The Friend as Pet Sitter
Within the last week, we’ve had at least five panicked phone calls from dog owners whose friends have bailed on them at the last minute for pet sitting. This weekend just so happens to be Columbus Day Weekend, a particularly busy weekend at the kennel.
For some of these panicked people, we’ve been able to accommodate them. A couple of people had to, as the saying goes, punt. We couldn’t take their dog because (s)he isn’t current on vaccinations necessary for boarding. More likely than not, another friend stepped up to the plate, or, a weekend away got postponed or cancelled.
Friends can certainly provide fabulous pet care while you are gone. A good friend of mine recently helped another friend by taking her dog for two weeks. She proved to be a fabulous pet sitter, even keeping a journal complete with pictures of Jerzey’s activities. Short of a major health problem, this friend of mine would never have considered cancelling on Jerzey’s owners.
Unfortunately, too many people out there do have things that come up causing them to cancel on their commitment to a friend. While I am not passing judgement on these people, I am suggesting that you have a back-up plan for your pet.
A reputable pet sitter or a kennel can provide such back up. This is our business, it is what we do. Unless your pet is sick or seriously injured, we don’t turn you away. A reputable pet sitter can even help with the above situations to a point.
Many of you are probably saying, “Well, we’ve never had problems with our neighbors watching the dog for us.” And that is great. Unfortunately, I am writing this because too many people do run into issues with their friends or neighbors as pet sitters.
We are booking up for Thanksgiving and Christmas. And while we always encourage last minute phone calls because you just never know, we can’t always guarantee that your vacation will still be a go. If you don’t have a regular kennel or pet sitter that you use, let’s hope your neighbor or friend is as good as my friend Karen.
Tags: boarding kennels, dog boarding, dog kennels, pet sitters, pet sitting