that will thrive through whatever the future may bring our way.”

The other top-five finalists in the 2023 Pet Sitter of the Year competition were:

• Kelly Detherow, Just Fur-Babies Professional Pet Care Services, Olathe, Kansas
• Danielle McMillian, Hello Pretty Petsitting, Berkeley, California
• Lynnae Schooler, Alaska Pet Nanny, Salcha, Alaska
• Bobbi Wilson, Peace Love Paws Pet Sitters, LLC, Columbia, Missouri

To learn more about PSI’s Pet Sitter of the Year and locate a PSI pet sitter in your area, or to request more information about pet sitting as a career, visit the PSI website at www.petsit.com. To learn more about Keeling and Bad to the Bone Pet Care, visit badtothebonepetcare.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.