This post is completely inspired by the post Blogger Perks from Venus Trapped in Mars.
If you didn't know, my road to blogging actually began as a diary of sorts on my adventures as a pet sitter. At the time of my first blogs birth I was frequently sitting for a family who was undergoing a complete home renovation, while they had 2 brand new puppies, a turtle, and a tank of really aggressive fish. And by home renovation I mean crawling over rolls of carpet to get to bed, having to use a construction lamp as a bathroom light, and having everything I own slightly covered in drywall dust. While I never really posted about the craziness of what was happening, I still thought that what I was going through was just a part of the job.
I took pet sitting to a whole new level and started taking on clientele like no ones business. That is when I found Rover.com. A place for people to find pet sitters and for pet sitters to post availability. While I never really took advantage of it, I still had a solid clientele of 9 homes. Why? Because I charge a base of $20 a day, no matter the amount, size, breed, or medical needs of animals. And I stay at the persons house, overnight.
So here are the advantages of hiring a pet sitter to come and stay at your house.
This is Charlie, one of the fur children I watch. He is also diabetic and requires insulin shots that I personally give him twice a day.
- You pay less hiring an individual.
I did some research on this while I was going through my lets make this a business phase. In Phoenix alone a housesitting/ petsitting company can cost $10-$15 for per visit and $75 or $15 an hour for an overnight.
** Visits range from 30 minutes to 2 hours based on need and only often include a feeding, time for the pet outside and a little bit of play time. Any other requests are additional.
**Overnights are when the person actually stays at your house. Companies will only provide an 8- 10 hour stay (6pm-6am).
I only charge $20 per day, which is on the lower end of the pay scale. But I have seen it only go as high as $25 based on how far you are from the individual staying at your house.
For people who Board..... I have seen so many conversations that include you paying $20,$25, or even more per day per dog. And that does not include any extra play time or shots that you conveniently need for them to be there. And that isn't the price for a boarding place that isn't a free roaming.If you have found one that cheap then Kudos, because there are none in AZ. Plus you have to drop them off and pick them up, talk about an inconvenience right there.
Girls go hire a pet sitter. Your bank account and pets will thank you.
- Your pets life is not interrupted.
Do your dogs act weird when they come home from the boarders? It's because they are cooped up all day. Dogs aren't meant to be stuck in a kennel all day and only let out to play for a certain amount of time. They need their own home and environment. That is what they get when you hire a pet sitter. Someone to keep them at home, pet them feed them, and provide and endless supply of belly rubs.
When you have someone who is dedicated to your little fur children, they are there for them. How exactly? Well:
- I change my work schedule to adapt with my house sitting clients and their pets schedules.
- I walk three dogs at a time, every day because they need to be.
- You don't let your dogs out past 7pm because they bark? Well I am there to make sure that your neighbors are happy campers by making sure they are in and settled.
- Have a GIANT salt water fish tank? Well you bet your bottom dollar I am going to do more research than you did to learn how to care for them.
- Do you have a dog with special needs or eating requirements? I will literally come over every night for a week to get it down.
A dedicated petsitter does all of that.
This is what it looks like when I feed Sir Charlie every morning at 8:45 and every night 6:45. The other plate which is his brothers only gets 1/8 of the in ingredients on the counter.
-You get extra services for Free.
Individual sitters like myself tend to go the extra mile for you. In any given day I do the following:
- Get mail
- Water plants
- Do dishes
- Wash sheets and towels
- Clean the pool
- Take out trash bins.
I do all of this because I am pretty much living at your house while you are away, and I want you to come home to the way you left it or better. The only thing I ask for in return is your wifi password.
So as a petsitter, I URGE all fur parents to go to Rover.com and look into hiring a petsitter. They aren't all like me, but you can see their reviews, see if they are certified in anything (CPR,Insurance, National Organizations, Ect.), and see their availability. A lot of sitters will also meet you and your kids before your trip, so if you decide that they won't work then you can keep looking.
If you don't want to scour the internet, ask people at work, church, or family if they have a person they would recommend. All of my clients are ones that I received from word of mouth. They have all become a part of my family, and I theirs. These pets are a part of the Company in Kylea & Company. There is one person in your group who knows a person, who knows a person. You just need to ask.
So please stop paying painful boarding bills. It is upsetting and makes me want to ugly cry.
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