Why Not Hire a Pet Sitter from a Listing Service?

When searching for a pet sitter you may have seen an ad for a national listing service for pet sitters. The trouble with a listing service is that it enables anyone and everyone to hang out a shingle. Friends can create the glowing reviews and background checks are optional. The business is run through a call center in another state.

When making the important decision as to who you will give your house keys to and trust with the care of your precious pets consider the following list we've compiled from our experience.

1. Local ownership is important. Unlike a listing service with a call center in another state, you can call the owner of our locally owned and operated company should you have any issues, questions, complaints or concerns. You are the highest priority we have.
2. We know our pet sitters. We interact with each pet sitter daily to make sure they have everything they need, to answer questions and to offer support. Our small team has an active chat room and everyone participates in the support and camaraderie. 
3. Your schedule is our priority. The whole team pulls together to support our clients in the event of a pet sitter's illness or emergency. Our scheduling system also sends alerts to the manager if any visit is not started before the time frame ends and immediate action is taken to support that visit.
4. A local reputation is everything. A locally owned company has a valuable presence in the community. Our business is built upon our reputation and you will love our customer service as much as your pets will love our visits.
5. Making sure someone visits your pets. Consider that if you hire an individual that person is accountable to no one while you are away. We've heard horror stories of pets being abandoned without care for days! We have a scheduling system with GPS arrival and completion reports that are sent to you after every visit and our schedule alerts make it impossible for visits to be missed. 
6. Team Security and Accountability. Your team of two pet sitters will make sure that every visit is covered and all tasks are done every time. Our team doesn't allow anyone to get by without washing the pet dishes or picking up the poo in the yard and new sitters are coached by the team to provide the consistent care our standards require.

Whether you hire us or someone else we encourage you to do your homework before turning over your keys and your pets to their care. Make sure there are safeguards in place for you to know the person is coming to your house; this could be in the form of security cameras or an alarm system or door lock system that notifies you - especially in the absence of receiving GPS and time-stamped arrival and completion reports.