National Professional Pet Sitters Week is an annual celebration that usually falls during the first full week in March. During this week, professional pet sitters are recognized and celebrated for the necessary job they do. Without them, many pet owners would be unable to take vacations, visit family, or go on work trips without leaving their animals in less-than-capable hands.
Pet sitters do more than just take dogs on walks and fill up food bowls. They provide love and care for pets while their human owners are away. While this job is commonly thought of as something teens do to earn a bit of extra cash, many professional pet sitters can handle dogs with disabilities, medications, and more complicated situations. In larger cities, being a pet sitter can be a full-time job.
National Professional Pet Sitters Week honors professional pet sitters and informs pet parents about the benefits of using a professional pet sitter when they need one. It also encourages entrepreneurs to consider pet sitting as a viable career. During this week, you’ll find many pet-sitting companies advertising their services.
Interestingly enough, this annual celebration has been going on for 29 years. While professional pet sitting may seem new to some, the week-long celebration isn’t.
How Did Professional Pet Sitters Week Start?
This annual celebration started in 1995 when Pet Sitters International introduced it. The week-long celebration is an opportunity to encourage pet lovers to consider becoming professional pet sitters and provides an advertising opportunity for those with existing businesses. Pet sitters have been a crucial part of the pet industry for decades, but they weren’t always received as professionals.
The first pet sitter started her business in 1983. Patti J. Moran saw a niche she could fill in the pet industry. However, she faced pushback from insurance companies and the general public, who weren’t initially enthusiastic about her career choice. Despite this, she wrote the first guide to pet sitting in 1987.
Pet Sitters International was founded a few years later. This company seeks to provide resources for pet sitters, improve public opinion regarding pet sitting, and change how pet sitting is seen through education. One year after the company was founded, it established National Professional Pet Sitters Week.
Why Is Pet Sitting Important?
Pet sitting is considered important enough to dedicate a whole week to it for several reasons. Firstly, over 17 million pet-sitting assignments occur each year internationally, and most assignments include multiple pets. Secondly, the pet-sitting industry brings in over $400 million a year.
Pet sitting provides personalized services for dogs that can’t be kept in a normal kennel situation. For instance, very old and young pets often don’t do well in a kennel. Similarly, pets requiring medication or special health considerations often need the special care pet sitting provides.
Conclusion
National Professional Pet Sitters Week seeks to honor professional pet sitters and occurs the first full week in March every year. Pet sitting is an industry that has been around for decades, but it wasn’t always received as a viable job. Pet Sitters International sought to change how pet sitting is seen through education, which includes a special week set aside for pet sitters.
During this week, pet sitters often advertise their businesses, and Pet Sitters International provides free training for those interested in the profession. If you have a pet sitter, now would be a great opportunity to show them some extra appreciation.
In summary, National Professional Pet Sitters Week acknowledges and celebrates the important work that professional pet sitters do. It also highlights the opportunities for entrepreneurs interested in pursuing a career in the pet industry, and reminds pet owners of the benefits of using a professional pet sitter, especially for their pets’ specialized needs.
