Top Five Reasons Why Pet Owners are still hesitant to hire a Professional Pet Sitter

Lots of Pet Owners look into hiring a Professional Pet Sitter but stop before signing up their beloved pet. Why do some still hesitate? Here’s the top five reasons we run into, and why we think you need to consider the advantages of hiring a professional:

Reason One: They don’t know exactly what a Professional Pet Sitter does.

A what? A Professional Pet Sitter?

Since when is it a “job” to care for other people’s pets?

Professional Pet Sitters have been around for decades now, but it’s only recently that this line of work has been getting the recognition it truly deserves. Professional Pet Sitters spend their days driving around town and attending their clients’ pets on a specific and pre-determined schedule. The typical workload involves mostly providing water and food, dog walks and potty breaks, as well as socialization and companionship, and cleaning litter boxes and habitats while the owners are absent.

Nowadays, every pet has unique needs, and it is not unusual for pet sitters to care for animals with life-threatening illnesses or requiring medication or special care. Professional Pet Sitters also take it upon themselves to look after their clients’ property and be on the front line, should an emergency (e.g. sick pet, flood or a power outage) occur.

By making pet sitting their career, Professional Pet Sitters are familiar with a wide variety of pets and unlike non-professionals or family friends, have the proper experience and training to handle a lot of situations. Organizations such as Pet Sitters International (PSI) and National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (NAPPS) are busy at work making sure their members follow strict guidelines and adhere to high standards of quality in the pet care industry.

Reason Two: They have heard all the horror stories in the news about pet sitters hired from pet services Apps like Rover, Wag, and Care (just to name a few) and they won’t trust any “pet sitter” anymore. Unfortunately, these horror stories are true and will keep happening as long as the people behind these Apps are IT investors, and not genuine pet care professionals. Nowadays, anyone can sign up on these Apps, upload a nice profile picture and pretend to be a highly experienced animal lover.

Let us tell you a secret… We have signed up for dog walking and pet sitting App available for the city of Calgary. Aside from one App that requested a photo of a driver’s license, none of these websites questioned or verified the information listed on our profile. We were never asked to provide a criminal background check, either. Only one of these Apps said they would call for an interview. They never did, and our profile was still approved and listed.

It’s undeniable: there are significant risks to hiring a pet sitter or a dog walker from these Apps. And we can say, without an ounce of a doubt, that most of the “pet sitters” listed on these Apps don’t have the qualifications they claim they have, nor are they “pet sitting” for the right reasons.

This shouldn’t prevent pet owners from hiring a Professional Pet Sitter. It is true that browsing the internet for a legit pet care company and making phone calls to inquire about availability is a little bit more work than pushing a button on an App, but the safety of your pets and home should never be compromised.

Reason Three: They are worried about letting strangers into their homes.

This is a legitimate concern, but it’s good to keep in mind that Professional Pet Sitters are like real estate agents, house cleaning personnel, trades workers, and contractors. It is an intricate part of their job to visit and enter people’s homes. You can rest assured that a Professional Pet Sitter will always be respectful of their clients’ property and belongings. Otherwise, they’d be out of a job very quickly.   

Reason Four: They still believe that asking friends, neighbors or a family member is a better option. Let us tell you another secret… Every year, especially around the Holiday Season, we get the same pattern of calls. Usually, it’s a frantic pet owner whose neighbor, daughter or friend bailed on them last minute. Shocking, isn’t it? For us, not so much.

The truth is, not a lot of people enjoy driving across town on Christmas day to go scoop the litter box of someone else’s cat. After all, your neighbors and your friends are busy with their own lives and trying to survive the Holidays. If they can find an excuse not to do it, or to skip a visit or two, they will.

But let’s say you did manage to secure a friend or family member to care for your pets and are certain they won’t bail on you. You think your pets are in good hands. Are you sure?

From the skipped visits to finding out your dog is running at large, we’ve heard and seen it all. How are you supposed to enjoy your time away and have peace of mind knowing that your “pet sitter” is not willingly performing his or her pet sitting assignment?

We have the perfect solution for you: Hire a Professional Pet Sitter!

Reason Five: Professional Pet sitters are expensive!

Like Red Adair said, “If you think hiring a professional is expensive, wait until you hire an amateur”.

You will pay more to hire a Professional Pet Sitter than the girl next door or the first “sitter” listed on an App – but you’ll get what you pay for, by way of peace of mind, professional quality service, accountability, and the training and experience you simply won’t get otherwise. Professional Pet Sitters are also fully insured and bonded!

Pets are part of our family.

Nowadays, more pet owners factor the cost of pet sitting in their budget while planning for their travel and vacations. It’s a fantastic way to always make sure your pets will benefit from professional care while the rest of the family is enjoying some time away.

Have we been able to convince you to hire a Professional Pet Sitter?

If not, tell us why! To us, there’s no substitute for the quality of pet care and peace of mind our clients receive by signing a professional. If you’re still hesitant, let us know! We’d love to talk to you about it 🙂

#PetSitter #PetSitting #PetSittersInternational #HireAPro