Pet passion paying off
Allysha Sordelli (above) is a woman turning her passion into a steady source of income, starting a petsitting and caring business.
ALICIA NALLY owner is on holidays, away for health reasons or is on a business trip.
Her days are spent visiting dogs, birds and cats in properties on the northern beaches and feeding, walking and grooming them while their owners are on holidays or at work.
Ms Sordelli hosts some animals at her home and also has two dogs of her own.
With a Certificate II in Animal Studies, the Smithfield resident started a zoology degree at James Cook University, which she has deferred, but loves combining animals with work.
“I have always loved working with animals and one day my friends asked me to pet sit her dog and, I thought, this could be a good way to make money,” she said.
“Pets are very popular. Sometimes people don’t want to put them in shelters because sometimes they can be a bit overwhelming for house pets.
“Getting to pat and play with dogs and cats and all the fun that comes with that is by far the best part of the job.”
But Ms Sordelli said the only major downside was a backlog of potential clients.
“I’m only one person. In a week, I can look after between eight and 10 animals depending on whether they’re with me long term or short term,” she said. “It was a bit difficult developing a client base at the start ... I wasn’t good at networking but I’m getting there and the business is growing.”