Press release: Pet sitters offer a wide range of services

Austin, TX – February 20, 2008 – Professional pet sitters offer a wide range of services to help pet owners care for their pets.

Professional pet sitters offer pet owners convenience and peace-of-mind by allowing them to leave their pets in the comfort of home while they travel or work long hours.

Although pet sitting has been around for many years, it is finally coming into its own. Pet owners are seeing it as a valuable and practical solution to caring for their pets when they are unable to do so themselves. They find that using the services of pet sitters is an excellent alternative to boarding their pets or having friends or family care for them in their absence. When pet owners travel, they are comforted by the fact that their pets are safe and happy in their own home. Similarly, when their job requires they work long hours, placing their pets in a professional pet sitter’s hands gives them peace-of-mind knowing their pet is not left alone for an extended period of time. Pet owners who have never used a pet sitter in the past are often sold on the service after just one try.

The advantages pet owners enjoy when a professional pet sitter cares for their pets are many, including:

• The pet stays in his normal surroundings; with the sights, sounds, and smells that are familiar to him.
• The pet does not need to be transported to a kennel or other unfamiliar place.
• The pet is able to follow his same routine (i.e. feeding, daily walk, etc).
• The pet and owner are able to develop an ongoing relationship with their caregiver.
• Individualized care and routines may be established for the pet.
• Household services may be performed such as daily home security checks, bringing in mail, and alternating lights.
• The pet owner feels a sense of security, knowing his pet and home are being looked after.

Pet sitting has been named as one of the fastest growing home-based businesses according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. “This growth is a result of the importance we put on the pets we share our lives with.” said Therese Kopiwoda, founder of PetsitUSA.com, “Now, more than ever, our cats, dogs and other pets are considered family members rather than just pets. And, as family members, we want only the best for them. Pet sitters help us in that endeavor.”

Professional pet sitters take pride in the personalized, ongoing service and care they provide for their human and animal clients. Many of them invest time and money on a regular basis to further their pet-related education by attending industry related conferences, taking classes in pet first aid, pet massage, pet behavior, and dog training. And, while some may specialize in a particular service such as daily dog walking, others offer a wide range of services such as pet sitting, dog walking, dog park outings, overnight stays with the pet, pet waste removal, dog taxi services, and hospice care, to name just a few. Because pet sitting is a personalized service, most pet sitters are able to work with the client to develop specialized routines for the pet. In this way, pet sitters serve as the pet owner’s partner in the care and well being of their pets.

Pet owners who would like to know more about pet sitting and the pet sitting business may visit PetsitUSA.com, where they will be able to search for professional pet sitters in their area. They will also find FAQs and information to help them with their selection of a pet sitter, to prepare for their pet sitter’s visits to their home, to learn what to expect from their pet sitter, and to learn what the pet sitter will expect from them.

About PetsitUSA.com
PetsitUSA.com is one of the leading online destinations for pet owners searching for professional pet sitters, dog walkers, dog runners, and dog daycares throughout the United States. Based in Austin, Texas, PetsitUSA.com was launched in 2003 by Therese Kopiwoda, who also serves a small number of pet sitting clients

Pet sitters need backups - & why I’m taking tomorrow off

It’s extremely important for pet sitters to have back up! Whether it’s a pet sitting company that has many employees or a sole proprietor, anyone who pet sits for a living needs to have someone to call on in case of emergency.

Tonight I had to call on my backup.

After doing a pet sitting visit this evening I got rear ended as I was leaving the apartment complex where my client lives. My car’s fine, but my neck, shoulder, & back took the brunt of the hit and I’m pretty beat up feeling right now. So, rather than try to drag myself out of bed in the morning for an early morning visit, I called on my backup person. Thankfully she’s available and knows the cats, and my client is fine with the stand in.

I’m not in such bad shape that it would be impossible for me to do the visit - it would have been very uncomfortable though with the pain I feel right now. But had it been worse, and if I didn’t have a backup, one of the cats would be in a life threatening situation because he’s diabetic and needs insulin twice a day. So, this is a prime example why it’s essential for pet sitters to have backups, and it’s something every pet owner should ask about when interviewing someone to care for their pets.
So…I may take the day off tomorrow, so if there’s no blog post you’ll know why…

I’m off to (hopefully) sleep away some of the pain!

Wishbones for Pets announces dates for 2007 pet goods drive

Wishbones for Pets, a charitable organization benefiting pets in need and hosted by pet sitters throughout North America, is pleased to announce the dates of its fourth annual pet goods/funds drive.

This year’s Wishbones for Pets drive runs from October 15 through November 30. During this time, Wishbones representatives throughout the United States and Canada will work with local businesses to collect pet supplies and other necessities for pet charities in their community. Because of the recent pet food recalls, Wishbones For Pets is encouraging donations of pet supplies and/or donations. Participating businesses will place collection bins and donation boxes in their businesses where patrons can donate to pets in need. Wishbones for Pets pet sitter representatives will then deliver the collected items to the chosen pet charity the week after Thanksgiving.

Janet Depathey, founder of Wishbones for pets, says, “This program is beneficial to everyone involved. It raises public awareness of the services of professional pet sitters, recognizes participating businesses, and most importantly benefits pets in need. And this year, many pet welfare groups are struggling due to the recall and the fact that they had to destroy massive amounts of tainted pet food. We’re hoping we can alleviate some of their burden by donating items that will help them in their mission to help the pets in their care.”

Pet sitters wishing to take part in the program are invited to visit the website, where they’ll find information on how to register as a Wishbones for Pets representative in their area. They’ll also find information on how to get started. Similarly, non-profit pet welfare groups are encouraged to contact pet sitters in their local area to invite them to be a representative for their organization. Working together, pet sitters and pet welfare groups can make a difference for many pets in need.

The Wishbones for Pets website contains a list of pet sitter representatives throughout the country who are participating this year. To find one in your area go to www.wishbonesforpets.com.

Wishbones for Pets was started in 2004 by Janet Depathy, a professional pet sitter in Plymouth, MA. It is the first pet sitter related charity open to all professional pet sitters in North America, and runs annually from mid-October through the week after Thanksgiving. For more information on Wishbones for Pets, see their website at www.wishbonesforpets.com.