HealthLinksSC.com | 83 visits for other clients),” said Beth Stultz-Hairston, president of Pet Sitters International, an educational association for professional pet sitters and dog walkers, and editor of Pet Sitter’s World magazine. While dogs and cats are the most common pets needing care, pet sitters can be found who care for all types of pets. Lizards, tropical fish and snakes can all find care. Some pet sitters even care for livestock, such as horses, goats and alpacas. Having a pet sitter care for your pet at home creates less stress for your pet since it can remain in a familiar place. They also don’t have to experience travel trauma. Diet and exercise can remain uninterrupted, and your pet’s exposure to illnesses is minimized. It’s safe to say that pet sitters love pets and spending time with them. However, when looking for a pet sitter, you might find anyone from a teenager who does the work as a side gig to a company with multiple pet sitters. “While it may seem like a good deal to hire a pet lover offering to watch your pet for a really low price, we encourage pet parents to only use professional pet sitters or dog walkers,” Stultz-Hairston said. “Professional pet sitters and dog walkers focus on offering pet-care services as their career and have important business credentials in place, such as having pet-sitter liability insurance and using a service contract. Professionals also focus on continuing education, completing pet-training such as pet first aid.”
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