Dog sitters offer a great alternative to kenneling

March 7, 7:16 PMSeattle Pet Health ExaminerCollette Adams

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Annie & Nik content in their own home

Since we discussed ways to help dogs through separation anxiety in my last article, another great idea we found was hiring dog sitters to take care of them while we were on vacation. Since our male dog had a problem with both confinement and being abandoned, kenneling was difficult for him. We didn’t want to set him back, since we’ve made some real progress in making him feel safe. So, we researched some available alternatives to kenneling.

We discovered that there are many options for hiring a pet sitter. You can have them either come a couple of times a day to feed, water, walk and love your pet. You can have them spend the night for an additional charge, and they will pick up your mail, clean the yard, and turn the lights off to save your energy bill. They will also dispense medication if your pet has a routine prescription that he requires.

Pet sitters are available in almost every area. The best site for finding a reputable sitter who is licensed, insured and bonded is through the Pet Sitters International website. That link is www.petsit.com. We also found helpful information at the Humane Society’s Dog-A-Thon held each summer.

Our first experience with pet sitters was when we had decided to take an out-of-state trip for 10 days. My parents had agreed to go with us, even though they had recently adopted a very timid husky who had been previously abused. They were adamant that leaving her in a kennel would only set her back.

So, we contacted a local sitter and set up an appointment. They began with a very thorough discussion of the pets’ needs and wants and any services we wanted them to provide. It did not matter that we were leaving all three dogs together. They have a per visit charge, and we booked them to come twice a day. Normal charges run about $20 for a 30 minute visit. They walked each family of dogs together and fed them separately. We had the dog door, so they didn’t need to be let out, but they also got walked twice a day. In comparison, the kennel we used charged $27 a day for the first dog, $12 for the second dog and $5 a day for 20 minutes of playtime.

Using the dog sitters was an incredible experience. I was able to check in via email while we were on vacation and get regular updates. When we returned, we had a daily report telling us what adventures our pups had been enjoying while we were absent. We came home to find happy, healthy pets who had been able to spend their vacation getting exercised and loved.

We highly recommend the service that we hired. They are very attentive and offer a wide range of services for multiple areas. For more information about the areas they serve and the services they offer, check out their website at www.the-sitters.com.