When you have to be away from home, deciding who will provide care for your pets is a HUGE decision. You want to know that whoever is caring for them has the experience, compassion, and capabilities to provide for every need – whether anticipated or not – that your pets may have when you cannot be there yourself.
Obviously, we at Mountain Parks Veterinary Hospital believe that many pets thrive in a kennel setting which is why we have our Adventure Camp & Pet Lodge right here on-site. We are the only pet care facility in our area that offers a veterinary hospital, doggy daycare and overnight lodging for your pets all in one location. The benefits to boarding your pets at our Adventure Camp & Pet Lodge include having care provided by an entire team of pet care providers, specially designed facilities to ensure a safe & healthful environment, , accountability to two professional licensing authorities, supervision of your pets for 12+ hours daily, opportunities for exercise and socialization of your dogs with other pets, and of course, immediate access to veterinary care if and when needed!
Having said that, we understand that for some families and situations, a Pet Sitter caring for your pets in your home is preferred. There are ten questions that you should ask yourself or your potential pet sitter:
- Is the pet sitter insured and bonded with pet sitters insurance? In addition to protecting your home and possessions, this insurance specifically covers the pets while in the sitter’s care and will cover medical bills should the pet be injured while under the sitter’s care. Also very important, this insurance covers the pet sitter should she or he be injured or bitten while working for the client.
- Is the pet sitter a real business or is this just a hobby? Hobby pet sitters often do a good job and are typically less expensive but see #1.
- What does the pet sitter’s fee include (i.e. the frequency of visits, the length of visits, time of day of visits, etc.)? Unfortunately, there are pet sitters out there who will short change visits or worse, not show up at all.
- What qualifications does the pet sitter have and how long have they been in business? This is especially important with clients whose pets need meds, injections or special care.
- Who will be doing the visits? Will it be the person the client is meeting with only or will there be numerous individuals entering the client’s home.
- Does the pet sitter have a backup in case of illness or injury?
- Does the pet sitter have references that you can call?
- Does the pet sitter use a contract? A professional pet sitter will have a legal contract to cover themselves and the client and to provide clear communication as to what is expected from each party.
- How does the pet sitter know what is needed for your pet? A professional pet sitter will have a client at least fill out basic paperwork such as emergency contact info, care and feeding instructions for the pets and a veterinary treatment plan/ form should the sitter have to visit the vet for any reason.
- What does your gut say? You should always go with your instincts. If you don’t feel comfortable with the person you are interviewing for the pet sitting job let them know that you have other interviews and you will get back to them!
We hope this information is helpful in deciding who and where will provide care for your pets when you are away.
You can always call our Camp HQ directly at 303-670-7118 for questions about boarding your pets at our Adventure Camp & Pet Lodge.
