The Pet Sit Blog

Being prepared is being professional

August 14, 2009

Posted in: Uncategorized

A message from Patti Moran, PSI’s President:

The tragic crash of the Air France Airbus flight sadly brought to mind the information that is so necessary for your professional pet sitter. I’m sure when our members present their often lengthy Service Agreements for clients to complete, they can be daunting! Gee, is all of this information really needed just for you to care for my cat this weekend?!

Well, yes it is. When I first began pet sitting in 1983, my Service Contract was only one-half of a page long. I did not know ALL that I did not know. As a result, when the power went off in a home due to thunderstorms, I had no idea where their breaker box was located. And when I arrived at a home to find the first death of a pet under my care, I was at a loss as to what my client’s wishes were for their beloved cat. Sure, I could and did contact them, but people on vacation aren’t always near a phone (and this was before the accessibility of cell phones, e-mail, etc.)

So, my Service Agreement slowly, but surely, expanded to allow me to gather the pertinent information I needed for the responsibility of looking after beloved pets and homes. Eventually, airline carrier and flight number were added to the form so that in the event of an air disaster, it could be verified if this was the flight of a pet’s parent.

Should your new pet sitter present with you with a lengthy or numerous page contract, or ask you for updates to an existing one, I hope that you’ll just sigh—and smile—as you take the time to share these important details. Being prepared allows us to provide you with peace of mind. After all, that’s what professional pet sitting is all about.