Hire A Pet Sitter While On Vacation
Having pets can sometimes put a crimp into family vacation plans. Anne Manske of Lucky Mutts and More has a solution – hire a professional pet sitter! We recently discussed with Anne the services she provides and the benefits of hiring a pet sitter in general.
FamilyTravelGurus: What are some of the advantages of having a sitter watch your pets while you are on vacation?
A professional pet sitter, like Lucky Mutts and More, will come to your home to care for your pet while you are away. This keeps your pet in a familiar environment, as well as, providing exercise and lots of personal attention. Furthermore, this eliminates the trauma of being transported and minimizes exposure to illnesses of other animals. I am bonded, insured and pet first aid certified. I schedule meet and greets where I come to your house to familiarize myself with your pet, his habits and routine. I send daily updates to my pet owners via e-mail or phone letting them know exactly how their pet is doing while they’re away. What I get complimented on often is situations where I offer flexibility and have had clients call me to schedule an additional visit when their plane has been delayed or they were stuck in traffic. Getting to know your pet’s personally is a priority so that I can detect early if there is a change which can prevent problems from occurring. Your pet, their health and safety, is my number one priority. Extra services offered, such as crime-deterrent measures, watering plants, bringing in the mail, etc.
FamilyTravelGurus: Why is it better to have a professional pet sitter like yourself compared to a relative or a friend?
The difference with a professional pet sitter is that this is what I do for a living. I show up when I say I will plus have the training to deal with the unexpected pet health emergencies. I have gotten clients after they hired the neighborhood teenager who then either forgot to let the dog out or had a party at the house. The chances that your neighbor is going to know the signs of when an animal is stressing or the bag of tricks to deal with this problem is not always a given. For example, recently I had a dog that every time I visited he had chewed on a new item and it wasn’t his bone. I called an animal behaviorist and had a solution that not only kept the dog happy but had the owners able to return to a still intact home.
FamilyTravelGurus: When you go on vacation, do you have a sitter watch your pets? How does that work for you?
I used to kennel my dog but he would always return home stressed, tired and many times sick. Now I use a pet sitter so that my dog Max can be in the comfort of his own home and stay on his normal routine. This works very well since I am able to enjoy my vacation knowing Max is being well loved and taken care of. I now return home to a dog in the same state and the same environment that I left him.
FamilyTravelGurus: You are based in Colorado – what areas do you cover with your pet sitting services?
I cover Highlands Ranch and Lone Tree but have associates within our company that will go from Greenwood Village down to Castle Rock.
FamilyTravelGurus: We have many readers who live outside of Colorado or in other parts of the state – is there a national organization that people can contact for pet sitting assistance in their area?
NAPPS, The National Association of Professional Pet Sitters is a great resource. Their website is www.petsitters.org
FamilyTravelGurus: What is the best way for people to get in touch with you?
They can call me at (720) 285-0640.
FamilyTravelGurus: Thanks Anne. This is a great service you provide!