CC:image source is from and credit to 4pawspetsitting.com
When I talk about pets, I mostly have cats and dogs in mind since these groups are the most adopted pet in any nation. In my last article on think before adopting, after researching many points and resources on pets expenses and caring needs, I mentioned about pet sitters and the need for these professional category in Bid By Pros. The need for this quality profession of dog sitter and dog walker is when a dog owner cannot attend and care for the dog.
But the question remains, how do you find these pros and most of all how can you trust the quality of their job?
Who is a pet sitter?
A pet sitter or pet caretaker, is an individual or a group working either for an organization or independent, getting paid by the hour to care and look after the needs of the pet while the pet owner is absent. The responsibilities are:
- - Walking the pet within the parameter assigned by the pet owner.
Dogs need walking outside the premises few times a day to do their business. This is an important caring practice to protect the health of the dog. To take the dogs outside, the dog sitter must follow safety practices;
A) Put the leash or protective harness on the dog and make sure it is safe and secure
B) Walk the dog in assigned and safe roads away from hazards of any accidents.
C) follow the dog’s owner practices based on dogs behavior and habits.
D) clean and care for the dog after the walk before entering the house.
- – Feed the pet and refresh the water, food and treats
It is important to renew and refresh the pets water during the day. This also applies for the dried pet food and treats and making sure it is fresh and is placed in the safe temperature.
- - Clean and pick after pet’s litter.
This applies for felines and cats. Since most cats are trained indoor. if the cat owner hires a cat sitter, it is mostly for cleaning the litter and refreshing the food and water for the cat/s.
- - The pet sitter must respect the neighbors and the community.
It is a common courtesy to inform the neighbors of the existence of your pet. It is also important to introduce the local community to the person who has taken the care responsibility for your pet. This is a common practice specially if the pet owner lives in secure neighborhood or gated community. The pet sitter must follow the assigned and the list of safety practice within the respect to the local neighbors.
- - Pet sitter is aware of emergency procedures.
A professional pet sitter is very knowledgeable if the pet is in need of veterinary attention. This is the most important quality in a pet sitters which pet owners must pay attention prior to hiring one. The pro pet sitter must be aware of every step to take when an emergency arises and contact the pets’ veterinary. It is also a good advise to register the name of your pet sitter with the vet clinic.
- - Pet sitters do more than pet sitting.
With increasing in demand for pet sitters, pet sitters started to offer more responsibilities in their profession frames such as taking in the mail, watering plants and also sit and care for the house.
Many pet sitters offer their own space and facility to care for pets instead of the pet owners house. If that is what you need, it is good to check out pet sitter and boarders facility for:
A) cleanliness
Look for hygiene practice and cleanliness of the overall facility for the health of your pet.
B) safety
Look for safety guards, access to streets, leash quality, material of cage and the type of chemical
C) pet interaction
View how the pets interact and their safety.
D) space for entertaining the pet.
Check the cleaning practice and overall security of the pets
E) disposal area cleanliness
Review their disposing practice and it direct impact on the facility.
F) License
Look for license, permits and emergency contact numbers
G) Fire safety
Check for fire safety and make sure the facility has emergency plan in place.
Every pet sitter offers their own rate based on the knowledge, expertise and service they offer.
How to hire a pet sitter?
The best approach to hire a professional and responsible pet sitter is to hire through recommendation and previous references. That is why Bids By Pros is the best place to post your project titling your need for a pet sitter. To get the best recommendation, follow these steps:
A) Give as much details about the pet:
The details should specify the kind and breed of the pet, age, needs and behavior.
B) Give information on your house and its accommodation.
Provide as much detail as possible about your house’s security level, accommodation, safety practices and location. For the safety on the Internet, do not provide your exact address but inform them of your neighborhood.
C) Place as many pictures as it can describe your details.
Pictures are the best way to describe a condition or need. Bids By Pros allows up to 10 free pictures per project format.
D) after posting the project in Bids By Pros, share the version with friends.
Bids By Pros offers AddThis social media share button in every page. This is a best way to share the project with all people you know and post the project on their time lines. Since the safest and most desirable way of hiring a pet sitter is through references and recommendation, by sharing your project on their social media timeline, you ask for their help. Friends are the perfect source to locate and find anything you’re looking for. They can recommend their own favorite pet sitter.
Before making the commitment and hiring a certain individual or company to do your pet sitting, always screen their background and contact their references. most of these pros, have a list of people who they provided service before. They also have a copy of their record from local police for your insurance. Since hiring a pet sitter is becoming a common practice, many individuals have registered a company for their safety and insurance purpose. If they operate under a company name, then the pet sitter should provide the company info and its background.
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