More About Me … (continued)

Filed Under Uncategorized | Leave a Comment

Here is the second installment of my journey to becoming a pet business owner. In my last post we had come to part of my tale when I packed up my kitty and moved to the USA. I transferred with my day job with oilfield service company to pursue a new job as a design engineer.I met my husband Todd in the first year in my new home and we married in 2002. By then I had another Burmese cat that I bought from a breeder in Dallas in 2001. Her name is Cozzy. Of course Todd is a pet lover too and one of the first items on our agenda after our honeymoon was to find a family dog. We brought Mackie the black Lab into our home - I’d love to report that he fit right in with the cats but we had a 2 year getting to know you period. Mackie was good with the cats but she did like to chase them when they ran from her. It took them a couple of years for the cats to work out that if they stood still she wouldn’t hurt them!

In 2003 I was feeling tired of the 9-5 grind and started searching for a business I could run from home part time that could one day replace my salary. At the bookstore I found a book by Patti Moran - Pet Sitting for Profit: A Complete Manual for Professional Success (Howell Reference Books). It didn’t take me long to decide that working with pets sounded like the perfect job!

I researched pet sitting and joined Pet Sitters International - a professional association for pet sitters that offerred me education, insurance at a reduced rate and a listing for my new business in their pet sitter locator. I then set to work creating tri-fold flyers that I left at the counter of local pet businesses to advertise my service.

It took a few weeks for me to get my first customer but when I did I was hooked. I loved spending time with the pets and also had fun meeting new clients and hearing their pet stories. Slowly I got other customers from my flyers and the PSI online locator.

The next steps I took were to advertise in the local Yellow Pages and hire a service to set up a website for my business. As the business slowly grew I developed systems for managing client keys, created a pet sitting contract, and started to reach out to network with other pet sitters.

I attended a networking lunch with 5-6 local sitters and was very fortunate that one of these women knew a pet sitter in my city that needed help of the Christmas holiday season. Working with another sitter gave me more confidence, helped me learn new techniques and tips, and gave me inspiration. I have been friends with this sitter for the past 3 years and we still support each other when we need additional help.

In my second year of business my husband and I travelled to San Antonio to attend PSI’s annual conference. This was a great experience as we met many other sitters with whom we shared marketing, pet care, and business management tips. We also attended a pet first aid and dog behavior workshop. Attending the conference increased my awareness of the growth of the pet sitting industry and the opportunities that existed to grow my business.

To be continued…

More About Me …

Filed Under Uncategorized | Leave a Comment

Danielle ChonodyI thought it was time to tell you a little more about myself and my history loving pets. I was born in Adelaide, Australia which is a large city with a population of just under one million on the south eastern Australian coast. Compared to Melbourne or Sydney, the more well known cities of Australia, Adelaide is considered pretty small and I always thought of it that way.

My parents emigrated to Adelaide from London in their early twenties to start a new life - my dad had secured a job as a civil engineer with the highways department. I came a long a few years later.

Growing up I was an only child, I loved to read and sew, and I always wanted a cat. Unfortunately my parents were not so eager to have a cat in the family so as a child I had both a mouse and rabbits as pets. They were a poor replacements - but I loved them just the same.

Finally when I was 9 my parents decided I was ready for a cat. To my great disappointment the first several pet stores that we called told us that it wasn’t kitten season. We finally found a shop that had several kittens and when we visited my new cat Oscar jumped right out of the cage and into my arm, I knew he was the one I had to have.

Not long after we brought Oscar home, a stray that the neighbors had taken in decided that he would rather come live with us. He was a fluffy black and white cat that they had already named Guido. From there we just couldn’t stop at two and we adopted an orange tabby from the shelter called Marmalade and then finally bought a grey Persian from a breeder and named his Boswell. Some might say we developed cat co-dependence - but I thought it was great to have so many pets! I’ve never had so many since - but maybe one day…

I lived with my parents and our cats through high school and college.  In high school I found I enjoyed math and science but wasn’t too sure how I wanted to apply these to a career. I considered a science degree but decided that was too vague and ended up studying Chemical Engineering at the University of Adelaide.  It wasn’t a good job market for engineers when I graduated in 1996 but I did finally secure a job with an oilfield company in Melbourne.

Moving to Melbourne meant leaving my family and my cats. I missed them all terribly but enjoyed the big city activities of Melbourne and made some friends though work.  Renting in Australia is a bit different to what I’ve found in the US - more landlords will not allow any pets so for almost 3 years I had to rely on visits back to Adelaide to see the furry family. It was probably just as well as I did travel and spend several months working on an offshore oil rig - I wouldn’t have provided a very stable home!

Finally in 1999 I moved to a unit and was able to get another cat.  I found my Burmese cat Bouie and brought him home to be adored.  When I transferred to the US in 2000 there was nothing to be done except to bring Bouie with me to Dallas Ft Worth. He travelled with a pet care company “Jet Pets” who boarded him for 2 weeks after my departure and then sent him on to me - clearing him through customs and the medical exams. They did a great job, he arrived safe and sound and immediately ready to sniff out his new environs.

To be continued…..

Minimize the Risk of Pet Loss in 5 Easy Steps

Filed Under Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Pet Loss AdviceDogs and cats are curious creatures and are prone to flee through open doors unexpectedly. My cat Bouie the Burmese is a great escape artist but luckily he only flees far enough to hide behind the bushes at the front of our house. If you are patient eventually he will casually stroll out from the other end and you can catch him. Otherwise we have to fight the bushes to find him amongst the branches! We need to take special precautions if we are expecting guests, the pizza guy, or just going out to collect the mail. Bouie just always seems to know when that front door is going to be opened.

If you have a pet that would also love to explore the great outdoors you also run the risk of the loss of your pet - unfortunately they don’t all know the way home. You should take the following measures to reduce the risk of loss your pets should they ever escape:

1) Have your pet micro-chipped by your veterinarian and registered with the Home Again or similar service that keeps a database of the chip number and your contact information. In the event of the loss of your pet the chip can be read by any veterinarian, rescue organization, or animal shelter. A chip is more reliable that a collar and tag as the collar or tag may be lost before the pet is found. A micro chip is implanted under the skin of pets shoulder so cannot be lost or damaged.

2) Ensure pets wear collars at all times with a metal or plastic tag that is engraved with your phone number and home address. It is also a good idea to place the pets rabies tag on their collar as this will bear the name of your veterinarian.

3) Invest in Pet ID cards that bear a photo of your pet and their physical details such as eye color, weight, breed, age, and distinguishable features. You can find these online for a low cost at Safety Identification Products.

4) Keep a recent photo of your pet on file so that you can quickly put together lost pet posters around the neighborhood. Take a front and side shot and close up and also record distinguishable features so that you can easily include these on the posters. Put the flyers up at post offices, grocery stores, animal shelters and local vets.

5) Keep a list of the contact numbers for your local animal control offices, animal shelters, and pet rescue groups so that you can refer to it quickly in an emergency.

Dogs can also escape from a leash or harness so be aware of your environment when you are walking them. Distractions such as squirrels, cars, joggers, or other dogs, can envoke the curiosity of your dog and they may pull away from you unexpectedly. Make sure you wrap the end of the leash around you hand rather than just holding the leash through the loop to ensure these sudden jerks are not able to pull the leash from you.

If you are a pet professional remind your clients of these steps in your newsletter or a informational flyer. They will thank you for the reminder!

Dog Agression - Heed the Warning Signs

Filed Under Uncategorized | Leave a Comment

As pet care professionals we must be aware that in the course of our work that we will sometimes work with dogs that demonstrate aggressive behavior. It is important that we are aware of the warning signs and can either avoid working with aggressive dogs by screening them out in client interviews, or at least know the best way to respond to aggression if it occurs.

Typically we associate aggression with particular breeds of dogs such as Pit Bulls, Dobermans, and Rottweilers. As a pet sitter I have worked with several dogs of these breeds that were very friendly and well behaved. I was surprised to read that most dog bite injuries are caused by small dog breeds. Unfortunately surveys have also shown that owners of small dog breeds are more likely not to perceive a dog as dangerous because of its smaller size. Really we are better off not to make any generalizations based on breed but to look for the warning signs in each dog we meet.

Aggression in dogs can be either genetic or learned. Some dogs are born with potential for aggression and due to the owners encouragement or in-ability to cope with the aggressive behavior it can become a problem. Other dogs learn aggression due to abusive treatment.

There are 4 forms of aggression behavior that dogs display:
Dominant - displayed by growling when someone gets close to food or toys

Territorial - displayed by barking at strangers who approach the dogs house or yard (the typical mailman tension!)Fear

Fear Based - displayed by a fear of strangers caused by lack of socialization

Predatorial - diplayed by chasing objects that move. This is most dangerous for small children.

Some of the behavioral warning signs of aggression that we should look for at interviews or when care for a dog include:

1) Dog shows shyness or fear, and crouches with tail between the legs

2) Dog has fur raised, ears erect, and tail high

3) Dog is un-naturally still and unresponsive

4) Dog growls or shows teeth

5) Dog stares with hard, fixed, glassy eyes and erect body posture

6) Dog stops eating or chewing when approached

7) Dog bumps you or refuses to move from furniture when instructed

At an interview or first appointment we should also be sure to ask the owner if the dog has ever bitten anyone. Be cautious with the dog if it has any history of biting.

If you are faced with an aggressive dog don’t make eye contact with the dog and avoid moving suddenly.  Stand very still and if you have any object handy such as a toy or paper place this object in their mouth.  If you are knocked down by the dog don’t move or scream.  Dog experts recommend that you should curl up like a turtle with face to the floor and hands over your head and wait until the dog moves away.

Please be cautious when accepting new clients and ensure that you are not putting yourself at risk by looking for the warning signs.

Independence Day Wishes to all Pet Professsionals!

Filed Under Uncategorized | 2 Comments

I hope most of you are having a great day off! - I know for pet sitters like me holidays like this are our busiest time during theAmerican ribbon year. We can be thankful for all the great customers our service allows to enjoy their vacation time without the burden of worrying about their pets.

One of the things we should all celebrate today is the freedom that our professional allows us. Working with pets gives us the freedom to be with animals every day and share in their unconditional love.

Pet care business owners can also celebrate the freedoms that we have because we own our own businesses. As entrepreneurs we all have :

1) The freedom to work with whom we want - with our chosen staff and our ideal clients.

2) The freedom to work where we want-  be it a clients home, storefront, or office location.

3) Time freedom - we are able to decide how many hours we work and when we work.

Enjoy the time you have today with your family both human and furry!

« go back — keep looking »