What you should know about your pet sitter before you leave town
Everything was set for my vacation when I realized that my aging dog had too many medical issues to be boarded, sending me on a frantic search for a pet sitter.
My dog and home survived my 11th-hour hire (my plants, not so much), but I still wish I knew then what I know now.
“I’ve hired pet sitters, and I’ve hired a nanny: It’s the same process for me,” said Dr. Tim Hackett, an emergency and critical care vet and director of the James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Fort Collins.
“Make sure they have good training, references, and know what to do in a crisis,” Hackett said.
To begin the search, you might ask for recommendations from your vet, dog trainer or local Humane Society office, or check the databases for the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (856-439-0324, www.petsitters.org) or Pet Sitters International (336-983-9222, www.petsit.com).
The Yellow Pages and the Internet will turn up many more options, like Trusted Housesitters and Care.com.
Start with a telephone interview and ask lots of questions.
“Are they familiar with common problems that dogs or cats may run into while their owners are away?” Hackett said.
Determine if the sitter will stay overnight or stop by once or twice a day, and discuss specifics like the frequency and duration of walks.
“I know people who, as they’ve grown their dog-sitting business, they watch two or three (homes) at a time. I do one at a time, because I think the quality of care is better; they can have my full attention,” said Jennifer Holmes of Fort Collins, a pet sitter and vet technician who is trained in animal CPR and emergency first aid.
If the sitter seems like a good fit, call their references and get their written permission to run a criminal background check. Decide if you want someone who is bonded and insured.
Next, invite the sitter to meet your pet and notice how they interact. Discuss expectations, like whether they’ll water your plants and get your mail; and your house rules, like whether smoking is allowed and whether they can help themselves to food from your pantry.
I acquiesced when the sitter I hired asked if her teenage children could stay over, but things went south when our return flight was delayed and she replied to my text by saying she’d already left my house. “I’m sure he’ll be fine,” she said of my dog.
“Fine” was a relative term. In addition to the accident he had while being cooped up for so long, he was awfully hungry when I finally got home.
I learned that it’s important to have a friend as backup. Make sure your sitter has their number, and that they both have keys to your house.
Write all the details into a contract. Samples can be downloaded from the Internet, but customize it with clear instructions, and contact information for you, your vet and the emergency clinic.
Also, if you have security cameras inside your home, make sure you are familiar with Colorado’s privacy laws. You can find a summary here: https:// www.rcfp.org/reporters-recordingguide/state-state-guide/colorado. In short, you must have consent in settings where a person would have a reasonable expectation of privacy.
Finally, no matter how young and healthy your pet, leave a medical directive with the caregiver that outlines how much treatment you’d want for your dog or cat if it were injured or ill, and how much you’d be willing to spend. It’s difficult for all involved if people are guessing what you would want done in an emergency, Hackett said.
The first I heard about pet medical directives was when I hired Holmes as my second dog sitter. She insisted we draft one before I left town, explaining that her 12-year-old dog had died the day after she flew to the West Indies. She’d had the foresight to leave a directive with the vet and had told the couple watching her dog, “If something happens I want her cremated, I want a paw print.”
It not only made it easier on the sitters, but Holmes said that having her wishes carried out helped her find closure when she returned.
I’m pleased to say I now have a network of experienced pet sitters whom I trust, and we all have the same expectations. That makes going on vacation, and coming home, that much more relaxing.