Pet Lovers Get Rich

Pet Lovers Get Rich

Do you have any pets? If you have ever left them behind while you go on vacation, you know the big decisions that go with leaving a pet behind. You need to find someone to feed them, play with them, and walk them. Someone responsible and able to deal with your particular pet’s personality and health problems.


Well, imagine yourself in that job and imagine yourself making big bucks! People who love their animals will pay well to have someone care for them. I only recommend this for those of you who enjoy animals because otherwise it could get nasty.

As a pet-sitter, you need to charge according to the complexity of the job. A cat needs less attention than a dog, and a healthy dog less than one with a myriad of health difficulties. The amount of time you will spend with the animal should be factored into your price. You might want to check local boarding facilities for animals to see what the going rates are in your area. Divide the daily price into hours and your price should be a little higher, since you are providing individual personalized care. You might want to negotiate as well. If your client is going away for two days, the price should be your normal price, but if they are leaving for two weeks, you can offer a discount. You might also wish to give frequent traveler discounts.

Run ads in your local newspapers, hang flyers in dog-walking areas and in the veterinarian’s offices. Word of mouth is a very valuable tool also. If you are taking excellent care of animals, people will talk and you will receive more customers. Keep business cards on hand and give several to every client, so they can pass them on.

Once you have the job, make sure you understand all your responsibilities. Some pets have very strict schedules and you need to write all this down. I suggest a notebook with a page or two for each of your current clients. A small binder is ideal, you can keep current clients in front, when the owners return, move their info sheets to the back. This way your current clients will be in the front of your binder at all times.

If the animal needs medication, make sure you know where they will be kept, see if they are properly and clearly labeled, and ask the best way to give the medications. Grooming is the same, ask to see where the supplies are, and view a grooming session with the client and her pet. You should have a list of where food and toys are also. Ask that the client leave a sufficient supply of food.

Now that you have all the needed information and have met the pet, you are ready to begin. The client should leave you a key to the house so that you can enter while your services are required. Just remember, this is not a time to bring friends over or root through the fridge. You are here only for the benefit of the animal. Follow your schedule and give the animal the attention it needs, whether this be playing fetch or going for a long walk.

If you decide to combine two jobs and walk two dogs at once, I suggest being careful. It is possible the dogs will not get along. Introduce them first and at any hint of trouble, cancel that idea. The last thing you need is a freshly scarred pet for your client to return home too!

Apart from that little warning, enjoy your temporary pets! Keep the family veterinarian phone number on hand, just in case and be responsible and they will call you again.

Helpful Resources:

http://www.petsitterhowto.com/

http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/choosing_a_pet_sitter/

http://www.petsits.com/

http://www.petsitters.org/

http://www.petsit.com/