Why use my services?
What experience do you have caring for animals?
What types of pets do you provide care for?
What are your business hours?
What hours do you make your visits and what do you do?
What is your service coverage area?
How long will our pet care relationship last?
What will you do with our pets?
Can you e-mail me to let me know how my pets are doing while I am gone?
What if you get sick, who else will take care of pets?
What type of personality do you work best with and what is expected of me?
Do you ever decline service?
How do I prepare my home and pets for service?
I am verifiably dependable, personable, trustworthy, affordable and flexible. Just see my testimonials. I adore, completely enjoy and truly care about animals as I have my whole life on this planet. I firmly believe that pets are part of the family and always give the best care to us so we should return the favor. I actually started offering professional pet care after being a pet owner who was tired of the low quality and unethical options that were available to me locally. And just when I found something good, later on I found something equally bad about it. I firmly believe that pets should receive care they need and cost should not interfere with this need so I offer services that are flexible to the client in the best interest of both human and animal. I do not operate my services based on profit, but on love. As a result I seek out cheaper ways to operate my services so that I can spend maximized amount of time giving that care to your pets without burdening clients with high rates. Pets end up being comfortable around me and know they are treated as if they were my own. Your pets receive unhurried love and attention in addition to their regular needs. The only thing that your pets will miss is you, and your pet(s) will happily greet you when you return home. I engage pets in play so that they are mentally and physically challenged. While I know I cannot replicate you, I do my best to match your pet care routine. I am not a kennel by any means. I provide personal care in a nice home setting albeit your home or mine and only you determine the care that your pets will receive. And on top of all this – they will have someone new in the family in case you should ever need me! I have possessed a federally issued contractor’s license by the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services since 1999 confirming I have been trained, tested, fingerprinted, background checked and passed by the FBI and the Department of Justice, and licensed in the care, security, safety of persons and property in addition to my efforts to qualify myself as a bone fide professional pet caregiver. I am with pet sitting trade organizations and groups that offer accreditations and training such as Pet Sitters International (PSI) and Professional United Pet Sitters (PUPS) and I am bonded and insured to name a few. After all, I want you to have the best!
What experience do you have caring for animals?
I am experienced with animals since 1983 (even long before but since I was too young I do not count this time frame) from a variety of species from dogs and cats to fish, birds, reptiles and mammals. Throughout my childhood and even up until now I have been the proud mommy of 6 cats, 3 dogs, and 2 rats. I also have been the proud auntie of 5 cats, 7 dogs, 2 parakeets, 2 finches (not counting the aviary of over 1,000 finches), 4 small animals and 4 reptiles. I also have a professional extended “family” of pets that you can see posted in my Pet Gallery here on the website for yourself. I have experience in aspects of extended pet care from both professional and family exposure such as training (both cats and dogs), grooming, structured playtime, breeding, rescue, fostering, shows, environmental preservation of certain species and more. There is always room in my extended family for more critters. Much of my experience has been earned from referrals since 1983 and many of my referrals came from providing house sitting, home security (both professional and personal sources), child care, house management as well as pet care. I go out of my way to learn about new species or breeds and have succeeded in improving their health while their owners left town. In some cases I have been able to educate those pet parents about what I had learned so they can continue providing that excellent care when they return home. I have always approached animal care in this manner and will consult a veterinarian for questions or concerns when it comes to a new species. Cats and dogs have always been a staple pet in my family so I know how to train and control even the most rambunctious ones regardless of size. I have even trained rats to hand feed and cared for small birds. I have spent all my free time reading, interviewing pet-professionals, putting together care booklets for individual species, studied biology, watched countless dog training and pet care programs and joining groups to understand the nuances of caring for all types of animals. And I look forward to every new opportunity with new extended family members – so what do you say – can I join the zoo?
What types of pets do you provide care for?
I serve most domestic pets such as dogs, cats, reptiles, amphibians, reptiles and amphibian (herpitile species), fish, birds, and small mammals. Livestock and large pens of animals I typically do not provide service for. However, I will consider enclosures larger than a standard cage, aquarium or terrarium. If you have a more unusual pet(s) or one that is not listed, please inquire about care for them as I always enjoy learning more about other species. However, I will not provide care for arachnids and other non-feed insects for safety and security reasons that arise in natural disasters that result in those pets becoming loose (phobias in handling).
Since I personally handle all services 24 hours of each day, I do not have specific “office” hours. I do try to keep business hours for the office aspects of pet care in which case for all tasks is generally during daylight hours 7 days a week.
When do you make your visits and what do you do?
I offer all types of visits from drop ins, 30 minutes, hourly, to half day to full day visits and are customized to you and your pets needs. Visits are time based and really depend on what you need, what pets are involved and the amount of time requested. Visits are specifically designed to take care of all the home security, house sitting and pet care tasks outside of dog exercising that need to be completed whether or not you will be home or not. Generally visits are once a day for all animals; however, it’s far better for older and very young animals and certain breeds and species to be seen more often each day. Your pet(s) could be undergoing a medical emergency, be stuck somewhere, have knocked over a water bowl, a pipe might have burst or furnace or power gone out. At a regular time for each visit, they are given their own special fresh food and water. Litter boxes and enclosures are scooped or cleaned, dogs given potty breaks and walks, playtime, mail, newspapers and packages are brought in, plants are watered as you request and curtains and lights can be adjusted to give your home that ‘lived in’ look. I won’t leave until your pets and home get my undivided loving attention and playtime or until the requested visit has expired. Please make sure to schedule enough visits in with your budget and request to accommodate ALL your pets. You’d be surprised how many 3-10 minutes tasks can add up to a few hours a day worth of work. My regular visit hours are usually from the morning to the late evening but can extend this time frame if it should need be. I do suggest that if you need after hour care or multiple visit care that you opt for longer visits or scheduling in my home boarding as they benefit both parties in a variety of ways. Please be aware though that safety is always a concern for pets and pet sitters and I prefer not being out too late at night even with a dog. I strive to get all visits done in daylight hours, however this is not always possible. Occasionally, there are times when I may be out before and/or after the scheduled time due to unforeseen schedule changes, weather, traffic or emergencies, etc. Any extra time spent will be billed accordingly to 30-minute visit rate. I will maintain a daily log and can leave copies of how each day went upon request.
Since I am on the very choppy border of San Diego and La Mesa I offer visits and walks within a 15 block radius of that border catering to the neighborhoods of East College Area, Rolando Village, East SDSU, La Mesa Colony and West La Mesa. I have been known to expand the coverage area so if your location is questionable feel free to contact. In an effort to give the best possible service to every client including in case of emergency or natural disaster, I stick closely to my service area, so its nothing personal…safety and response time are something I guarentee for all pets equally. If I am out of your area, please consider private in my home boarding as an alternative (it may end up being easier and healthier than you think). If you still need assistance and your needs are not a match at this time, feel free to contact me as I can refer you other qualified sitters I network with.
How long will our pet care relationship last?
For as long as you need me! I intend to be available as long as you have your pet(s).
What will you do with our pets?
Walk, play, cuddle, hug, kiss, groom, pet, brush, bathe, feed, let out, clean up – whatever you specify and whatever comes naturally or requested by the client.
Can you contact me to let me know how my pets are doing while I am gone?
Yes. Even if this means frequent short reports each day by text or email. It is understood that your pets are family and that you want to know their status. You may email anytime as messages are checked often throughout the day. A prompt return email or call to a client can always be expected from me. I supply a Log that I will discuss during the initial consultation that is a detailed status report upon completion of service. For boarding services I report via contact method often and give a verbal report upon your return. This will serve as a “how things went” report as well as an educational tool for your pet care needs. It keeps you on the up and up while you are gone.
What if you get sick, who else will take care of pets?
I will be your sitter, however if absolutely necessary and required I may enlist help with busy holidays, sick days, multiple pets or multiple bookings with prior approval from the client if time is permitted. Typically I will only do this as a very last result. I would have to be very ill for this to occur. Because I rarely get sick and because I maintain health maintenance for myself, this is typically never an issue. I usually would know before taking on an assignment if I could continue or not. For boarding, I will be the only person besides my better half caring for your pets, who will only be assisting in a supervised capacity. I may require a driver or taxi service for transportation purposes as emergencies do arise, however anyone that is not authorized will not enter your home for safety and security purposes. Where possible, you will have the opportunity to meet others that may be enlisted to assist the busy days on or before the first meeting. While I could probably grow my business to include employees or independent contractors, I have no plans or desire to do that. I want to keep the personal aspect of a small business and I want to be the person who actually visits your pet(s) and continues a relationship with your pet(s). That is the only way I can be assured my services are up to standards and, after all, taking care of your pet(s) is the most enjoyable part of my business.
What type of personality do you work best with and what is expected of me?
My clients are passionate about their pets. They are thorough and prepared in their instructions about their pet’s care and they keep me in the loop about any changes in the care they need. Clients who work best with me are flexible when an emergency arises, have a great sense of humor, communicate effectively and go out of their way to let me know how I am doing! Overall, my clients are vivacious, passionate people who treat me like a valuable member of their pet-care team, and they refer me to their friends and colleagues who have similar pet-care challenges. I work best with pet owners who give me ample opportunity to build our relationship with their pets. The more often I see and care for your pets, the better the relationship becomes. I like to consider my clients more than just clients, but family.
Rarely, but this can happen if your pet(s) are too aggressive, if I do not feel comfortable with the arrangements you have made for their care, if policies, contracts or other conditions are breached, if I am missing required information or payments prior to service. Luckily, I have yet to experience this, as every pet owner I have met thus far has been a candidate for “Responsible Pet Owner of the Year” award (if one ever does exist).
How do I prepare my home and pets for a pet care service?
Preparation can make a big difference in how smoothly things go for your pet(s) when the pet sitter comes to visit. I will provide a checklist guide for you at the time of initial consultation or feel free to request a copy via email. It will go through everything you need to know to prepare for sitting services which includes security procedures, pet care preparation, supplies, cleaning needs, household and other instructions you will require of me.
