Pet Sitting; Standards Of Excellence

Last fall my wife and I decided to take our family on vacation to the east coast to visit relatives. The four of us flew to Washington D.C. to see the changing of the colors and then rented a car to drive up the coast to upstate New York. We were gone a total of 14 days. While carefully planning our trip we had to make some important decisions concerning our three dazzling little girls; Button, Shadow and Katie. They have been a members of our family since we had been married. Button and Shadow are healthy happy dogs and had been with us since they were puppies. We had found Katie wandering in the street, with her fur all matted and nearly skin and bones. We brought her home ran an ad in the local paper for someone to claim her but to no avail. She is easily traumatized when not in her familiar surroundings. We decided that this trip would not be good for the girls and in their best interest we would have someone come and care for them in our absence. When choosing someone we thought of our twelve year old neighbor Scott. He seemed to be a responsible young man and had been to our house on several occasions. Katie knew him and would probably be more comfortable at home while we were traveling. Scott could bring in the mail and pick up the newspaper every day and make our absence less obvious to the local thieves on the prowl. When we returned from our vacation our sweet little Katie seemed to be a completely different dog. She cowered every time we came near her and she ran and hid when we called her. She acted like we had been very mean to her. I spoke to Scott and asked if anything had occurred while we were gone to cause her to act this way. He began to tell me that he didn't know how, but the gate had been left open and Katie had wandered away from home. Scott, whom we had completely trusted with our precious Katie, didn't seem to know exactly know how long she was gone, or what had happened while she was away. With a few more questions I discovered that a message had been left on our answering machine at home by the people that had found her. We had put our home number on her nametag in case something like this ever happened. She hadn't just wandered around the neighborhood... she was found six miles from our home. We had no one to blame but ourselves! I began to search for a reputable Pet Sitter to care for the girls the next time we were away. I didn't know where to begin or how to determine a good pet sitter from a not so good one. I did what most intelligent people would do. I searched the web. I was absolutely amazed at all of the information that I had found! While searching the web I found an organization called PSI, Pet Sitters International. On their website I found a section named Recommended Quality Standards for Excellence in Pet Sitting. I have included those standards in this article as an aid to others who need assistance choosing a companion for their pet during their own absence. Recommended Quality Standards for Excellence in Pet Sitting The sitter is bonded and insured. The sitter provides references. The sitter has adequate knowledge and experience in caring for pets and is clearly mindful of their safety and well being. The sitter provides written literature describing services and stating fees. The sitter visits the client's home before the first pet sitting assignment to meet the pets and get detailed information about their care. The sitter shows a positive attitude during the initial meeting and seems comfortable and competent dealing with animals. The sitter wants to learn as much as possible about the animals in his or her care. The sitter provides a service contract which specifies services and fees. The sitter is courteous, interested and well informed. The sitter keeps regular office hours and answers client inquiries and company complaints promptly. The sitter provides a service rating sheet to be completed by client. The sitter takes precautions to make sure a client's absence from home is not detected because of careless actions or disclosures by the sitter. The sitter conducts business with honesty and integrity and observes federal, state and local laws pertaining to business operations and animal care. The sitter has a veterinarian on call for emergency services. The sitter has a contingency plan for pet care in case of inclement weather or personal illness. The sitting service screens applicants for employment carefully. The sitter calls to confirm or has the client call to confirm when they have returned back home. The sitter refrains from criticizing competitors. The sitting service provides initial and ongoing training for it's sitters. The sitter exhibits courtesy and professionalism in all dealings with staff members, customers and industry colleagues so s to present the pet sitter and the pet sitting industry favorably and positively.