National Professional Pet Sitters Week

Have you hugged your Professional Pet Sitter lately? If not, the first full week in March is National Professional Pet Sitters Week and there are many ways you can thank your sitter for being so good to your furkids. According to Pet Sitters International’s (PSI) website:

Each year, during the first full week in March, PSI leads a huge promotional push to celebrate the role of professional pet sitters in today's pet-care industry. With news releases on the national scene and support for individual pet sitters at the local level, PPSW tells pet owners about the benefits of in-home pet care. This is also a time for PSI and its members to give back to the animal community that supports the profession of pet sitting. Many PSI members donate a portion of the week's proceeds to their hometown animal charities. And during Professional Pet Sitters Week, PSI makes its annual presentation of the PSI Charity Auction Proceeds. In the past 12 years, more than $60,000 has been donated to animal-related charities on behalf of pet sitters everywhere.

Professional Pet Sitters Week was introduced by Pet Sitters International in 1995. PSI is the world’s largest educational association for professional pet sitters. When asked why PSI promotes such an event, Patti Moran, president of PSI explained, “Professional pet sitting has become an important service industry in the past 11 years. Many professional pet sitters put in long hours, seven days a week, 365 days a year, so they can provide personal in-home care for pets of all kinds. Their dedicated service affords their clients the ability to leave home on business or vacation with the knowledge that their beloved pets are in the capable hands of caring professionals. “The tireless efforts of these small business owners and their staffs truly deserve recognition.” According to PSI, its members serve nearly one million homes annually. With more than 64 percent of U.S. households owning some kind of pet, with the U.S. pet population including 73 million dogs, 90 million cats, and 16 million birds, it can easily be seen why PPSW has become a global event.

For pet owners, at-home pet sitting provides a unique alternative to boarding facilities or having to rely on family and neighbors to check in on their pets. Pet sitters come to the home daily, enabling their furry, finned or feathered charges to maintain regular routines, including feedings, walks, potty breaks and more. Regardless the tasks, pets always receive one-on-one care and attention from a pet-sitting professional. PSI points out that pets experience less stress and adjust better to their owners’ absences when they remain in their normal environment. This reduction in stress creates a positive impact on a pet’s overall health and well-being. To the delight of many pet owners, most professional pet sitters provide the added benefit of home security by bringing in their clients mail and newspapers, rotating lighted area, opening and closing draperies and attending to other details that make the house appear occupied while and owner is away.

The National Association of Professional Pet Sitters website states that “with pet ownership in the United States continually on the rise, the demand for professional pet sitters has driven the business to become one of the top 10 growing professions in the past decade…To recognize the good work pet sitters do for their clients, NAPPS encouraged pet owners to express their appreciation during National Professional Pet Sitters Week…National Professional Pet Sitters Week is the perfect time for the owners of those pets to thank the individuals that care for these pets when they must be away from home. Flowers, cards, and candy are among the items pet owners can give their pet sitters for the loving care they provide, NAPPS said. When choosing a pet sitter, NAPPS recommends looking for a provider who has insurance, references, and literature that fully describes the sitter’s services and fees. The NAPPS website (http://www.petsitters.org) offers a nationwide referral service for locating pet sitters across the country.”

For more information about Professional Pet Sitters Week or to search for a Pet Sitter try their locator service free of charge online, call PSI Headquarters at (336) 983-9222, go online at http://www.petsit.com or e-mail PRDept@petsit.com.

Here are some resources about pet care providers too:
Pet Sit USA - http://www.petsits.com
Pet Sitters Biz - http://www.pet-sitters.biz
Professional United Pet Sitters: http://www.petsits.com