Summer Is Disaster Preparedness Season: REVIEW YOUR PLANS AND DON’T FORGET YOUR PETS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Summer Is Disaster Preparedness Season: REVIEW YOUR PLANS AND DON’T FORGET YOUR PETS

SAN DIEGO, CA, June 18, 2008 – Having persevered through two firestorms in the last few years, San Diegans are all too familiar with how quickly evacuation decisions must be made. Unfortunately, due to adverse weather and environment conditions, the odds are high that a fire (or other disasters) will happen again. During this disaster preparedness month, as you review your evacuation plans, don’t forget your pets’ needs too. Even though your pet may escape the disaster, if its unique needs are not met, the chances for survival are severely reduced.

HSUS recommends that all pet owners assemble an emergency supply kit custom tailored for each of your pets, as you would for your other family members. Kits should include:
·A three-day supply of food and water in easy-to-carry containers. (A month’s supply is even better!) Don’t forget bowls or other feeding apparatus as well as dog waste bags and cat litter.
·Up-to-date photos, vaccination records and descriptions of your pets.
·Pet tags: Your pet’s tag should have an additional phone number of someone out of the area in the event it becomes separated from you or lost. Microchipping is also recommended.
·Extra supplies of required pet meds – ensure these meds are not out-of-date. Also have a pet first-aid kit for your pets.
·Leashes, harnesses and carriers.
·A list of local emergency shelters with pet friendly policies in the area. This should include a list of local animal shelters and your veterinarian.
·Create a list of people who can take your pet in or services that can board your pet in an emergency.

Designated Care Givers and Pet Sitters

A professional pet sitter or boarder can provide a temporary home for your pet in the event you become separated or are unable to otherwise reach them in the event of an unexpected disaster. If, as a result of the disaster, you are unable to care for your pets, a designated care giver can even help you find a permanent, loving home for them. Remember, your care giver or pet sitter is the person to whom you are entrusting the care of your pet in the event something should happen to; in effect, they become foster parent to your child. But a word of caution to those who have someone visit their homes during emergencies, the Pet Services & Products Association of San Diego reported that, “Many of the folks evacuated (during Firestorm 2007) were professional pet sitters...who were caring not only for their own homes but five to ten other households.” Because many of these individuals did not necessarily live in the neighborhoods where they were caring for pets, police were unable to verify the authenticity of their claims and could not allow them to enter evacuated districts to check on the animals in their charge. One way to avoid this is to make sure anyone caring for your pets has the same emergency information about your pets and home, and provide them with permission to enter your property. Another is to bring your pet to someone who can board them in an emergency.

For local information on pet sitting in San Diego County, contact Pet Sitting and Dog Walking Services by Kat on the web at www.petsitdogwalkbykat.com. For further information on finding a professional pet sitter, please visit Pet Sitters International (PSI) at www.petsit.com.

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157 SAN DIEGO COUNTY PSI MEMBERS WILL JOIN 7,900 PSI INTERNATIONAL MEMBERS TO CELEBRATE PROFESSIONAL PET SITTERS WEEK THIS MARCH 2-8

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

157 SAN DIEGO COUNTY PSI MEMBERS WILL JOIN 7,900 PSI INTERNATIONAL MEMBERS TO CELEBRATE PROFESSIONAL PET SITTERS WEEK THIS MARCH 2-8, 2008

Date: March 2, 2008

Pet Sitting and Dog Walking Services by Kat invites pet owners and pet lovers alike to observe Professional Pet Sitters Week, March 2-8, 2008. This international celebration is designed to educate pet owners about the advantages of in-home pet care, as well as to encourage pet-loving entrepreneurs to explore professional pet sitting as a viable and rewarding career opportunity. 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 celebrates such an event, Patti Moran, president of PSI, explained, “Professional pet sitting has become an important service industry in the past 13 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 for 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 more than one million homes annually. With more than 63 percent of U.S. households owning some kind of pet, 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, scaly 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 most pets experience less stress and adjust better to their owners’ absences when they remain in their normal environment or routine. This reduction in stress can create a positive impact on a pet’s overall health and well-being.

Pet Sitting and Dog Walking Services by Kat is one of PSI’s 7,900 international members, 157 of which are based in San Diego County. This year, Pet Sitting and Dog Walking Services by Kat plans on making the most of PPSW by wishing other sitters a “Happy PPSW!”, letting the community know about pet sitting and PPSW, giving all new clients in March a discount on all services and sending a letter to our state governor requesting official observance of PPSW just as North Carolina already has. “I am really excited about being part of this year’s Professional Pet Sitters Week. It’s refreshing to see the industry I love recognized on such a global scale and for all the sitters out there to finally be recognized for what they love to do – taking care of people’s pets. Pet care service is such a rewarding, yet grueling and challenging, job especially with the prejudices against professional sitters comparing them to the average Joe down the street. All sitters deserve recognition for all the hard work and tender loving care they add to another animal’s life and for the amount of time, expense and devotion they put into improving the report the Pet Care Industry has built over the past 25 years, “ Kat adds.

Pet Sitting and Dog Walking Services by Kat invites anyone interested in learning more about the advantages of hiring a professional pet sitter to visit their Web site, www.petsitdogwalkbykat.com. To learn more about PPSW and how you can participate, visit the PSI Web site at www.petsit.com.

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All media requests should be directed to Kat. For further information concerning the professional pet-sitting industry, please visit Pet Sitters International at www.petsit.com or contact John Long, Public Relations Manager, at JohnLong@petsit.com.