As a pet sitter, I often get emails from people asking if I provide such-and-such a service. I’m always happy to answer these types of questions because, like all animal lovers, I want to help out a pet in any way I can. If I can’t provide a service, I’ll try to recommend someone who can. Most of the people who contact me have some date or dates in mind when they reach out. Unfortunately, emergencies arise, and having someone who has met your pets, even briefly, is better than trying to find a stranger to care for them if you are in a predicament.
The Red Cross Pet First Aid website, which can be found at the end of this article, as well as through its app, available from the PlayStore or App Store, recommends creating a list of important phone numbers, including veterinarians/emergency veterinary hospitals and boarding facilities. While this is worthwhile advice, it does not take into account situations in which you are already away from your home and no one is there to take your pet to such a facility. This is when a pet sitter becomes an invaluable asset.
A pet sitter can step in to care for your pet when you can’t. However, sending someone to your home during an emergency when your pet has never met him or her can cause undue stress on everyone: the owner, who is sending a stranger into their home; the pet, who is already home alone and potentially scared and will now have someone they’ve never met coming in to their territory; and of course the pet sitter, who, while a lover of all animals, is still wary of meeting a new animal when the owner isn’t present.
We all hope that nothing bad will ever happen, of course, but as the old saying goes, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” It is better to have a pet sitter who has met your pets, but you don’t currently have a need for, than to have to find one in a pinch who has never set foot in your home. Some pet sitters don’t charge for an initial meeting, but, even if they do, those dollars spent are worth the peace of mind for your pet’s safety.
If you’re not sure where to start, call your veterinarian or the one of the local pet stores – they will most likely have a name or two to give you as recommendations. Don’t get caught having to worry about yourself and your pets during a crisis – let us take care of your four-legged friends so you can focus on yourself and your two-legged family member(s).
For more information about animal care during (and before) an emergency, go to redcross.org/get-help/prepare-for-emergencies/types-of-emergencies/pet-safety.
