It’s extremely important for pet sitters to have back up! Whether it’s a pet sitting company that has many employees or a sole proprietor, anyone who pet sits for a living needs to have someone to call on in case of emergency.
Tonight I had to call on my backup.
After doing a pet sitting visit this evening I got rear ended as I was leaving the apartment complex where my client lives. My car’s fine, but my neck, shoulder, & back took the brunt of the hit and I’m pretty beat up feeling right now. So, rather than try to drag myself out of bed in the morning for an early morning visit, I called on my backup person. Thankfully she’s available and knows the cats, and my client is fine with the stand in.
I’m not in such bad shape that it would be impossible for me to do the visit – it would have been very uncomfortable though with the pain I feel right now. But had it been worse, and if I didn’t have a backup, one of the cats would be in a life threatening situation because he’s diabetic and needs insulin twice a day. So, this is a prime example why it’s essential for pet sitters to have backups, and it’s something every pet owner should ask about when interviewing someone to care for their pets.
So…I may take the day off tomorrow, so if there’s no blog post you’ll know why…
I’m off to (hopefully) sleep away some of the pain!
Technorati Tags: pet sitters, backup pet sitter
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Please feel better soon…..I’m so sorry to hear about the accident…..Make sure to get xrays – I got hit in the back before too and I’m so glad I did the xrays, etc…. the other persons insurance has to pay for all medical, time missed from work and there is usually 3 x medical and/or loss wages for pain and suffering…..but don’t settle with them until your doctor for sure says you are okay…..make sure to file with your insurance too…it will not impact premiums…but they are backup if you need them if you have issues with the other insurance company. And car parts – demand all OEM parts – at a reputable dealer – they have to comply š
forgot to add – they have to provide a rental car too – the other persons insurance….feel better soon!
Just learning how QUICKLY a new pet sitter can get burnt out….I’ve been open a little over 3 months, am often up until midnight or later doing the books and invoicing, mileage, etc. and up at 6am to start the morning walks. I’m 47 years old….this schedule is starting to KILL ME….but the business is far too new, and not yet in the black…so I can’t hire help.
Connie – hang in there. Maybe you could put some restrictions on signing new clients. I use to travel well outside of my small town to pet sit rather than turn down a job. My gas and wear and tear on the car was far greater than the income. I finally let attrition take place and now limit all new clients to my 10 mile limit.
I’ve been doing this for 12 years now, but it gets more difficult (waking up at 5:30 AM and going to bed late) as I am 70 yearls old. I love the animals, but miss having time to take off for vacation and holidays. I need to find a back-up that’s for sure, but don’t want to hire another person to be responsible for. I’m going to contact some local sitters and ask if I can refer my client’s to them when I can’t do the job. Don’t know what else to do.
Marian