“Leave it to the pros” advises Pet Sitters International during its 22nd annual Professional Pet Sitters Week™
PSI, the world’s largest educational association for pet sitters, uses its annual observance to underscore the importance of using professional pet-care services.
When Pet Sitters International (PSI) President Patti J. Moran decided to start her own small pet-sitting business after a corporate layoff in 1983, the service was virtually unheard of. Now, with the influx of pet-care directory sites popping up in the last few years and news stories touting pet sitting as an easy way to earn extra money, more and more people are deciding to cash in on the growing need for pet care—and more and more sites are offering an Uber-like option of booking the services of pet sitters and dog walkers on the fly.
While Moran—who authored Pet Sitting for Profit and is considered the founder of the professional pet-sitting industry—is excited with the growth of the pet-sitting industry over the last few decades, she cautions pet owners seeking pet-care services, as well as those thinking of entering the industry, to “leave it to the pros.”
“Professional Pet Sitters Week is also a time for us to stress to pet owners the importance of using only professional pet sitters.”
-PSI President Patti J. Moran
“Just because you’ve seen pet sitters in an online directory—or even on a nationally-publicized site—that doesn’t ensure they are legitimate, qualified pet-sitting businesses,” explains Moran. “Anyone can post a profile advertising pet-sitting services, so it’s important for pet owners to take a closer look to ensure they are hiring a ‘real pet sitter’ to care for their pets.”
“It’s also important for prospective pet sitters and dog walkers to realize that this is a fun, fulfilling and profitable career, but it takes more than simply loving pets and creating an online profile—steps must be taken to ensure you are establishing a professional, legal pet-sitting or dog-walking service,” adds Moran.
PSI, the professional pet-sitting organization Moran founded in 1994, is now the world’s leading educational association for pet sitters, and March 6-12 marks PSI’s 22nd annual Professional Pet Sitters Week™ (PPSW™).
Introduced by PSI in 1995, PPSW is an annual observance that honors professional pet-care providers, seeks to educate the pet-owning public about the advantages of professional in-home pet care and encourages pet-loving entrepreneurs to explore professional pet sitting as a viable career.
“PSI celebrates PPSW to honor its professional pet-sitting members, who offer quality, dependable care to clients’ pets year round,” says Moran. “PPSW is also a time for us to stress to pet owners the importance of using only professional pet sitters.”
Moran adds that professional pet sitters’ commitment to excellent pet care includes maintaining pet-sitter insurance and bonding, having any necessary local business licenses or permits, using a pet-sitting service contract, offering proof of clear criminal history and staying up to date on the latest pet-care information through continuing education like PSI’s Certificate in Professional Pet Sitting Program.
Pet owners can download a free pet-sitter interview checklist from the PSI website, which lists seven important questions pet owners should ask any potential pet sitter or dog walker. The site also offers a free ZIP/postal code search for U.S. and Canadian pet sitters, as well as an international pet sitter search, at http://www.petsit.com/locate.
PSI encourages its nearly 7,000 member businesses to celebrate PPSW 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, pet sitting as a career or to locate a professional pet sitter in your area, visit http://www.petsit.com.
