In celebration of Professional Pet Sitters Week, APSE was thrilled to spotlight and honor six of our members that define the role of professional pet sitter.
Before getting a chance to hear each story, I couldn’t anticipate the variety of incredible lengths pet sitters will take to assure a safe, happy and healthy pet.
My biggest goal for this series was simply to debunk the myth that just anybody with a love for animals could successfully become a pet sitter.
Can’t Anybody Watch A Pet?
Sure, anyone could be asked to stop into a neighbor’s home once a day to change the water and fill the food bowl, but as evident in each of the six stories, there is plenty more that could go desperately wrong.
And without a professionally trained and educated pet sitter at the reigns, it’s safe to say that some of the pets featured in their stories might not be around today.
It’s also heart-warming to learn that while bonding with each pet is a given, many professional pet sitters find themselves welcomed in as part of the (human) family.
This can only be achieved by being a loving, caring and respected individual.
Meet the Pros and The Entire Industry Doing Good
The six pet sitters I interviewed for the series – Gus Elfving, Tori Lattig, Miranda Murdock, Jan Brown, Bella Vasta and Jason Hoffman – are merely a small representation of a much larger industry.
An industry that is sometimes misunderstood. An industry that continues to grow worldwide everyday. An industry truly like no other.
Pursuing pet sitting as a career is relatively new – perhaps only a couple of decades old. We have a long way to go, yet evidently have come so far.
Let’s continue to shine a bright spotlight on all pet sitters doing good, by supporting each other, and spreading the word about the huge (sometimes life saving) benefits of hiring a professional pet sitter.
Download the Complete Series Written Transcript (PDF)
Pet Owners: Feel free to leave a comment acknowledging your pet sitter and why you chose them.
Pet Sitters: If you have a story to share, please leave it in the comments below.
Image Credit: aussiegall
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