John A. Corey created his own highly successful pet-sitting business, Critters Choice and is the author of Pet Sitting Success: The Critters Choice Way. His goal is to share the hands-on knowledge he has gained over the last 19 years, which makes it possible for others to avoid many of the common pitfalls all pet sitting startups experience and quickly move on to achieving success.
While I can’t stress enough how fantastic I think it is to be making my money pet sitting (I’ve enjoyed it enough to do it for nearly 20 years), there are still a few really important considerations when it comes to your personal safety and the emergency management of your pet sitting service.
Personal safety in your pet care business
Here is a list of safety tips by which I and my other pet sitters live by; some are so obvious that you might have missed them, but as the old adage goes, better safe than sorry!
· Always carry a cell phone
· Stay in open, public areas
· Be sure you know who is authorized to be in the customer’s home
· Do not accept jobs in unsafe neighborhoods
· If the dog you’re walking seems to take special notice of something (other than a fire hydrant or a tree), then maybe you should too
· Never tell neighbors that the customer is away
· If you choose to carry pepper spray or an alarm, be sure you know how to use them
· Always call the pet’s name when you enter the home to avoid surprising them (or anyone else who might be home)
I have found that paying attention to my gut feeling about things and situations has kept me safe in all the years I’ve had my pet sitting service. For example, if I felt uncomfortable enough to ask someone to accompany me to a new customer meeting, then that would let me know that maybe I just shouldn’t take that job. I would recommend that when you feel that “something just isn’t right,” then it probably isn’t.
Emergency management in your pet sitting business
The emergency management of your pet sitting service is a crucial part of its smooth operation. Inevitably, you will encounter a small emergency such as a water leak or AC/heating failure. In situations such as these, it is paramount to consider the safety of the pets first. NEVER leave pets unattended in unsafe situations.
I usually check to see if there is something I can do to forestall the problem until the customer returns home, such as turning off the water or gas. In some cases, there will be nothing you can do and it will be necessary to call the customer or their emergency contact.
The bottom line is that whether the emergency is large or small, it is best to have some sort of protocol in place. This will not only protect your pet sitting service, but also the customers and the pets, and aren’t they the reason you got into this business in the first place?
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