How Do I Find a Reliable Pet Sitter?

My cousin is getting married (congrats Lindsay and Colin!) and I wanted to offer her some tips on finding a good pet sitter.

She said that someone suggested Rover.com.  Yes, I said, you can find a good pet sitter on Rover-- but how do you know the good ones from the bad ones?  What prevents someone from taking your money, and never turning up to take care of the dog?  We have all heard horror stories of a friend who was watching someone's dog and...  At this point, Colin spoke up.  He knew someone whose dog was being watched by a friend and the dog got loose and got killed by a car. That is one of the reasons it is worthwhile to hire a professional: we are experts in the art of door-blocking, having practiced it with multiple pets for days and years.

I've talked before about the dangers of hiring a non-professional, so in this blog I want to focus on how pick out the very best of professionals.  The price of professionals seems to vary only slightly, but the services can be quite different. Here are some things to consider when talking to a potential pet sitter:

Insurance: a good pet sitter will have insurance to protect your home and pet. Pet sitting insurance covers accidents that happen to your house as a result of pet sitter neglect, although is not very common. An example of this is newly ruined floors from pet accidents. Some pet sitters get insurance riders that cover damage to a customer's property-- for instance, if I break a client's expensive vase, my insurance will pay for it.  If the pet sitter has employees, make sure the employees are bonded, as this will protect you from theft.

More importantly, the insurance will cover something that happens to your pet on the pet sitter's watch.  For example, if your dog gets bitten by another dog on a walk, or if your dog ingests a toy that requires him to have surgery, insurance will reimburse the vet costs.  Pet sitter insurance does not cover if your dog injures other people, pets, or the pet sitter. It only covers accidents that happen to your dog.

Contracts: surprisingly, some people feel comfortable handing over the keys to their home and entrusting their pet to a stranger without a written contract.  If something happens without a contract, you don't have any legal recourse. Nobody wants to think about bad things happening, but for goodness sake, protect yourself!

References: potential clients seldom ask for references.  I always feel a little weird asking good customers if they will provide references for me; instead, I have a list of written testimonials on my website. Realistically, anyone can make up "written testimonials" on a website, and anyone can make a website that makes their business look amazing. I now encourage my customers to leave references on google and yelp-- it is more difficult for business owners to fake. If you want to get the straight scoop on a potential pet sitter, ask for references and then get in touch with them directly. Don't trust a pet sitter's marketing just because it looks professional.

Communication: my company has a software system that allows us to email our customers after every single pet visit.  I insist on sending pictures and notes for every visit. The owner might not be able to check email immediately, but if she does check, she will be certain we were there and the approximate time of the visit.  There are many professionals using these types of software systems, which may include options to schedule online and even payment online. If your pet sitter uses a paper log, you can see the activities when you come home, but it won't reassure you while you are gone.

Once you have found a potential pet sitter, you should schedule a Meet and Greet. A professional will always insist on meeting your pets at your house before you leave.  Most pet sitters do not charge for the meet and greet, although

some charge a modest fee or a refundable deposit. Your pet sitter should pay careful attention to your pet's routines, finding out what, where, and how often to feed your pet, your pet's exercise routines, and get several emergency numbers.  You generally need to leave a key with them and they should have a reliable method of tagging the key so they recognize it as yours, but in the event the key is lost nobody else would know "Oh, that's a key for Phoebe and Atlas's house!"

With these tips in mind, you should be able to find a solid professional pet sitter who will be available to you for years to come and provide reliable pet visits without fail.

Crazy Reasons To Hire a Professional Pet Sitter

In my business, I've heard countless pet-sitting disasters that could have been avoided if someone had simply hired a professional.  A few of these stories are repeated on a regular basis, while others are simply...unique.

Here are some crazy reasons you might want to hire a professional pet sitter:

Roomba wants us to starve!

😾  You left out enough food for the cats for several days, but you didn't count on the Roomba getting stuck on top of the cat food dish, thereby preventing your kitties from getting any food.

😞  Your neighbor's kid loves dogs and does a great job walking your dog, but she wasn't expecting an unleashed dog to come blazing out of someone's backyard and attack your dog.   She doesn't even have a car to take your dog to the vet.

😡  You asked a friend to watch your bunny while you were out-of-state for a week, but she said the front key didn't work.  You frantically called a locksmith for help, but your friend stopped answering or returning your phone calls.

😿  You left for a three-day weekend with a 2-gallon self-serving water container for your cat, but Muscles the Cat knocked over the whole thing and emptied it within a matter of hours.

💩  Your friend agreed to take care of your dogs over the holiday, but a last-minute all-day event came up and she just had to go.  Your dogs also had to go, and the pee and poop caused permanent damage to your hardwood floor.

🙀  Your friend didn't bother cleaning cat litter boxes, and didn't notice that one of your two cats was missing.  Waldo the cat was stuck in a closet for a very long weekend.

😒  Your friend happily agreed "We can watch Rover in our house!" while you were on vacation, but the dog was stressed and howled constantly for the 5 days you were on gone. Your friend will never speak to you again.  Or worse, Rover chewed up their brand-new, $1500 leather couch.

😰  Your water heater broke while you were on vacation and completely flooded the basement.  A pro pet-sitter wouldn't be able to prevent this, but he or she could prevent a lot of the damage by discovering the problem early and working immediately to fix it.

❄  An unexpected blizzard hit while you were gone for New Year's, and your friend was unable to feed your guinea pigs for several days. One of the guinea pigs died shortly after you returned home. Professional pet sitters always have a backup plan: either calling a neighbor, leaving out extra food and water, or staying at the client's house.  A blizzard is never an excuse to abandon a pet.

In my own history, a client's furnace broke down when the temperatures hit 21 below zero this past January. I was able to keep the kitty warm with heating pads, call for emergency furnace repair, and let the furnace guy in so he could fix it.

Some of the things that my pet-sitter friends have experienced:

•  A cat tangled up in the cords of the blinds.  Luckily the cat was only stuck for (at most) a few hours.

•  Two sibling dogs that had never before had any altercations, suddenly got into a bloody, serious dog fight.  This is a distressing situation for any pet sitter, but the professional knew how to break up the fight safely, without getting bitten, and prevent the dogs from going at it again.

•  A cat that got stuck (yes, stuck) in the bricks in a chimney flue.

•  A dog that caught and almost killed a squirrel. Yes, the pet sitter had to make sure the squirrel was dead and not suffering.

•  A pet sitter that walked in while a client's house was being robbed.  This retired military woman had a concealed carry gun and shot the robber, then waited for police to arrive.

•  A dog that started suffering from bloat and would have died if the pet sitter had not recognized the symptoms immediately and taken the dog to the emergency vet.

The moral of the story?  Crazy things sometimes happen, even to the best of us... but professional pet sitters prepare for the "what-ifs" and worst-case scenarios, and they can use their experience and knowledge to prevent accidents and lessen the impact of any unavoidable disasters.

Bright Star Pet Services: Customer Service Award for 2015/16

Gordon Larsen Business Achievement Awards

The Business Achievement Awards are presented annually by the Lake in the Hills village board.  Each year, the board recognize businesses that have made a positive impact in our community. People from Lake in the Hills and surrounding areas are encouraged to nominate a local business that stands above the rest in one of three different categories: customer service, community service, or employer of choice.

Judy playing with Lucca and Brisby.

Anita snuggles with the puppy Gee-O

We were thrilled to be nominated by several clients for the award in the field of customer service. It was even more exciting yesterday when the village President, Paul Mulcahy, presented the 2015/16 award to us. We are proud of our business and will always work hard to be responsive to our customers' needs.

Nick shares some love
with Gannon and Blarney.

We now have a web page with testimonials and pictures of happy client pets on our website,
http://www.brightstarpets.com


We want to say thanks to the Lake in the Hills village board for presenting us with this award, and to our many wonderful customers who nominated us. Most of all, we offer our heartfelt gratitude to our outstanding employees who work hard, every day of the year, and provide exceptional care and love to so many pets.

Wanted: Serious Pet Lovers!

Catching Up on All the News

Smokey the cat says,
"Stay informed!"

It has been a crazy, busy winter and spring for us.  I hope you'll allow me a few minutes to fill you in on some exciting and important changes with Bright Star Pet Services, starting with this:  

We are...

Looking for New Customers

If you've been driving around Crystal Lake or Lake in the Hills lately, you might have seen the new signs on my car:

Eby Graphics did a fantastic job with the wrap on my car!

     
    It is hard to miss the bright red, orange, and yellow that announce Bright Star Pet Services.


    This year we are ready to grow and take care of new customers. I have added mobile advertising on my vehicle to help spread the word.  A huge "Thank You" to Matt Eby of Eby Graphics in Crystal Lake, who designed this amazing car wrap for us!

Safety and Security

     Some people might be worried about their home safety if a car pulls into their driveway that could be perceived to say, "Nobody is home." Obviously, we don't want you to worry about the safety of your home and your pets, nor do we want to risk walking into a home being burglarized!  For this reason, when you see this car, it will be parked on the street, some distance away from client homes.  We also have a completely unmarked car which can be used as well.

     I don't know if burglars read car signs, but ours announces "Dog Training" and "Dog Walking"-- did you know we also do that?  So even if they see the car in your neighborhood, they won't know which house, and if that house has a big, scary guard dog in training, or  some other kinds of pets.

Spread the Word and Save 

Customer referrals are one of the best ways for us to get new business.  I'll bet you know some serious pet lovers in your circle of friends and family.  We greatly appreciate any customer referrals, and we'd like to thank you for your trust and support.   For each referred household that books a visit through us, you will earn a $20 credit for your next pet sitting, dog walking, or dog training service! They just need to tell us who referred them.

Other Exciting News:  Employees and More

For nearly three years, I worked this business almost completely solo.  In February, when my backup pet sitter decided to quit her business for a corporate job, I realized I needed to hire help. It took a long time to get all the pieces together and find the perfect sitter for your very important pets! More than just a person who loves animals, it had to be someone with dedication, passion and commitment to work with pets and their owners every day. I wanted someone interested in furthering their education about animal behavior, with excellent communication skills, and a willingness to go the extra mile for you. They had to be tested with my own large, loud, and crazy dogs.  They had to be willing to learn each customer's routine to our exacting standards, added to my business insurance, and willing to learn pet first aid and CPR.  After finding a few good candidates, checking credentials, and running extensive background checks, I am pleased to announce our new employee!

Anita has earned paws of approval
from my Giant schnauzers, Atlas and Phoebe!

Anita T. is a pet sitter extraordinaire, having had a variety of experiences in all kinds of pet care and an eagerness to learn more about animal psychology and behavior.  She has been training with me for two weeks now, and she is outstanding with pets of all kinds!  She will be taking on many of the dog walking and pet sitting visits, and will be learning the care for each customer's pets under my watchful instruction.

A short biography on Anita:  She grew up in Northwest Chicago, and for most of her life has owned cats and other assorted animals.  Specifically, she has owned 3 Amazon parrots, 2 parakeets, 2 cockatiels, a Collie, a turtle, and both saltwater and freshwater fish.  As a kid she was fascinated with animals, especially reptiles, spiders, and dangerous pets, and considered becoming a veterinarian.  She is currently a married mother to two teenagers and an 8 month old kitten, and has lived in Crystal Lake for 15 years.  The adorable photo of "Smokey" the cat, at the top of the blog, is hers.

Coming Soon...

We will be hiring a backup pet sitter and/or dog walker soon!  If you know someone who might be interested in a very flexible, small part-time job, and who fits the qualifications above, be sure to let them know.  Within the next few weeks, I hope to update my website with information about joining the Bright Star Pet Services team.