My Experience Finding a Pet Sitter

I’ve been providing pet parents with quality pet care for many years through my own pet business Preferred Pet Partners but recently I got to sit on the other side of the table. My husband and I moved to a new state and, along with settling in, we found ourselves needing to find a new pet sitter for our brood. I was looking forward to the search because it would be an opportunity for me to be exposed to other businesses and best practices that I could consider for my own business. The exercise was enlightening to say the least and more than a little surprising. All names have been changed for privacy but the stories are true. Here’s what I experienced.

1^st person I contacted

Katy – I located Katy on Rover.com. She seemed pleasant and we texted back and forth a couple of times. It was Friday when we texted and she told me she would call me the following Sunday to discuss a time for a Meet and Greet. Sunday came and went. I reached out to her on Monday to inquire if I’d missed her call. She texted back (gave no excuse) and told me she could call me that evening or Tuesday at noon. I received no call that evening or Tuesday at noon. At 2pm Tuesday I got a text note from her saying “I didn’t forget about you! I woke up late! Calling you on my way to work!”. At this point I decided that, if she wasn’t able to make a promised phone call, there was no way she was going to remember to take care of my pets.

Learnings/Observations – If you say you’re going to call someone, call someone!

2^nd person I contacted

Evelyn – This person was also through Rover. I sent her a note saying that I had kitties and goats that I needed care for. She texted me back the next day saying she didn’t have experience with goats but was willing to learn. There wasn’t anything else in the text

Learnings/Observations – Evelyn was friendly enough and I like that she was open about not having goat experience. What I noticed though was that there was no call to action. She could have easily asked if/when I wanted to set up a meet and greet and the conversation would have progresses. As it is, I went onto the next person.

3^rd person I contacted

Sally – I reached out to Sally through Rover. She immediately texted me back (yay!) Her text however contained a large number of things that she couldn’t/wouldn’t do including but not limited to morning visits, visits longer than 30 minutes and she might or might not be available on weekends. She also told me she didn’t know how much she would charge until she met my animals and decided what to charge me for mileage and gas as I was probably out of her way.

Learnings/Observations – Kudos for responding quickly to my note however I was immediately overwhelmed with all of the things that she couldn’t do for me. Clients call pet sitters to solve a problem for the. Sally didn’t solve my problem and instead gave me a pile of new problems. It’s also disappointing that she couldn’t tell me how much she would charge. Yes, there are variables but this is basic, know what you provide, know what you charge.

4^th person I contacted

Wendy – I sent her a note and she sent me a note back through Rover saying “I’ll call you tomorrow but if I forget will you please call me and we can set up a M&G date.” She didn’t give include her phone number.

Learnings/Observations – If she has to depend on me (the client) to remind her to call me then how is she going to remember to visit my pets? Also, the lack of attention to detail (no phone number provided) is a red flag.

5^th person I contacted

Cindy – She responded to my inquiry note within two hours. “Thanks for getting in touch. I’m not experienced with goats and chickens so don’t feel I’m the best choice.” She further recommended another sitter.

Learnings/Observations – Cindy did a great job! Even though she turned down the job, she was quick to respond, clear about why she couldn’t accommodate me and provided another reference. I wish I could have hired her!

6^th person I contacted

Gaby – I sent her a message and she never responded.

7^th person I contacted

Shelby – This person responded to my note within a few hours. We worked through some details and set up a Meet and Greet for the following week. She texted me after we hung up to confirm the appointment and then again early the day of the M&G to confirm and showed up on time as promised.

Learnings/Observations – She was terrific! I hired her!

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About Eliza

Eliza is the owner of two successful pet related businesses; Preferred Pet Partners, a pet sitting and dog walking company, and The Pet Business Coach, offering coaching and resources to aspiring or current pet related business entrepreneurs. She maintains two awesome blogs. One for pet parents https://preferredpetpartners.com/blog/ and one for pet business owners https://thepetbusinesscoach.dog/blog-page/.  Eliza also supports various animal rescue and shelter organizations. Eliza and her husband have a growing pet family. Visit her websites: www.preferredpetpartners.com or www.thepetbusinesscoach.dog.