1.  Confirm the dates of your visits by email. All future visits should be confirmed by email prior to departure.  Please notify your pet sitter when you’ve returned home.

2.  Have at least two sets of keys made for your pet sitter.  Make sure they work.

3.  Give your pet sitter contact information for someone who can get into your home in the case of severe weather or medical emergency.

4.  Leave updated instructions with the location of all supplies and enough food, treats and litter for all visits. Please scoop your cat’s litter prior to leaving.

5.  Inform your pet sitter if a relative, friend or contractor will be visiting your home, especially if they are taking care of the pets.

6.  Notify your pet sitter if you are coming home earlier or later than planned.  Most pet sitters will invoice you for visits that are not cancelled well in advance.

7.  Your pet sitter normally has a vehicle that will need to be parked during the visit and will need to know the location of a legal parking space.

8.  Advise the pet sitter of the code and also any passwords that need to be given to your security company.

9.  If your dog has a history of aggressive behavior with another animal or person in the neighborhood (such as the mail carrier) advise your pet sitter on how you handle that issue.

10.  Tell your neighbors or building manager that a professional pet sitter is coming so they are not alarmed by someone going into your home during your absence.

I recently had the honor of attending the premiere of a new documentary called “Madonna of the Mills” at the Artivist Film Festival in Tribeca.  I had always known it was wrong to purchase puppies from pet stores and I was vaguely aware that the term “puppy mill” made me very uncomfortable, but I never actually knew what they were or how they worked. This film opened my eyes to the horrendous reality: puppy mills are large scale dog factories, where females are forced to breed twice a year for approximately five years and then they are allowed to starve to death or shot.  Laura Flynn Amato, a dental office manager from Staten Island, saves these “used up” dogs by traveling to Amish country in Lancaster, Pennsylvania every weekend, where she takes as many as will fit in her van, and then places them with various rescue organizations, foster homes or sanctuaries.  She has now saved almost 4000 dogs from their sad demise by spending her weekends in this pursuit.  The dogs she picks up are in the saddest condition possible; they’ve had no veterinary care and thus have rotten teeth, infected ears and most are emotionally traumatized from living in small cages their whole lives.  Many have also been physically abused and neglected and require years of rehabilitation by patient and loving families. 

Now I understand. When you purchase a puppy from a pet store you are unwittingly participating in the continuation of this abominable practice and most likely you and your puppy are in for years of medical problems and bills.  Veterinarians say that approximately 100% of these puppies are sick with intestinal parasites and genetic problems.  The only way this unfortunate and cruel practice will end is when consumers stop buying these puppies.  If you want a puppy, visit a rescue group or better yet, adopt an older dog who desperately needs a family. That dog will reward you with years of love and devotion.

Dog Heaven
When dogs go to heaven, They don’t need wings
Because God knows that Dogs love running best.
He gives them fields. Fields and fields and fields.
When a dog first arrives in heaven, he just runs.
Dog heaven has clear, wide lakes
Filled with geese who honk and flap
And tease. The dogs love this.
They run beside the water and bark
And bark and God watches them
From behind a tree and smiles.
There are children.
Of course.
Angel children.
God knows that dogs love children more than
Anything else in the world, so he fills Dog
Heaven with plenty of them. There are children
On bikes and children on sleds. There are
Children throwing red rubber balls and children
Pulling kites through the clouds. The dogs
Are there, and the children love them dearly.
And, oh,
The dog biscuits.
Biscuits and biscuits
As far as the eye can see.
God has a sense of humor, so He makes His
Biscuits in funny shapes for His dogs. There
are kitty-cat biscuits and squirrel biscuits.
Ice-cream biscuits and ham-sandwich biscuits.
Every angel who passes by
Has a bicsuit for a dog.
And, of course, all God’s dogs
Sit when the angels say "sit."
Every dog becomes a good
Dog in Dog Heaven.
God turns
Clouds inside out to
Make fluffy beds for the dogs
In Dog Heaven, and when they
Are tired from running and
Barking and eating ham-
Sandwich biscuits,
The dogs find a cloud
bed for sleeping.
They turn around and
Around in the cloud.
.. until it feels just right,
and then they curl up
and they sleep.
God watches over
Each one of them
And there are no bad dreams.
Dogs in Dog Heaven
Have almost always
Belonged to somebody
On Earth and, of course,
The dogs remember this.
Heaven is full of memories.
So sometimes an angel will walk a dog
Back to Earth for a little visit and quietly,
Invisibly, the dog will sniff about his old
Backyard, will investigate the cat next
Door, will follow the child to school, will
Sit on the front porch and wait for the mail.
When he is satisfied
That all is well, the dog
Will return to Heaven with the angel.
It is where dogs belong,
Near God who made them.
The dogs in Dog Heaven who
Had no real homes on Earth
Are given one in Heaven.
The homes have yards and porches and there are
Couches to lie on and tables to sit under
While angels eat their dinners.
There are special bowls
With the dogs’ names on them.
And each dog is petted and reminded
How good he is, all day long.
Dogs in Dog Heaven may stay as long as
They like and this can mean forever.
They will be there when old friends show
Up. They will be there at the door.
Angel dogs.
by Cynthia Rylant

1.   Remember your posture and sit in a relaxed manner, whether you are at the conference room table or in someone’s living room.  Leave all nervous habits behind! No fidgeting, eye rolling, hair flipping, nail biting, or scratching!

2.   Make eye contact, smile and know how to converse and write correctly (using spell check!).  “Hello! How can I help you?” is a good start to any business conversation.

3.   Be on time for your appointments.  Five minutes early is even better.

4.   Acknowledge mistakes and apologize immediately, offering to correct the situation.

5.   Lead your younger colleagues and clients in a positive direction, allowing them to benefit from your wisdom and experience.

6.   Give and receive compliments easily.  A simple and genuine “Thank you, what a nice thing to say!” is the very best response to any compliment.

7.   Politely ask for help when you need it and remember to say thank you.

8.   Learn to say no graciously – and mean it.  For example, “Thank you, but I’m going to have to pass this time.”

9.   Be discreet about your personal life; nobody is interested.

10. No drama! Especially in public places. A mature and savvy business owner understands how to reduce stress and get an escalating situation under control.

In recent years, attitudes and laws have changed regarding the care and keeping of domestic animals.  Many pet owners regard their pet as family, and want to provide them with the best care possible when they are not able to do so.  Imagine this unpleasant scenario: you are vacationing in a distant state and get a voicemail from a neighbor saying that your dogs are running wild throughout the neighborhood.  This in fact happened to me, when instead of hiring a professional pet sitter, I asked my neighbors to “keep an eye” on my dogs.  WHAT A MISTAKE! As well meaning as my neighbors were, they had left my dogs in the back yard unattended, long enough for one to jump over and the other to dig under the fence and indeed they were on the run.  I was extremely upset and vowed never again to entrust my precious dogs to anyone other than a professional.   Now when I travel, I can relax and enjoy myself, knowing that my pets are well cared for and in the best of hands.  Should a medical emergency arise, the sitter will know where to go and what to do.  There will be lots of playing & cuddling and I will get regular photos sent to my phone and/or text messages letting me know all is well.  Yes, it costs money and YES, it is well worth it. When I arrive home, I am met by pets who have been lots of attention, my mail is neatly piled up and the newspapers have all been brought in.  Now, when I plan my vacations or business trips, the first thing I budget for is the pet sitter.  Why hire a professional pet sitter? Peace of mind is worth every penny. 

1. Confirm your visits prior to leaving, with the pets’ names and dates of service in the subject line of an email.

2. Prompt payment is always appreciated.

3. Have extra keys made and make sure they work.

4. Shovel out a parking spot.

5. Leave lights on or on timers so the pet sitter is not walking into a dark home.

6. Leave updated instructions with any changes (eg, the painter will be here on Friday etc). Tell the pet sitter to help herself to water or cold drinks if possible.

7. Scoop your kitty litter prior to leaving.

8. Leave brushes, toys and treats in plain view so your pet sitter can you give your pet a little extra TLC.

9. Ask a neighbor, friend or family member to be on call in case of emergencies.  Pet sitters are human and get sick, have car accidents etc.

10. Leave a nice tip (in cash), especially during the holidays.

1. Leave an almost empty bag of high end pet food that can only be bought at one specialty store and no money to buy it.

2. Leave an almost empty bag of kitty litter.

3. Leave without cleaning your cat’s litter box – for the last several weeks and no litter scoop to clean it.

4. Forget to inform the pet sitter that your nephew will be “hanging out to watch football” (most likely in his underpants) while you are away.

5. Arm the security system without giving the pet sitter the code to disarm it or the secret word to give the company when they call.

6. Have no legal parking space available or leave 3 feet of snow not shoveled in the only spot available.

7. Forget to inform your pet sitter that your pet has been sick and has been throwing up and having diarrhea in every room of the house and leave no visible cleaning supplies.

8.  Put your food, water, and pet supplies in three different unknown areas of the house, with no instructions on where to find them.

9.  Forget to inform your pet sitter that your flight was cancelled and you need the visits to continue.

10. Come home early and forget to call the pet sitter, and then act indignant when she shows up at 8am waking you up.

1. Before leaving home, make sure you have all of the keys you will need for your visits each day.
2. When you arrive to do the visit or walk, quietly go about your business, attending to work before “play”.  Read the client’s instructions first. Make sure the food and water bowls are freshened and the litter is scooped and disposed of properly.  Do take time to play with or give affection to the pets who want it.  Remember, each client has paid for and contracted for a visit 20 to 30 minutes in length. Take an extra moment to send a photo or text to let the client know all is well – this goes a long way!
3. Make sure dogs are leashed properly.  Do NOT hook the leash to the thin ring that holds the name tags on rather than the thick ring that is attached to the collar.
4. Do not leave doors open so that pets can escape.  Lock the client’s door while you are walking the dog.
5. When walking a dog, always be aware of your surroundings.  It’s not a good time to text, tweet or talk on the phone.  Avoid confrontations with other dogs or people and do not allow strangers to pet the dog you are walking.  A polite, “This dog is in training – sorry!” should suffice.
6. It goes without saying that all messes left by any pet should be cleaned up, whether inside or out.  It is not a good idea to throw bags in the neighbor’s trash.
7. Use common sense while inside a client’s home. If you see mail piling up on the floor or newspapers on the porch, bring them to a high table or counter and pile up neatly. Water any plants that look dry.
8. If you see anything that looks suspicious or unusual, such as a broken window or signs that the furnace is not working, please contact the client and your superior immediately.  Call 911 if an intruder is in or near the house (not the mail carrier or cleaning lady, of course!)
9. Prior to leaving a client’s home, make sure you have all your keys and supplies.  Leave a nice note if possible, unless you know the client prefers not to have one.  Often, they appreciate the note even if they do not say so.
10. Any problems unrelated to the visit itself (key issues, leash issues, behavior problems, nosy neighbors etc) should be discussed with your superior, and not in the note left for the client.
11. Try to make sure the client comes home to a house that looks as good or better than they left it.  Do not hesitate to wash a few dishes, or wipe a counter and sink off. It pays off to do more than needed rather than less.  Some clients like the pet sitter to use the sweeper or a broom and dust pan to make things look as neat as possible.
12. Do your first final clean-up on the next-to-the-last visit if possible, just in case the client arrives home early.
13. Do your visits as if you are being recorded on camera because often you are, or at the very least a neighbor has been enlisted to time you and watch you while with the client’s pet.  Conduct yourself professionally at all times.
14. Do not take friends with you to do visits. This increases all the risks.
15. Finally, if a pet looks sick when you arrive, contact your superior and be prepared to take that pet to the closest emergency vet clinic.

Today Cassidy finally crossed the Rainbow Bridge, after thirteen and a half glorious years on earth.  She and her collie sister, Shayna, belong to my secretary, Jan, who has raised collies all her life.  No dog could ask for a better life than Jan gives, showering her dogs (and everyone else’s) with unconditional love, from beginning to end.  I hope when it’s my time to make that awful decision, I will have the courage and grace that Jan shows every day of her life, as she selflessly does for others. Thank you Jan.

http://www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/main/assets/stormwater/07_doggydoo.pdf

Our law requires you to do one of three things with your pet waste:

1. Flush

2. Double bag and place separately from other trash on pick-up day

3. Bury at least one foot deep in your yard