NAPPS Network - National Association of Professional Pet Sitters

Transcription

NAPPS offers its members
many valuable benefits
including:
• A Voice in the Association
• Prestige and Professionalism
• Exposure
• Code of Ethics
• Networking
• Bonding Insurance — discounted rate
• Liability Insurance — discounted rate
• Access to Health Insurance
• 800# Pet Sitter Locator
• Online Pet Sitter Locator
• Website
• Annual Conference & Trade Show
• Quarterly Magazine
• Certification Program
• Ezine
• Virtual Library
• Sample Press Releases and Materials
• Business Forms
• Listserv
• Monthly Mentoring Teleconferences
• Publications & Videos
• Trade Show Support
• Credit Card Processing
• Lexis Nexis Background Screening
NEW • New Member Teleconference
NAPPS is continually looking for ways to improve the
association for its members and the
industry. So look for
more important
member benefits
coming soon!
Table of Contents President’s Message
ASSOCIATION NEWS
President’s Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Members Spotlight: Nancy Stevens . . . . . . . . . . .3
NAPPS Member Benefit: Annual Conference . . . . .5
Upcoming Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Pet’s Bill of Rights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
NAPPS Annual Conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Touching Lives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
New NAPPS Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
INDUSTRY EDUCATION
Customer Service Skills: Best Practices . . . . . . . .7
Raw Food for Dogs and Cats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Heartworm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Tips of the Trade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
NAPPS Network
Mission Statement
NAPPS
The mission of the NAPPS
Network is to provide tools for
members to enhance their
business, help them expand
their knowledge of professional
pet sitting, and communicate
association news and events.
Copyright November 2007. The NAPPS Network is published four times
a year in March, June, September and December by NAPPS
Headquarters: 15000 Commerce Parkway, Suite C, Mt. Laurel, NJ
08054. Periodical mailing privilege pending at Mt. Laurel, NJ and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: send change of address to the
NAPPS Network c/o NAPPS Headquarters, 15000 Commerce Parkway,
Suite C, Mt. Laurel, NJ 08054. The NAPPS Network is free to National
Association of Professional Pet Sitters, Inc. members. No part of this
publication may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. Editorial offices: 15000 Commerce Parkway, Suite C.
Mt. Laurel, NJ 08054.
National Association of
Professional Pet Sitters, Inc.
15000 Commerce Parkway
Suite C
Mt. Laurel, NJ 08054
Phone: (856) 439-0324
Fax: (856) 439-0525
Email: napps@ahint.com
www.petsitters.org
Candance Labane-Godfrey, President
One of the many challenges of running a small
business is dealing with
the “feast-or-famine”
nature. It’s not just about
the flow of business, but
the flow of cash.
The success of a small
business depends on
much more than simply having a good idea.
Sound management is most often paramount
to a successful business. The key to many
small business successes often depends on
managing the numbers relative to where the
business fits into the marketplace. Making
your bottom line meet your objectives requires
staying on top of all of your financial data.
The goal here is to operate more effectively
and efficiently. That equates to increased profit
(or profit where there currently is none).
To “Net” or Not to “Net”
I’m not referring to your computer. You need to
know how much you are putting in your own
pocket at the end of the day. You may be satisfied with the fees you’re charging, but what
are you actually making as a profit? What are
all of the hard costs? And…have you figured
those costs into the fees you are charging?
For example:
You charge $18 for one pet per visit.
(-)
$4.00 gasoline (which doesn’t
include total vehicle costs)
(-)
$ .25 insurance/bonding
(-)
$ .25 toys/treats
$ .25 telephone
(-)
$13.25 Total
Let’s say you discount (an ugly word) the
extended stay, daily rates and reduced rates
for cats that you might be selling by time and
not service. Each visit will still take the same
amount of gas so, only using your gas costs,
run the figures again.
“Making your bottom line
meet your objectives
requires staying on top of
all of your financial data.”
know what you can expense? Do you know
what is tax deductible? This doesn’t mean you
have to build a monster business budget, but
there are a whole variety of potential expenses
that may impact your bottom line profit.
If you have not already considered the following expenses (and deductions), you should in
the future:
• Advertising and Promotion (All types,
candy, cards, flowers, toys, treats, gifts
$25 and under, etc.)
• Pet Supplies (All cleaning products including paper towels, bleach, sprays, soap,
litter, food, leashes, collars, etc.)
• Communication (Business telephone, cell
phone, pager, fax, Internet, e-mail, etc.)
• Mileage
• Printing (Business cards, copies, flyers,
brochures, etc.)
• Postage/Shipping
• Business Banking Service Charges
• Business Dues
In the NAPPS Library, there exists a complete
form to guide you. Remember, you and your
time are INVALUABLE!
You charge $16 discounted for one pet per
visit.
$4.00 Gasoline
(-)
$12.00 Total
You are invaluable to your clients and their pet
family. You have a special usefulness to every
client you service. You are their peace of mind
and their comfort zone. You are precious and
priceless. Last but, certainly not least, you are
worthy of their respect. Respect takes many
forms and one of those forms is the $$ you
make to care for two very important things in
their lives; their home and their family members!
Obviously this is not a complete list.
Additionally you need to consider the costs that
also reduce your net profits. And…do you
And speaking of your time, I hope to see you at
the upcoming Annual NAPPS Conference in
Orlando February 8-10, 2008. n
The NAPPS Network • 1
Board of Directors
Membership Services
President
Candance Labane-Godfrey
Precious Pets In Home Services
E-mail: leilanigodfrey@yahoo.com
NAPPS Headquarters
Past-President
Jerry Wentz
Homesitters of Raleigh
E-mail: j_wentz@earthlink.net
President-Elect
Monica Leighton
Professional Pet Sitting
E-mail: monicaleighton@comcast.net
Secretary
John D’Ariano
A Pet Sitter Plus
E-mail: APetsitterPlus@aol.com
Director
Linda Norton
Precious Pets
E-mail: lindamay@snet.net
Director
Kathleen Luxton
Ranch Pet and House Sitting
E-mail: lkluxton@verizon.net
Director
Ken Obrakta
Guardian Pet Sitters, LLC
E-mail: kobrakta@hotmail.com
Director
Susan Reid
Reid's Pet Sitting Service
E-mail: sue@reidspetsitting.com
Director
Joette White
Park Cities Pet Sitter, Inc
E-mail: joette7@aol.com
Director
Vickie L. Reason
Happy Tails Pet Services
E-mail: vickie@happytailspetservices.com
15000 Commerce Parkway, Suite C
Phone: (856) 439-0324
Fax: (856) 439-0525
E-mail: napps@ahint.com
www.petsitters.org
Felicia Lembesis
Executive Director
Robin Geary
Meeting and Exhibits Manager
Cathe Delaney
Membership Services Manager
NAPPS Network Staff
Coordinating Editor
Heidi Zengel
Art Director/Designer/Illustrator
Justin Fennelly
NAPPS Network is published quarterly by the National
Association of Professional Pet Sitters (NAPPS), a nonprofit
organization, and is available through membership subscription.
No portion of the magazine may be reprinted without the written consent of the National Association of Professional Pet
Sitters. The letters and advertisements contained in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the association.
NAPPS is not liable for validity or correctness of any claim,
express or implied, made in advertisements or writings of this
magazine.
PLEASE SEND ALL LETTERS TO
THE EDITOR:
Business Insurers of the Carolinas
PO Box 2536
Chapel Hill, NC 27515-2536
Phone: (800) 962-4611 ext. 224
www.petsitterinsurance.com
For Dishonesty Bond and/or
General Liability Insurance
The National Group
Insurance Exchange
3210 Doolittle Dr.
Northbrook, IL 60062
Phone: (800) 955-0418
Fax: (847) 559-9499
Email: tngie@aol.com
www.wwins.com
Contact: Alan Leafman
For Dental and Health Insurance
For pet sitting questions contact:
• Any board member
• NAPPS’ Web site: www.petsitters.org
Heidi Zengel
E-mail: hzengel@ahint.com
Letters should include your name, address, and
daytime telephone number. Letters may be edited for length or clarity. Submissions may be
mailed or emailed as a word document.
Nancy Stevens
My name is Nancy Stevens and I was born
and raised in Raleigh, NC. I created Ark
Angels Pet Care in July 2002 and can hardly
believe I’ve just entered my sixth year as a
professional pet sitter. I’m sure my story is
similar to many of yours and yet unique, as is
each of our personal journeys. As your newly
elected Director on the 2008 NAPPS Board, I
thought you might want to know a little more
about me.
I was born with deep love, respect and compassion for animals. My family owned a
smart terrier mix named Chips. I still recall
with delight that he and I won a blue ribbon
at a dog show when I was 5 years old! He
had the shortest tail and could do the most
tricks! I loved him and he was very patient
when I would invite many of the dogs and
cats in the neighborhood to come to our
home for a short visit.
Family dynamics caused me to feel a great
deal of stress as a child. I discovered solace,
comfort and joy among animals. Animals
seem to sense this and most are very receptive to my level of sensitivity to them and
what they’re feeling.
My first job was actually in a pet store in a
mall here in Raleigh. I usually got in trouble
with the owners because I would let all the
puppies out of their cages and play with
them! I spent a lot of time cleaning the floors
afterwards!
I started working at a local hospital at the age
of 22 and quickly worked my way to the
position of Supervisor of the Phlebotomy
Department in the Clinical Pathology Lab.
During the next 16 years, the hospital grew
from a 300 bed to a 600+ bed trauma center
and my responsibilities were daunting. The
life lessons were hard; the hours long. My
work environment consisted of the ebb and
flow of life and death and challenges too
numerous and traumatic to describe.
The applicants were typically looking for their
“niche” in life and usually had to be trained
on the job. The collection of blood specimens,
as well as certain specialty testing performed
by our department, could be
potentially harmful to patients.
This gave me great cause for
concern and more sleepless
nights than you can imagine.
Before leaving this position in
1990, I became a member of a
team of laboratory professionals
and together we created the first
certified phlebotomy training program to be taught in three local
community colleges.
During this time, I realized one of
my life’s ambitions and bought a
horse! At first I only owned half of
him and my best friend owned
the other half. He was a registered Tennessee Walker and a
beautiful bay, gelding. Neither my
best friend, nor I, knew how to
put on a saddle or a bridle. We
just knew we wanted to own a
horse and take care of him and
ride the trails. His name was
Bizarre and he loved to be rubbed
and petted. If someone walked by him and
didn’t stop to rub his head or neck, he looked
quite hurt! I eventually owned him outright
and will never forget his sweet, gentle disposition. We rode miles and mile of trails
together and I will always love that horse.
I spent the next 12 years in sales and service
with a couple of national clinical reference
laboratories. I discovered that I’m not a very
good corporate chameleon, but rather I’m a
big client advocate! This philosophy, as most
of you know, doesn’t always bode well with
upper management! Feeling the stress once
again, I did an impulsive thing. I sat down
and wrote a letter to God on June 27, 2001. I
wrote that I felt I would be leaving my job
soon, and asked for clarity and guidance, and
mentioned that I’d love to work with animals.
It was very short and to the point. Two days
later I lost my job! This was definitely a
divinely guided response, in my opinion, but
now what was I going to do?
After much deliberation, I took a leap of faith
and I’ve never looked back! I saw an ad in
the paper for a pet sitter and went to work as
a contractor for a business in a city very near
Raleigh. I wasn’t able to meet my financial
obligations however, and I felt that I had to
take another leap of faith. I created Ark
Angels Pet Care and after the first full year of
business, I had more than 100 clients and my
feet were tired! It was then that I decided to
leap again and hired my first contractor.
Today, there are 18 IC’s working with Ark
Angels Pet Care.
Some of the best things I did in the beginning
of my first year in business are things I still
do, or try to do as time allows.
I network with other pet
sitters. In fact, this is how I met Jerry
Wentz, our esteemed past president! I called
him and introduced myself and asked some
newbie questions. Along with Jerry, I selected
one other mentor in my area that had been in
(continued on page 4)
business for a long time. Throughout the
years, they have both given me very sound
advice.
another invaluable tool and a must-have
these days if you want to get your business in
the eyes of the public.
Networking is easy for me and has really paid
off. I just started meeting with one sitter, then
another and so on for coffee. Before long, we
had a little coffee chat group of professional
pet sitters and now we share a Web site and
a Yahoo! chat group. In fact, several sitters
went out of business at different points along
the way, and many of them referred their
clients to me.
I joined NAPPS. It was the first organ-
Secondly, I made it a point to
do at least 1 thing every day
to market my business. This is
crucial in the first year of a business in my
opinion. I still do this but the avenues for
marketing are a little different at this stage of
growing the business. With the help of my
significant other, Gary Zwerin, I created my
own brochures and business cards and delivered these to all the upscale apartment complexes in my area of the city. I always go in
and introduce myself and ask if I may give
them some brochures to put in their move-in
packages. Gary also created my Web site and
I wrote the content. Having a Web site is
ization I joined and I’ve never regretted it.
Like many new sitters, my reasons for joining
NAPPS in the beginning were for the zip code
locator and to be able to purchase business
insurance at a group rate. As I’ve become
more active in NAPPS, I now see how much
collective wisdom, creativity and professionalism exists in our members. It’s stunning
and inspiring to be around people who are
smart and can provide guidance and understanding, validation and support. I haven’t
kept a record, but I’ve served on the
Certification Committee now for about two
years and have volunteered hundreds of
hours of my time to the creation of what I
believe will be the leading certification course
for professional pet sitters. My contributions
don’t hold a candle to any of the members of
the Executive Board of NAPPS and the other
Directors. You would all be profoundly
touched if you knew how many hours these
folks have volunteered to make a difference
in our association.
I am looking forward to serving you, my
peers. I hope that I can make a difference,
contribute something meaningful and learn
from my participation. I realize that each of
our communities may have slight differences.
In some cases, we may discover vast differences due to geographical location, climate
and economic factors. I hope to focus on
activities that can bring us together; that recognize our differences but that keep our
attention directed towards learning how to
elevate our profession and the quality of care
we provide to our clients, both animal and
human. Whether this means learning how to
be more savvy with the management of our
business finances, how to give emergency
first aid to a golden retriever, or how to grow
our business and make it stand out, I’m
eager to learn more. And I also hope that
what I am able to share is helpful. I can tell
you that the more time I spend with NAPPS
members whether it’s via e-mail conversations or teleconferences, as we work to create things for NAPPS members, I get more
back than I could ever dream of giving. Our
group has a gigantic heart! And each of you
will start to experience that the more active
you become! n
NAPPS
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Member S p o t l i g h t o n t h e A n
Benefit
6. You need the break.
As a professional pet sitter you are busy
many hours of the day, even nights, holidays, and weekends. Add to that your
family responsibilities and you can easily get burnt out if you don’t work at
gaining balance in your life. A NAPPS
convention can give you a break in your
routine which is also knowledgeable,
relaxing, and enjoyable. Plan on scheduling a few extra days in Orlando before
or after the convention.
7. More involvement
in NAPPS.
The NAPPS Annual Conference is one of the
best membership benefits provided to our
members. Our program offers excellent
speakers experienced in their fields on topics
key to supporting our members in their businesses. Here are the top ten reasons why you
should attend the conference:
1. You want to sustain and
grow your business and
the NAPPS convention can
give you the tools.
Our yearly conventions provide topnotch speakers and resources to help
you in your business. The NAPPS conference committee is made up of pet sitters like you who seek to find the
speakers that target the needs of the
professional pet sitter.
2. The money you put into
the convention will be an
investment in your
business.
Review the conference program and you
will see that in the end you are making
an investment in your business and the
tools you receive at the conference will
benefit your business in many ways in
the future. Our registration fees are
nearly all inclusive of the entire educational program and this year’s hotel rate
of $89/night cannot be beaten.
3. Most conference costs
are tax deductible for
your business.
Keep track of all your convention
expenses – hotel, airfare, gas, shuttles,
food, supplies purchased, etc. Your
accountant will confirm that most of the
expenses are tax deductible at the end
of the year.
4. The networking connections you make at the conference will be a continuous benefit for you
throughout the year.
You will meet other pet sitters who
share the same passions, concerns, and
questions that you have about the business. You will meet veteran pet sitters
who are very willing to share their
knowledge with you. You will meet people that can be valuable contacts for you
in the future of your business.
5. Knowledge, Knowledge,
Knowledge!
Our conventions are chocked full of
seminars that will enhance your knowledge of the pet sitting business, pet
behavior, health, and nutrition and much
more.
You are a member of the #1 national pet
sitting association. Coming to the conference will help you become more
involved. You will meet other members
and Board of Director members. You
will become more aware of how NAPPS
works and what it offers to you and your
business.
8. A top notch experience is
planned for you.
The conference committee has been
working hard for months to make this
the best experience for you. We have
sought out excellent speakers, fun activities, a great location, and an accommodating hotel.
9. You are showing your
clients that you take your
business seriously.
Your clients will be impressed when you
let them know that you are not just taking time off for a little break, but that
you are attending a NAPPS convention
that will help you serve them and their
pets better. You can use your attendance at the convention to promote your
business to your local newspapers and
community.
10. Let your voice be heard.
NAPPS is a member driven association.
Your voice is needed, respected, and
heard. n
UPCOMING EVENTS:
November 29, 2007
It’s All About the Pets; Our Vital Consumers!
Webinar
Bob Vetere, President of APPMA and Marshall Meyers
Executive Director of PIJAC
May 14–17, 2008
Animal Care Expo
Walt Disney World Resort, Florida
www.animalsheltering.org/expo
January 22-23, 2008
Conference on Pet Food Ingredient Quality
Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, GA
May 16-18, 2008
2008 Backer Pet Industry Spring Trade Show
Baltimore Convention Center
Baltimore, Maryland
February 14-16, 2008
Global Pet Expo
San Diego Convention Center
San Diego, CA
September 9-11, 2008
SuperZoo West 2008
Mandalay Bay Convention Center - Las Vegas, NV
The annual Pet Industry Trade Show
March 14-16, 2008
PET EXPO
The Greater Reading Expo Center
2525 North 12th Street
Reading, PA
November 22-23, 2008
PET EXPO
The Meadowlands Expo Center
Secacus, New Jersey
Pet’s Bill of Rights
We have the right to be full members of your family. We thrive on social interaction, praise, and love.
We have the right to stimulation. We need new games, new toys, new experiences, and new smells to be happy.
We have the right to regular exercise. Without it, we could become hyper, sluggish, or fat.
We have the right to have fun. We enjoy acting like clowns now and then; don't expect us to be predictable all the time.
We have the right to quality health care. Please stay good friends with our vet.
We have the right to a good diet. Like some people, we don't know what's best for us. We depend on you.
We have the right not to be rejected because of your expectations that we be great show dogs or show cats, watchdogs, hunters, or baby-sitters.
• We have the right to receive proper training. Otherwise, our good relationship could be marred by confusion and strife —
and we could become dangerous to ourselves and others.
• We have the right to guidance and correction based on understanding and compassion, rather than abuse.
• We have the right to live with dignity...and to die with dignity when the time comes.
•
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•
Do you have an interest in the law? Know the in’s and out’s of legalese? Want to share your legal experience and up-to-date
legislative issues with fellow pet sitters? If this sounds like you, contact Monica Leighton for more information to become a
member of the newly formed Legislative Committee at: monicaleighton@comcast.net
Customer Service Skills – Best Practices
By Christi Fries
In our last two articles, we discussed a newer
approach to improve your customer service
skills: selling your services to both internal
and external clients, and setting expectations
as a pet care professional.
For this issue, I started to write about “recovery: the art of saving clients and reputations
after a bad experience.” However, I couldn’t
advise about a declining situation until I
mapped out techniques to keep accidents
from happening in the first place.
A beautiful, sunny day can turn into a storm
in a flash. Incidents happen to every pet sitter
whether novice or seasoned. We all learn
from experience; we need to take time to
execute a set of rules from those experiences. I call these rules “Best Practices.”
There isn’t one set of Best Practices for pet
sitters, but as professionals we all share the
need for formal systems and time-tested
good habits that prevent accidents from happening.
The Three Sins of Pet Sitting
Let me start with personal, true stories titled:
• Losing keys
• Losing pets
• Missing a visit
My fear is real. I never want another pet sitter
to suffer the hours of grief I endured when I
let go of a leash for just a second and
Seamus, the greyhound, ran like the wind.
Words can’t explain the way your stomach
drops when you’re at a client’s front door,
with a hungry diabetic kitty meowing on the
other side, only to reach in the file and find
the wrong key, or no key? What possible
excuse is there to give to a client when you
miss their midday walk because you’re so
tired you didn’t know if it was Wednesday or
Thursday?
Keys
Can’t live without them, can’t stand to see
them swirl down a toilet! Client keys are one
of our most precious resources, insured possessions, and they need to be protected as
such.
During our initial phone/email conversation, I
remind the client to have keys made before I
visit. I use a two-key system, as two keys upfront are always cheaper and less time consuming than a locksmith.
Great advice from NAPPS Chat posters is to
have a pre-introduction to a locksmith. I also
suggest finding a competent local handyman
or carpenter and putting their phone numbers
on your speed dial. I have found that my local
hardware store is the best place for cutting
quality keys.
and verify that I have key(s) in the file. This is
your opportunity to confirm the organization
of your system, as well as give the client confidence of your professionalism in practice. A
rainy February night is not the time to find
out that you’ve got the Simmons’ key in the
Simons’ file!
Every new key should be labeled the minute
you receive it. Ever have so much fun talking
to a new client that you walk out of the initial
interview without getting the key? I now lay a
blank key fob down on the center of the table
when I start the visit, and tell the client that
this is our reminder to label and test the key,
and security system.
After entering a client’s home, it is imperative
that you have a system for keeping the key
on your body while you visit. The carabiner
clip and the fanny pack are the only two systems that I’ve found to be foolproof. The only
time I put a key in my pocket, I watched it
swirl down a toilet when I leaned over to
flush the litter box scoopings. Find the system that works for you and stick to it!
When an existing client calls with a new
booking, I pull the file before I even confirm,
(continued on page 8)
Another Best Practice I can personally attest
to is making sure the key works in the door
while the door is closed! Lock cylinders do
funny things when the pressure of the door
frame comes into play. Keys also have “sweet
spots,” especially on older or poorly-installed
hardware sets; you need to be aware of idiosyncrasies while the owners are still at home.
Hold That Thought
3 relative best practices
1. Put your cell phone where you put your
keys
2. Learn how to change out door hardware
– practice at home
3. Learn how to change a tire! Remember,
change the lug nuts; then jack!
Filing Systems
These Best Practices might sound simple; I
hope that pet sitters lucky enough to escape
an office-type background may benefit from
us oldsters that have spent years in file
rooms!
Pocket folders are simply the best for what
our job entails. Keys don’t fall out when the
folders are sealed on three sides; contracts
don’t get dog-eared.
Use bold lettering to label your files, as you
will often be working before the sun is up
and after it’s down. You need a locking cabinet or closet for your box of keys; your insurance will not be enough if all your client files
get stolen.
Put your files away, and file alphabetically.
When a job is complete, look to make sure
the key is in the file, and the check is out of
the file. For sitters just starting your business,
it’s tempting to just stack them on your desk
or plop them in a box. Remember, you’re
working to save yourself from future panic
and losses!
Every Sunday (usually my slowest day) I
empty my tote bag and start with a fresh outlook:
• Completed jobs get filed away
• Every file needed for the next seven
days is pulled
• All files are checked for keys and security system reviewed
• Empty my check file and do deposit
Show Me the Money –
The Check File
We have a rule in my house – the person
doing the laundry gets to keep all the money
My Home Away from Home
If I ever get pulled over, a police officer would probably think I was living out of
my vehicle. But my “car stock” has evolved from a cell phone, a schedule book,
and a bottle of water into a supply system that can sustain me through almost any
pet-care situation.
• First aid kit – I bought a fishing
tackle box and filled it with supplies for both people and pets.
What gets used most is Band-Aids
and triple-antibiotic ointment for
my scratches, cuts, and various
self-inflicted wounds trying to get
stubborn keys to work. I used a
dozen gauze pads and the big bottle of saline solution to wash the
blood and gravel off Seamus’s
paws, that runaway greyhound,
when I finally caught him 2 hours
later. The tick-picker gets used year-round. A bag of square cotton cosmetic
puffs made a huge difference when I had to give little sponge baths to
Snowball the Persian, who was too far gone with cancer to bathe herself anymore.
• A full change of clothes for me – Blood, feces, urine, slobber, pus, rain,
sweat, mud, bleach, ketchup, tears – if you haven’t worn them yet, you will! I
change my “carry-on” wardrobe seasonally, and include a toiletry bag. If you
can dry out your feet on a wet winter day, it will give you a mental and physical boost, plus keep you from dragging messes into the next client’s house. A
fresh wash cloth and your favorite soap on a 100-degree summer day, and
you’re cooled down and freshened up.
• Puppy stuff – and goodies for the kitties, bunnies, and birdies too! A small
pet carrier aids with injuries and stray rescues. And the time the client’s house
got broken into and all the animals were running loose, we used the carrier to
get the orange tabbies safely home. I stock small bags of dry food, and pouches of cat food. I always carry rabbit pellets, because when a client runs out
and you need to shop you won’t be able to find them.
• Towels, towels, towels – can’t have enough for yourself or the dogs on a
rainy day or after an emergency dog bath. Piddle pads multitask as mops,
placemats, and litter catchers for those kitties who can’t aim.
• A hand-held vacuum saves dragging the client’s 50 pound machine up three
flights of step (Best Practice tip – I always vacuum around the litter box on
the last day, even if the client doesn’t request it)
that falls out of the pockets. My husband
ends up with a lot of $1’s and $5’s!
Sometimes the money that falls out of the
pockets is a client’s check. And twice that
client check had already been washed and
dried.
bags. It’s very embarrassing to tell a client
you drowned her check and to ask for another. It also upsets your cash flow, as you can
bet she’ll take her time cutting you a new
one while she’s questioning your carelessness.
Hence the initiation of the Check File. In the
client’s home, the check goes on my clipboard. Once in my vehicle, I have a colorful
zipper bag in my tote, one that stands out
from everything else. All checks go in the zipper pouch, and it gets emptied out on
Sundays. The zip-bag looks like a make-up
bag, and not like the obvious canvas bank
Think of a “container” that works with your
tote system, be it a zipper bag, or a different
colored pocket folder. I’ve tried client folders,
front pocket of my schedule book, over the
visor, inside my wallet: none of these worked,
and I would find checks floating around like
confetti; sometimes soggy confetti.
the 3 aspects being person,
pets, and house – bother me,
and politely decline or bow out of
a joyless environment.
Vehicles, Snow,
Hurricanes
I belong to an auto-club
type service that I can call
to get tires changed for
free, but as pet sitters our
time frame doesn’t always
work with theirs! I know
how to change a tire, and
have done so many times. I
have gone from a pick-up
truck with a spare tire
mounted under the bed to
an SUV with the spare tire
mounted on the rear door. I
also have snow and hurricane plans in writing, which
includes client flight info.
Sometimes it’s the client
that has the transportation
problems. If they are flying, I
ask them to leave their
flight info for me, and I
check online to make sure
their return flight is on
schedule. If not, and I can’t
reach them by phone, I visit
the pets per their regular
schedule until I hear back
from the client. You don’t
need to know their specific
vacation plans; some clients
wish to share, and others
are reluctant. It is a Best
Practice to know what state
or country they are in, so
you can follow news and
weather and continue the best care for their
animals.
Your Own Set of
Best Practices
I can’t close without sharing the
outcomes of 2 of my disasters –
losing Seamus the greyhound,
and missing the midday walk for
Miss Piggy, the wire fox terrier.
Seamus ran the neighborhood,
for 2 hours straight; we called in
friends from the local greyhound
rescue to help with the search.
Luckily, I was the one that found
him running just a couple streets
away (villain and hero!). His paw
pads were shredded and bleeding, and I carried him to my
vehicle. I picked up his parents,
and we raced to the emergency
vet. We waited together for 5
hours; Seamus just needed fluids, pain meds, and a good set of
bandages. He healed in 2 weeks;
I offered to pay the vet bill
repeatedly but the client refused.
I thought the client would fire me
immediately, but they knew how
much I cared for Seamus, and
we have a great business relationship to this day.
cook a decent dinner. During the busy seasons, I even log “litter boxes” as a “stop” on
my schedule, so my own cats can retain their
high standards of housekeeping.
Miss Piggy’s missed walk ended
up being no problem – it was the
housekeeper’s day and she always walked
the dog anyway, as she missed the pets she
had to leave in Bolivia.
Take Care of You
In the pet sitting business, it’s quite possible
to work for months on end with no days off. I
have worked until I was so tired I cried.
Working with animals in any capacity will
require sacrifice, and learning what your limits are takes time.
Start a new Best Practice – and put personal
time in your schedule book as a requirement
of your day. This also requires learning to say
“No;” it took me 5 years to learn that little
word!
You need downtime if you’re going to provide
the best possible care to the pets you see
everyday. Schedule yourself for a sit-down
lunch and finally read that new NAPPS
Network magazine. I turn off my phone at 8
pm every night; from 8 pm to 10 pm is my
time with my husband, my kitties, and to
Saying no when you need to will help you
find joy in your busy days. Some of you are
reading this and can’t imagine a demand so
high you would be in a position to say no! As
you increase your pet sitting experience, you
will have opportunities to think “I really don’t
want to go through that again,” and form
your future Best Practices accordingly.
Here’s an example: I had a client with a bad
attitude, a very dirty house, and untrained,
unruly dogs. I thought about that job long
after it was done everyday, and even had a
sleepless night full of horrid little dream
sequences worrying about how to please her.
I finally realized that she was paying me less
than $20 a day, and occupied about 4 hours
of my time per day, 5 days a week. I was letting her drive me crazy for less than $5 an
hour. I now let one or two aspects of a job –
A Best Practice is a system or technique that
works every time. The most stops I’ve run in
one day is 21, and I did it for 4 days in a row
(never again!). My Best Practices saved me
from myself, and I didn’t lose any checks,
miss any stops, or misplace any keys.
Send me an email with your Best Practices,
and I’ll include them, with credit, in a future
article!
Christi Fries lives in Central Maryland with
four rescued feral cats and her husband. With
a degree in Business Management and 25
years of experience with in-home customer
service industries, she is the owner of
Terrapin Pets, LLC, a full-service pet-care
company with 7 IC’s. Please find more information at www.terrapinpets.com. Emails are
welcome: terrapinpets@aol.com. n
NAPPS 08 Conference Off-site Event: SeaWorld Makahiki Luau
$60 • Saturday, February 9 • 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
(Price includes dinner, entertainment and transportation)
Enjoy the Most Exciting Dinner Show in Orlando!
Experience a celebration, normally requiring a trip halfway across the world to see.
But thanks to SeaWorld in Orlando, you can stay domestic and still see this spectacle of a dinner show hosted at the Seafire Inn. From the moment the Kahuna welcomes you, the excitement is non-stop at the Makahiki Luau – a festive, fiery show
that celebrates man’s coexistence with the earth and sea in an experience that will
delight all of your senses in one evening!
SeaWorld salutes the sea of the Polynesian Islands every day at a nightly luau celebration, complete with island foods and dancing. At this indoor production, you'll
feast on family style South Pacific favorites as Island Salad, Mahi Mahi in Pina
Colada Sauce, Hawaiian Chicken, Polynesian-Style Barbecue Spareribs, Polynesian
Fried Rice, and Stir-fried Vegetable Medley; all accented with pineapples, coconuts
and other island favorites.
Enjoy the native dances of Tahiti, Fiji, the Marquesas, and Hawaii and immerse yourself in the ancient customs, folklore and rhythms of the islands. During the 90minute show talented South Pacific dancers perform traditional island dances to
weave a tale of island history while drums thunder and fires blaze. Hula is the language of the heart and therefore the heartbeat of the Hawaiian people.
Performances feature dramatic lighting, professionally trained fire-breathers and
dancers, and smoky special effects.
So pack your grass skirt and rehearse your hula moves because there are some
opportunities for audience participation! Or just jump aboard the provided transportation, sit back, and allow NAPPS to transport you to a tropical experience!
2008 Registration Form
Á la carte event
space is limited,
so reserve your
space today!
Pet First Aid —
American Red Cross
$50 Friday, February 8,
7:30 am – 11:30 am
• Early Bird Registration Deadline Date: December 31, 2007
• Pre Registration Deadline Date: January 25, 2008 (After this date only On-Site Registration will be accepted)
• Hotel Registration Deadline: January 4, 2008
Please register one person per form. Please print clearly.
Name:
Business Name:
Address:
City:
State:
Zip:
Telephone:
Fax:
E-mail:
Member #
Makahiki Luau —
Polynesian Feast
& Celebration —
SeaWorld
$60 Saturday,
February 9, 5:30 pm
Price includes dinner,
entertainment, and
transportation
or
If you require any special needs while attending the conference, please list here: (dietary and auxiliary):
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Registration Package
Full Conference Registration for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Full Conference Registration includes all activities except American Red Cross Seminar and Makahiki Luau.
All fees are per person.
Early Bird-By December 31st
q Members $275
q Non-Members $325
After December 31st
q Members $325
q Non-Members $375
Daily Conference Packages
Pricing includes all meals and sessions for the date listed.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Full Day Package
q Members $175
q Non-Members $200
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Full Day Package
q Members $150
q Non-Members $175
Conference Souvenir T-Shirts
q M - $8.00
q L - $8.00
Guest Meal Package
The guest meal package includes continental
breakfasts, lunches and the welcome reception.
This does not include the Makahiki Luau.
q $50
A La Carte Events
Space is Limited, so reserve your spot today!
You must be registered for the conference to attend any
of the events listed below. Each event is a separate fee
not included in the registration fee. Please see previous
pages for complete information on the following:
American Red Cross Seminar
*Friday, February 8
q $50
Please send completed registration form
to the attention of:
Ms. Lisa Dougherty
Registration Manager, NAPPS
If you have any questions or concerns
please contact Lisa Dougherty at
(856) 439-0500 Ext. 4281 or e-mail at
ldougherty@ahint.com
Non-Member
Makahiki Luau Polynesian Feast & Celebration - SeaWorld
Price includes dinner, entertainment, and transportation
q $60
*Saturday, February 9
q I would like to join NAPPS, at this time, in order to
take advantage of the member rate registration fees.
q I will be bringing a pet to the conference.
All attendees must read and sign the following: It is
understood and agreed that NAPPS, and all of its
members, officers, employees, agents and servants,
shall not be responsible for any loss, damage or
injury to any person, property or animals which is
caused directly or indirectly by any reason. The
undersigned also agrees to hold harmless the above
parties, for any expenses or liabilities incurred, and
authorizes NAPPS and its advertiser’s agency to use
his/her likeness for association promotion purposes
(Parents or legal guardians must sign for children
under 18 years of age).
A cancellation fee of $50 per person will be incurred
for any cancellations received on or before January
25, 2008. All notifications of cancellations must be
received in writing and mailed to the attention of
“NAPPS Registration Manager, NAPPS, 15000
Commerce Parkway, Suite C, Mt. Laurel, NJ
08054.” After January 25, 2008 there will be no
refunds issued. Refunds will not be honored in the
event of flight cancellations or travel emergencies.
Refunds will be processed following the meeting.
Signature:______________________________________
Date:__________________________________________
Payment Information
If you are paying by check, please make check
payable to: NAPPS
Total Registration Fee:______________
q Check / Money Order Enclosed
q Visa
q MasterCard
q American Express
Card Number:
Exp. Date:
Cardholder’s Name:
Signature:
(Please see www.petsitters.org for hotel animal policies.)
Raw Food for Dogs and Cats –
The Why’s and How’s
By Kate Solisti
Many of you have had your clients ask questions about feeding raw food to their companion animals and have wanted to know
more yourselves. In this article I hope to give
you some common sense answers to some
commonly asked questions.
Why feed raw food to
cats and dogs?
Cats and dogs are predators. Cats are classified as obligate carnivores, which means they
must eat meat. Dogs are classified as carnivores and carrion feeders. They too are
designed to eat meat and to scavenge for old
dead things as well as some fruit and vegetable matter. As carnivores, canines and
felines are designed to eat prey – live animals – as the bulk of their diet. This is raw
meat. Their teeth are designed to puncture,
tear and swallow. They are not designed for
chewing and grinding like an herbivore’s
teeth. Predators are not designed to eat
grasses, grains and dry, hard grain based
foods, but rather very moist (bloody and fatty)
FRESH meats.
Dogs and cats aren’t wild any
more. They have been domesticated and, in the case of
dogs, bred into all shapes and
sizes. Haven’t they “evolved”
by now to eat differently?
Although dogs and cats have been “domesticated” for centuries, it’s only recently since
the invention of processed pet foods about 60
years ago, that raw meat has not been available to dogs and cats on a regular basis.
Before pet food was invented, cats and dogs
thrived on small prey animals they caught,
raw meat scraps from the butcher and
human family leftovers. No matter what size
and shape dogs are now, their teeth and
digestive systems remain virtually identical to
a wolf’s. The domestic cat still hunts and eats
mice, birds, lizards, snakes and insects
exactly like their ancestor and closest relative, the African Wildcat.
Since dogs and cats have been eating overheated, processed foods that have more
refined carbohydrates and meat by-products
than nutritious meats, their lifespans have
shortened, (some statistics claim by 50 percent since the 1950s and ‘60s!) and they suffer from many more diseases and chronic
problems like arthritis, diabetes, obesity, urinary tract infections, joint and dental issues
than ever before!
My vet tells me raw meat isn’t
safe to feed my cat or dog.
What about Salmonella and ecoli?
Vets receive very little training in nutrition and
what they learn is usually taught by Hills or
Purina. These companies spend hundreds of
thousands of dollars marketing their prescription diets and other foods to vets. To “test”
your vet on his nutrition knowledge, ask him
1) How are cats classified? (Answer: Obligate
carnivores), Then say, “Oh. What does that
mean?” (Answer: They must eat meat.) 2)
Then say, “Oh. Is that why they have long,
sharp teeth and no grinding molars?” (Your
vet should be nodding in agreement) 3) Next
say, “If that is so, how can cats eat dry, hard
food that’s carbohydrate based like (pick any
dry cat food…). It must be painful to bite
down on and there’s no moist meat to provide the protein, fats and moisture they must
eat as obligate carnivores… (Here he’ll probably argue then that you should feed canned
food and give you the party line about how
Hills does rigorous testing, blah, blah, blah.
Notice if/how he avoids answering your ques-
tion about dry food.) You get my
point; he is only regurgitating what
he has been taught and is not even
using common sense.
“You don’t have to just take my
However, there can be some truth in
a vet’s argument. Salmonella and ecoli can be an issue in some meats. I
don’t feel that factory farmed, supermarket or discount chain store
meats are safe to feed raw. They can
be loaded with bacteria. However, I
have no qualms about feeding raw
meats and eggs from small, local
farms or frozen organic, free-range
meat. Now it’s possible to buy frozen
raw meat meals for dogs and cats
that are convenient and safe. Many
of these quality, frozen raw foods
can be ordered online and delivered
to your door. Also, some local feed
and/or pet food shops may be interested in carrying them if enough
customers express an interest. Some
of the best frozen meals are:
Nature’s Variety, Primal, Bravo,
Oma’s Pride. As petsitters, you may
be eligible to become distributors of
some of these excellent foods.
Contact the companies I mentioned above for
details.
word for it. There are countless
stories on raw feeding ...
diet of muscle meat, veggies and
occasional grains WILL CAUSE
SEROIUS IMBALANCES! Please read
up on how to prepare a simple, balanced homemade diet in my book,
“The Holistic Animal Handbook, A
Guidebook to Nutrition, Health and
Communication” or in another book
such as those by Dr. Ian Billinghurst,
Kymythy Schultz or Wendy Volhard.
Will I really see much of
change in an animal if he
eats raw meat?
Yes! In my 10 years experience teaching how to feed raw meat meals, I
have seen dramatic changes in most
animals eating a primarily raw meat
diet. The first thing you notice is a
beautiful coat, then whiter teeth and
fresh breath, excess weight comes off
easily and there’s far less excrement
to be cleaned up. Litterboxes smell far
less as well. Greasy skin, hot spots
and “doggie smell” often go away forever. Lethargic animals have more
energy and want to play or be more
social with one another and with
humans. “Wild” ones become more calm,
centered and relaxed. Most animals become
more tolerant and flexible. Many dogs and
cats eating balanced raw meat meals have
regained their health, many times proving the
“experts” wrong about their “terminal conditions.” Cats eating raw meat cause far less
allergic reactions in humans. You don’t have
to just take my word for it. There are countless stories on raw feeding Web sites about
the “miraculous” changes people have experienced with their animals. So, if you want
more information read up and join me and
hundreds of other pet guardians who confidently feed raw meat meals to their companion dogs and cats.
about the ‘miraculous’ changes
What if an animal has never
eaten raw meat? Will they like
it?
If an animal has never eaten raw meat, it’s
important to first introduce them to cooked
meat. Cooked meat smells more interesting
than raw. It’s easier to digest than raw if an
animal’s system has only been exposed to
canned, dry or cooked foods. You can buy
fresh ground turkey, beef, buffalo or lamb and
cook up a little bit to see if they like it. (1 Tsp
for a cat or small dog, up to 1/2 cup for a
large dog.) If your animal likes it, start giving
them plain, low-fat yogurt with live cultures
to establish good gut bacteria to prepare the
digestive tract for rare, then raw meat. Give
your animal yogurt (1 tsp for a cat or small
dog, up to 1/2 cup for a large dog) with each
meal for a week along with the cooked
ground meat. Then cook the meat less and
less over the next week until they are eating
and enjoying raw meat with a side of yogurt!
Cooked, then raw meat can be added to
canned or dry food as well. However, some
animals do better if raw meat meals are fed
alternately with dry or canned.
people have experienced
with their animals.”
Do they need to eat raw vegetables and grains too?
There is some controversy here. Wild felines
are designed to eat predigested grains, seeds
and vegetable matter that is available in a
prey animal’s stomach or intestines. Wild
canines do scavenge for fallen fruits and dig
up root vegetables. Most of the research suggests that dogs can get some nutrients from
finely chopped fruits and vegetables. I prefer
lightly steamed and chopped as this more
closely mimics predigested vegetables. Cats
get very little nutrients from vegetable matter.
Adding veggies for dogs and cats primarily
adds flavor, fiber and bulk. I suggest adding a
jar of organic baby food veggies to a pound
of raw meat in the beginning to help them
develop a taste for veggies. The try pureed or
finally chopped veggies added to meat.
Grains should NEVER be fed raw. Cooked rice,
oats, barley, quinoa, millet can be added in
small quantities in the beginning to help in
the transition from processed foods with
grains, but can eventually be eliminated in
many cases.
Can pet owners make raw
meat mix for pets?
Yes, but you MUST balance it correctly. The
key ingredient that most people leave out is
calcium. Calcium is a critical nutrient for a
carnivore. Without added bones, powdered
bone meal or calcium lactate, a homemade
Kate Solisti is the author of The Holistic
Animal Handbook, the series, Conversations
with Dog, Cat and Horse and co-editor of
Kinship with Animals. She has produced two
videos on feeding cats and dogs homemade
raw diets. Kate is an internationally known
animal communicator and educator. She
spoke at the NAPPS Conference in Houston
last year and will be with NAPPS again in
Florida in February. Visit Kate’s Web site
www.akinshipwithanimals.com for info on her
private sessions, books videos, etc. n
Gloves at first sight
By Buffy Pollock
Rocky isn’t your ordinary cat burglar.
This east Medford feline has an
insatiable appetite for hand-warmers.
In an otherwise safe and quiet east Medford
neighborhood, tidy front lawns, smiling children and Neighborhood Watch signs belie a
pernicious cat burglar lurking in the shadows.
He began victimizing neighbors more than a
year ago. They know the thief’s name and
where he lives and even what he’s stolen —
his ill-gotten booty hangs mockingly on a
clothesline in his front yard on Hybiscus
Street. Rocky, a tabby with a glove fetish, is
the resident bandit.
By day, he strolls nonchalantly past doting
neighbors. When the coast is clear, he sneaks
onto back porches and into storage sheds,
seeking out gloves of every shape and style.
Gloves litter the yard and front walkway to
Rocky’s home, which he graciously shares
with Patty Baptiste and Marcus Mayfield and
their children.
“We don’t usually see him do it because he’s
so sneaky, but we know it’s Rocky. It just
makes sense. We go over probably every
week to check and see if we have gloves
over there,” says neighbor Janet Coupe.
Coupe was puzzled at first when gloves first
began disappearing from her backyard, but
Coupe is the only neighbor to have caught
Rocky in the act. She laid a trap for him and
caught him as he struggled one day last year
to purloin a glove intentionally secured by a
heavy container.
“And he’s stolen other things,” Coupe said.
“One time he stole one of the headrests from
our hot tub!”
Baptiste, who confesses to doting on the miscreant cat, blames herself for Rocky straying
from the straight and narrow. “I claim this all
started when I hollered at him for killing a
bird about two years ago. He’s never done
that again — never killed anything — but he
started stealing gloves soon after,” she said.
“It was real intermittent at first, and then it
escalated to where it was really ridiculous.”
Ridiculous enough that Mayfield insisted the
couple figure out how to reform the wayward
cat, or offer restitution to his victims.
“It finally got to the point we had this basket
by our door that was full of these gloves, and
I said ‘We’ve got to deal with these,’”
Mayfield said.
In addition to erecting the clothesline
between two small trees, the couple sent
their children, including 16-year-old daughter
Molly, door-to-door with a letter of explanation. While the thefts persisted, Molly said
neighbors have been understanding of, and
even amused by Rocky’s antics — a good
thing considering he’s stepped up his unauthorized requisitioning. “He’s collected at
least as many as 30 pair of gloves.
Sometimes he’ll take a break for awhile, then
we’ll all of a sudden see 10 pair on our front
walk,” she said.
“The fact he’s so sneaky is actually the way
we wound up with him. He was homeless
and our garage door was left open. He actually came inside our house like he lived there
and we liked him so much we just kept him.”
While she doesn’t understand her cat’s
attraction to gloves, Baptiste marvels at his
ability to distinguish them from other objects.
“I think it’s a sign of his superior intelligence
that he can distinguish a glove from anything
else,” she noted. “They’re not all work gloves.
They’re all different. Women’s gloves, garden
gloves, work gloves.”
Rocky is one of two family cats, and Molly
said it is difficult not to play favorites.
“He’s just so funny, he’s our favorite. Actually
I shouldn’t say that because we have another
cat and he’d be offended,” said the teen.
“Our other cat’s not nearly as dysfunctional,
but he’s equally cute!”
Buffy Pollock is a freelance writer living in
Medford. E-mail her at
buffypollock@juno.com. n
Heartworm: Recognition, Definition, and Prevention
By Erik Caplan
Once considered a parasite of southern climates, the heartworm (dirofilaria immitis) is
now recognized as a major, global pest
affecting dogs, cats, wolves, coyotes, foxes
and some other animals. From its discovery
in dogs more than a century ago and the
documentation in cats in the 1920s,
researchers have devised diagnostic tests,
preventives and treatments, but the disease
has spread to all 50 states. According to the
Heartworm Society, the highest infection
rates occur in dogs (not maintained on heartworm preventive) within 150 miles of the
Atlantic and Gulf coasts and along the
Mississippi River and its major tributaries.
Other areas with large mosquito populations
also have a high rate of infestation.
Heartworm prevention is relatively simple. It
involves a blood draw to determine whether
the parasite is present and regular dosing
with preventive medication. Heartworm infestation is dangerous—untreated dogs die and
treated dogs go through weeks of discomfort
while the worms are killed and expelled from
their bodies.
The Parasite
Parasites go through several life stages
before emergence as adults and often need
at least two hosts to complete the cycle. In
heartworms, a mosquito serves as the intermediate host for the larval stage of the worm,
also known as the microfilariae. The mosquito
ingests the larva when it bites an infected
dog and deposits its cargo in an uninfected
dog when seeking another blood meal. The
microfilariae burrow into the dog and undergo
several changes to reach adult form, then
travel to the right side of the heart through a
vein and await the opportunity to reproduce.
Adult heartworms can reach 12 inches in
length and can remain in the dog’s heart for
several years.
Dogs can have some microfilariae in their
blood and worms in their lungs without manifesting the disease. Once the number of
worms exceeds a certain number based on
the size and activity level of the dog, however, the adult worms move to the heart and
symptoms begin to occur. Very active dogs
may experience symptoms with lower numbers of worms than couch-potato dogs.
The time lag between the initial infestation of
microfilariae and reproduction by adult
worms living in the heart is six to seven
months in dogs. Female heartworms bear live
young—thousands of them in a day. These
young circulate in the bloodstream for as long
as three years, waiting to hitch a ride in a
bloodsucking mosquito. They undergo
changes in the mosquito that prepare them to
infect a dog, and they transfer back to the
original host species the next time the mosquito bites. The process of change in the
mosquito takes about 10 days in warm climates, but can take six weeks in colder temperatures.
The worms grow and multiply, infesting the
chambers on the right side of the heart and
the arteries in the lungs. They can also lodge
in the veins of the liver and the veins entering
the heart. The first sign of heartworm infestation may not manifest for a year after infection, and even then the soft cough that
increases with exercise may be dismissed as
unimportant by the owner. However, the
cough worsens, and the dog may actually
faint from exertion. Infected dogs tire easily,
are weak and listless, lose weight and may
cough up blood. Breathing becomes more difficult as the disease progresses. The progression is traumatic: the dog’s quality of life
diminishes drastically, and it can no longer
retrieve a Frisbee or take a long walk in the
park without respiratory distress. Congestive
heart failure ensues, and the once-active,
outgoing pet is in grave danger.
Epidemiology
Heartworm disease is present on every continent except Antarctica. It occurs where these
four factors are found:
• A susceptible host population
• A stable reservoir of the disease
• A stable population of vector species
• A climate that supports the parasite’s
life cycle
Dogs are considered the definitive host for
the parasite. Even though the disease is not
transmitted directly from one dog to another,
untreated dogs provide a stable reservoir for
the disease. Mosquitoes of several different
species are the vectors (or intermediate host
for the developing microfilariae). Development
of the microfilariae in the mosquito requires a
temperature at or above 80 degrees
Fahrenheit for about two weeks. No larval
development takes place in the mosquito
below 57 degrees.
Testing
Heartworms can be detected by blood test.
The filtration test finds microfilariae in the
blood, and the occult test locates adult
worms in the heart. Many veterinarians prefer
to do both tests as the absence of microfilariae in the blood does not necessarily mean
that there are no adult worms in the heart.
Both tests are done with a single blood draw,
preferably in the early spring before daily
temperatures warm above 57 degrees.
Radiographs (X-rays) can also detect the
presence of adult heartworms in the heart
and lungs.
the dog and treat any secondary problems of
heart failure or liver or kidney insufficiency so
that he can withstand the treatment.
The next step is to kill the adult worms with
an arsenic compound. Veterinarians now have
access to an immiticide, a new compound
with fewer side effects than the previous
drug, which is safer for dogs with more
severe infestations.
Treatment
The treatment is administered in two doses
each day for two days, followed by several
weeks of inactivity to give the dog’s system a
chance to absorb the dead worms. Exertion
can cause the dead worms to dislodge, travel
to the lungs, and cause death.
If a blood test or the onset of symptoms alert
owner and veterinarian to the presence of
this devastating parasite, treatment is possible and successful if the disease has not progressed too far. The first step is to evaluate
Further treatment to kill the microfilariae is
needed at least three or four weeks after the
administration of the drug to kill the adult
worms. The dog is dosed daily for a week,
and the blood test is repeated. If microfilariae
are still present, the dose can be increased.
Follow-up studies should be done in a year.
Surgical removal of the adult heartworms is
possible and may be indicated in advanced
cases with heart involvement.
Prevention
Preventive doses come in oral and topical
versions and are only available from a veterinarian. Diethylcarbamazine is given daily.
Ivermectin, Milbmycin and Moxidectin are
given monthly. Selamectin is a new preventive applied topically. Some of these drugs
also kill other parasitic worms.
Many veterinarians recommend and many
owners use a year-round heartworm prevention program to guard against the occasional
mosquito flying about in areas with mild winters. n
Tips of the Trade
This issue’s tips are brought to you by Candance Labane-Godfrey, Precious Pets In Home Services, NAPPS President
Pesky Ants? Build an Ant Moat!
Grab a cookie sheet, baking pan, or a container
that can hold about 2 inches of water. Placing food
and water bowls in this pan will keep ants from
getting on pet’s food.
Water Fountain
Does your cat ask you to turn the water faucet on?
Lick the walls of the shower or off your legs? Cats
need oxygen in their water to assist in healthy
digestion and a spout-style cat water fountain is
the thing they’d love.
Left over Dry Food?
Pour the food back into the bag/container and mix/stir. This brings the scent back into the food and results in less wasted food!
Frisky Fingers?
Tin foil has been shown to stop cats from damaging household items. It molds to any surface and once in place will deter/stop cats from ruining pet
parents’ household items.
Pet Pads
Human disposable bed pads, which are similar to a child’s diaper and are located in the disposable diaper section of your local drug store, can serve
several purposes when placed under kitty litter. When cats jump out of the litter box, the cotton from the pad assists in removing excess litter clinging
to their paws, thus tracking less litter on floors and carpet. It also helps for kitties that have trouble with their aim!
Calling all pet sitters! Have some favorite tips of the trade you’d like to share?
Send in your helpful hints to hzengel@ahint.com and they will be posted in the library
as well as included in the next issue of NAPPS Network!
We are honored that
NAPPS has chosen Pets
Best Insurance as a partner
and we believe we can provide value to your business
in additional revenue and
by building your image and
awareness with the general
public. We will provide
you with affiliate advertising fees and group discounts for your clients. We
invite you to insure your
own pet and have a special
higher discount for your
personal pets.
As you can see from the
photo of my wife and I with
our four legged children
(minus two cats who were
uncooperative that particular day) we have many pets
and love them dearly.
Vacations and business
travel are very much influenced by being able to
secure reliable and responsible pet sitting.
We have had pet sitters for many years, long before the concept
of a national association of pet sitters. Previously, our only choice
had been family or friends because we have too many pets to
board in a professional kennel and we are not real keen on taking
them out of their home unless they travel with us, which some of
them do quite often. Our preference is that those left off of our
travel itinerary remain at home. When our grown children, especially our daughter were at home, it was not too difficult to
arrange pet sitting. Besides, the rates were reasonable!
But after our children left home, we had to rely on friends, but
that often does not work due to busy schedules and distance.
Finding a pet sitter was a problem and more often than not when
we found a friend of a friend or daughter of a neighbor the results
were not satisfactory. Like most pet parents, the attention and
care our pets receive while we are gone from the home is important and often resulted in a change of plans or one of us staying
home.
Additional problems we always had to overcome was that each
pet has different dietary needs: Skeeter and Raisen need their senior food; Torrey, Cooper, and Pepper need their small bites; Duke
needs his large dog diet; Obie needs to be fed in small parcels and
not overeat or become too active after eating, as he has had three
Gastric Torsion emergencies; and Ginny and JR need their diet
restrictive calorie foods. Some need medication, such as Skeeter’s
thyroid pills and eye drops; four need their senior vitamins, etc.
The members of NAPPS provide a much better alternative for all
us pet parents. We want our pets to remain in their home environment and you make that possible. The service you provide is
only going to grow in demand and stature because of the many
benefits and value you bring to us, such as your training, reliability, your dedication and being bonded is added comfort to us in
protecting our homes and property.
But most of all, the professionalism you bring from owning your
own business gives us confidence that you will make every effort
to make us return customers. By making your passion your business, we intuitively know there will be continuity and consistency. As members of NAPPS you provide an element of trust without ever meeting or knowing you. By developing a business structure and being a member of a professional organization I know
you take your business seriously and professionally and were
trained to protect and care for my pets.
As President and Founder of Pets Best Insurance, we want to
enhance your business and professional image with the pet public.
We do this in three ways;
•
•
•
First – Through our Affiliate Agreement approved by
NAPPS, you can earn additional revenue by having your
business become an affiliate. As an affiliate we will pay
you for additional traffic that you send to us to receive a
quote for pet insurance.
Second – You have the peace of mind knowing that an
insured pet under your care can receive any required emergency care required while the owner is away. If payment is
an issue on an insured pet for any covered emergency we
will work directly with the veterinary hospital to pay for
that care, if necessary even prior to the owner’s return. We
want to help you always be sure pets under your care
receive the best medicine necessary to restore their health
and well being.
Third – As an affiliate with Pets Best you are associated
with not just the best pet insurance option, as our name
implies, but we are advocates for pets and support or have
initiated many pet causes. Here are a few examples:
1. Oncology Initiative – any pet owner in the USA,
whether they are insured or not, may receive a FREE
initial online oncology consultation if their pet has
cancer.
2. We started www.petcancerfoundation.org so that pet
owners can learn more about cancer in pets, the
symptoms, signs, treatments, and the outcomes to be
expected from each type of cancer. Additionally, this
is where pets’ veterinarians sign up for the free cancer
consultation with a specialist in cancer (oncologist).
3. We support the Morris Animal Foundation with a
multi-year 1 million dollar pledge to find the cure for
canine cancer.
4. We support several non-profits for pets, besides the
Morris Animal Foundation.
5. Shelter Best – We provide revenue back to local shelters for every adopted pet insured and for referrals.
Providing needed revenue for shelters, peace of mind
for pet owners, and great coverage for pets.
6. SPCA – We are a principal sponsor and donor for the
SPCA International, which provides grants for shelters and other animal related causes.
7. Skeeter Foundation – named after my dog, we fund
research studies that measure the positive beneficial
changes in our biochemistry when we interact with
our pets. Proving the human animal bond and how
important pets are to humans, psychologically, physiologically, and socially by decreasing medical cost.
We understand and applaud your business and although we certainly do not know all the challenges you face, we would like to
learn more so that we can enhance our mutual efforts for pets.
Jack Stephens DVM, President/Founder
Pets Best Insurance
New NAPPS Members
NAPPS Would Like to Welcome the Following
New Members (as of October 5, 2007)
Linda Van Haste, Balancing Act Concierge, Inc., Meadow Vista
Debbie Waldron, Debbie Waldron's Petsitters on Wheels, Moreno Valley
Dawn Wilson, Integrity Petsitting, Anaheim
Alabama
Colorado
Donna Lewis, Donna's Doggie Den, Andalusia
Donna Patterson, Petz Sitter, Madison
John Cutroneo, Colorado Pet Solutions, Breckenridge
Gary Martin, GEM HOME/PET CARE, Aurora
Kim Robblee, Luv-A-Lot PetCare, Colorado Springs
Rebecca Schwab, Peace Of Mind Pet Services, LLC, Windsor
Haley Sinn-Penfold, The Sensible Surrogate, Boulder
Susan Taylor, Safe T Pet Sitters, LLC, Colorado Springs
Alaska
Gineen Cornell, Cornell's House Calls, Wasilla
Arizona
Deborah Brightstar, Doggie Diva Pet Care, LLC, Tucson
Dana Capp, Premier Petsitting, Scottsdale
Jon Drucker, Ahwatukee Pet Sitting, Phoenix
Jon Ellis, Fetch! Pet Care Of Chandler / Gilbert, Chandler
Pat Fox, Trisha's Pet Sitting, Prescott
Debra Nelson, Huggybug Pet Services, Sierra Vista
Megan O'Connell, Critter Sitters, Benson
Kathy Olson, Desert Dog's Pet Companions, Tucson
Niki Simonson, One Lucky Pet, Scottsdale
Candice Stump, FidoExpress, Prescott
Claudia Trecina, Pawsitively Happy Pets LLC, Mesa
Cumanda Walstad, Angelic Pet Care, Phoenix
Richard Yocom, Poop Posse, Inc., Chandler
California
Eizabeth Almeida Garcia, Tail Waggers, Oceanside
Julie Andersen, Jewels' Pampered Pets and People, Camarillo
Jessica Anderson, PonyGirl Horse and Pet Sitting, Hickman
Amy Beal, Pampered Paws Pet Service, Redondo Circle
Amanda Boyer, Hooves & Paws Pet Sitting, Escondido
Jolynn Collins, Circle Of Friends Pet Sitters, Oceanside
Beverly Davis, Petcentric, Lafayette
Maureen DeBack, Pawsitively the Best Pet Care, Clayton
Bonnie Dias, City Strut, Los Angeles
Janda Ferris, Leash & Biscuit, Sierra Madre
Eluz Gannon, Always There Home & Pet Care, Danville
Suzanne Harvey, While You Are Away, San Jose
Launi Holland, Pampered Pals Pet Care, Brentwood
Kristinne Kilpatrick, Kristinne's Critter Kare, Pasadena
Katie Kobayashi, Katie's Critter Care, Carlsbad
Debra Kraemer, Debbie's Petsitting, Moorpark
Sandy Kubis, XtraLuvin Pet Care, San Diego
Mark LaPlante, Banner Mountain Pet and Home Sitting, Nevada City
Linda Lazar, Lake Pet Sitting, Carlsbad
Renee Leventhal, Renee Leventhal, Berkeley
Janell Lovett, KritR SitR, San Jose
Marguerite McLennan, Wine Country Pet Sitters, Windsor
Jonathon Miller, Amador Animal Services, Livermore
Shari Mimura R.V.T., Professional Pet Services, Torrance
Carla Murray, Murray's Wet Nose Pet Sitting, Upland
Linda Nigro, Canine Cardio, Capistrano Beach
Deirdre O'Donovan, Wags and Walkabout Pet Care, Oakland
President Owner, K~Nine Care's, Oceanside
Suzanne Powell, Home But Not Alone Pet Care, LLC, La Quinta
Norris Salby, Dog-R-cise Dog Walking Service, Los Angeles
Sabina Sayegh, Pet's Nanny, North Hollywood
Dennis Schmid, KD'S PET SITTERS, Riverside
Amy Shafer, About a Dog, LLC, Sacramento
A.J. Singh, Lil' Chick Pet Sitters, San Jose
Cindy Smith, The Right Steps, Fair Oaks
Karen Smith, Karen Smith Petsitting & Doggy Daycare, Homeland
Robbee Sorensen, Get Out Of Town! Professional Pet Care, Pinole
Randy Southern, TOM-KAT VENTURES, Corona
Glenda Swoboda, Glenda's Critter Care, Roseville
Kanique Thomas, Long Beach
Connecticut
Seana Antaya, Seana's Pet Sitting Service, Newington
Kimberly Briscall, While Your Away, Terryville
Corrie Chambrello, While U R Out, LLC (Home & Pet Care), New Hartford
Katherine Cryder, K.C. Pet Sitting, LLC, Old Saybrook
Michelle Lewandowski, Scales N Tails Pet Sitting, LLC, Enfield
District of Columbia
Tonia Wood-Wilson, AnytimeK9, Washington
Delaware
Nancy Meany, Puppy Love Pet Sitting, Hockessin
Rebecca Slater, Highgrove Pet Services, LLC, Wilmington
Florida
Sam Brownstein, Sunshine Pet Pals, Boca Raton
Julie Burgos, Viera Pet Sitters, Viera
Eduardo Camacho, ALOHA AND ME, INC., Homestead
Susan Caya, Canine Cardio Company, Palm Harbor
Ellen Cranos, Smiley Miley Pet Services, Bradenton
Gina Cusimano, Gizmo's Pet Sitting, Delray Beach
Jill Dalton, Cozy Home & Pet Care, Jupiter
Merryann Decker, Furry Godmother, Bradenton
Lindsay Deputy, Deputy Dog Services, Palm Coast
Denny Garcia, Little Whiskers Pet Care, Miami
Bonnie Geisen, My Good Doggy, Coral Springs
Dennis Gillman, Community Pet Service, Cape Coral
Heidi Jones, Pup-Eez, Pembroke Pines
Roberta Josephson, Tedi & Company Inc, Pompano Beach
Delise La'Meaux, A Dawg and Cat Crib, Inc., North Lauderdale
Sandra Lindstedt, Piper's Pet Sitting Service, New Port Richey
Jennifer MacMenomay, Whisker Watchers, Fort Myers
Mary Madonia, PETS AND GETS, Miami
Milda Muller, PETHAUS, Jupiter
Maryl Olsen, Pet Sitters And More, Hollywood
Christina Parkes, The Pet Weekender, LLC, West Palm Beach
Renee Perricone, 4 Paws N Claws, Inc., Bradenton
Jessica Pierce, Wags Fur Walks, Altamonte Springs
Roberta Rowe, Robbie's Happy Paws Pet Sitting, The Villages
Carol Rubadou, Manatee Pet Services, Bradenton
Pauline Sabean, Happy Paws, Riviera Beach
Miguel Serrano, At Your Service Pet Sitting Of Miami, Miami
Veronica Simonetto, Tailored Pet Sitting, LLC, Tampa
Michael Smyser, Little Angels Pet Care (S Corp), West Palm Beach
Roseanne Vinci, Krazy For Critters Pet Sitters, Miami
Sharon Walls, Happy Trails Pet Sitting Service, Parrish
Mary Walser, Best Of Boca Pet Care, Boca Raton
Amanda Watters, Amanda's Kitty Sitters, Palm Beach Gardens
Dora Watton, The Purrrfect Pet Sitter, Gainesville
Diana Wile, Furry Friends Day Care, Fort Lauderdale
Josephine Williams, PEACE OF MIND PET SITTING, Palm Bay
Georgia
Susi Campbell, Critter Sitters, Woodstock
Kenya Champion, Pet Guardian Pet Sitting, LLC, Lithonia
Maria Christensen, The Dunwoody Pet Sitter, Atlanta
Danell Clark, At Home Pet Care, La Fayette
Judy Close, Close Watch Pet Sitters, Inc., McDonough
Ashleigh Jean Coffee, Waggz-to-Whiskerz Pet Sitting, Atlanta
Katrina Garabelis, Happy Tails, LLC., Alpharetta
Tess Jones, Bone Voyage Pet Sitting, Cumming
Leigh Ann Kennedy, Atlanta
Barbie Klapp, 2 Paws Up, Inc, Snellville
Lisa Landry, Creatures & Companions, Lawrenceville
Lani Ortman, The Pet Tender, Locust Grove
Debra Robertson, Pet Sitting and More, West Point
Debbie Warden, Fetch! Pet Care Of North Atlanta, Gainesville
Alyson Windsor, Sugar Sugar Pet Sitting, Atlanta
Tara Pratt, Celtic Wind Stables Pet Sitting Service, Carver
Dawna Akashian Stanek, Happy Paws Pet Service, Westford
Christopher Thomas, Happy Pet Care, Brighton
Michigan
Jan Conner, PET NANNY, Inc., Canton
Karla Gorden, Lovin' Care Pet-N-House Sitters, LLC, Saginaw
Trully Luke, Friends 4 Paws, LLC, Belleville
Lynn Shepherd, Pet Sitters Plus, By Lynn Shepherd, Albion
Minnesota
Jana Bone, At Home Pet Care, Eagan
Trisha Fisher, Happy Paws, Plymouth
Diann Smith, Eden Prairie
Missouri
Hawaii
Robin Seithel, Molly's Holiday Pet Sitting, Union
Lucinda Alexander, Maui Pet Sitters, Wailuku
Montana
Illinois
Michele Schaller, Furry & Feathered Friends Pet Sitting, Helena
Nancy Bartosch, Nancy's Pet Sitting, Lombard
Jennifer Beer, Gimme Paw Pet Sitting, Flossmoor
Adriana Flores, Lakeview Dog Walker, Chicago
Andrea Freedberg, Personalized Pet Care, Glenview
Kimberly Goss, Claws N Paws Pet Sitting, Lebanon
Judi Hardin, The Kitty-Sitter, Macomb
Wrenda Harry, TLC Pet Pal Service, Mount Prospect
Lynn Hostetler, Lynn's Pet Care, Inc., Glen Ellyn
Linda Jacobson, North Shore Cat Sitting Service, Glencoe
Ian MacNeil, Chicago Pup Patrol, Chicago
Holly Monfries, Everlovin' Pet Sitting Service, Mokena
Nancy Ohanian, Birds Of a Feather and Friends, Gurnee
Laura Radosta, Bed and Bones, Naperville
Nevada
Indiana
Christina Gummer, Perky Paws Pet Sitting, Ellettsville
Iowa
Darren Boucher, Tails Are Us, Des Moines
Kansas
Melinda Collins, Paws For Care, Wichita
Kentucky
Leslie Ewing, ScoopLady, Pendleton
Leslie Jones, Leslie's Pet Sitting, Florence
Dana Yates, Treasured Pets, Louisville
Maryland
Kimberly Baker, Doggie Junction, Abingdon
Amber Broe, TLC4Petz.com, Germantown
Kimberly Clapp-Smith, Kim's Perfect Petsitting, Accokeek
Shanna Dodge, While You're Out Pet Sitting Services, LLC, Columbia
Julie Frazee, Dog-Gone Walkin of Hagerstown, Hagerstown
Donna (Kathy) Hemstock, Kat's Kritter Sitter Service, Millington
Jermaine Jenkins, Pooch Pals, Waldorf
Carla Lodwick, Carla's Hunt Valley / Timonium Dog Walking / Sitting, Timonium
Katie Mitchell, Random Tails, New Market
Judi Neckritz, Animal Crackers, TLC, Clarksville
Evan Sultan, PAWS WE LUV PET SITTERS, Bethesda
Diane Wood, Wag-a-Tail Vacations, Upper Marlboro
Massachusetts
Meghan Carey, Beantown Hounds, Newtonville
Pamela Flanagan, North Reading
Julie Fortier, Home Away From Home Pet Services, Holland
Diana Hennessy-Curran, Happy Tails: Pet Services, Sturbridge
Mary Meagher, Happy Pet Care, Brighton
Karen Munro, All Tails-R-Wagging, Wrentham
Denise McCrory, Love Me Tender Pet Sitting, Henderson
Nathalie Thibeault, No Place Like Home, Henderson
Lindy Thomas, Professional Pet Sitters Etc., Las Vegas
New Hampshire
Susan Myshrall, Center Harbor
New Jersey
Catharine Barron, Little Paws Pet Sitting, Bellmawr
Valerie Bottles, Walking Paws, West Cape May
Maria Comp, Posh Pets, LLC, Cherry Hill
Claire Coppola, P.E.T.S. (Pedigree Education, Training & Services), Kinnelon
Michele DeGiorgio, Safe 'n Sound Pet Sitters, LLC, Mount Freedom
Matthew DeRossett, The Dog Walker, LLC, Pennington
Joanne DeSantis, Joanne DeSantis, Pet Sitter, North Bergen
Angela Douglas, Peace Of Mind Pet Sitting, Hampton
Pamela Frasco, PAMPERED PAWS PET SITTING, Union Beach
Michael Graham, Fetch! Pet Care Of Central Morris County, Hopatcong
Trish Grand-Jean, Passion 4 Pets & Divine Homes, LLC, South Plainfield
Corey Haley, The Hoboken Hound, Hoboken
Lisa Herega, All Paws Pet Sitting, LLC, Beachwood
Nicole Migliarese, Kinder Kritter, Inc., Mount Laurel
Charlotte Murphy, Guardian Angel Pet Sitting, Ewing
Erin Murphy, Pawprints Pet Sitting, Erial
Diane Petruzzelli, Running Rover Dog Running, Lincroft
Kelli Phillips, DOGWOOD, HOLMDEL
Lisa Posluszny, Abbie's Pampered Pets, Mahwah
Louis Smith, LM Smith Pet Services, Maple Shade
Maureen Stark, TLC Pet Care, Eatontown
Anthony Strano, TK Pet Sitters, LLC, New Brunswick
Maria Treiber, Loving Care Pet Sitters, Convent Station
New Mexico
Cathy Chambers, VIPets Of Santa Fe, Santa Fe
New York
Sherry Bishop, Elmont
Marco Cacchi, Happy Paws Dog Walkers, LLC, Brooklyn
Theresa Cahill, A1 Critter Sitters, Riverhead
Arnie Green, Arnie's Pet Sitting, Warwick
Carol Guerin, Beastly Good Pet Care, Elizaville
Jordan Kaplan, Petaholics, New York
Michele Kowalski, The Pet Minder, Inc., Manorville
Shannon Murphy, Always There Pet Care, North Syracuse
Judith Salvato, Tender Lovin Paws, Fairport
Nicole Sirois, PawPrintsNYC, Astoria
Melanie Skillman, MELS-DOGZ, Wingdale
Cynthia Tibbs, More Than a Walk, New York
(New York continued)
Tennessee
Sheila Weiss, WALKING THE DOG, New York
Eric Wunderman, New York
Kevin Burt, At Home Pet Services, Nashville
North Carolina
Dave Billets, All the Comforts Of Home Pet Sitters, Charlotte
Marbeth Bradin, Pawsitive Creature & Castle Care, Boone
Debi Callari, ALL Tails A Waggin', Charlotte
Kittie Crosby, The Other Babies Pet Sitting, Mildand
Deborah Eubanks, Miss Rita and Company Pet Sitters, Kinston
Karen George, Raleigh
Jim Gordon, Care One Solutions, Inc, Hendersonville
Donna Griffin, Walking The Dog, Durham
Jake Jacobson, Happy Dog, Inc., Raleigh
Angie Kay, SweetPaw Pet Sitting & Canine Massage, Cornelius
Lisa Magness, A New Leask on Life - Appalachian Pet Sitting, Boone
Terri Meyers, U-Fetcha Pet Sitting Service, Raleigh
Greg Mohr, Mohr's Pet Sitting, Maiden
Shannon Pingitore, Carolina Pet Care Services, LLC, Fayetteville
Lindsey Poston, Your House Pet Sitting, Hampstead
Sarah Roughton, Walk-A-Bout Pet Services, Powells Point
Mary Rytter, Superior Pet Service, Raleigh
Alan Smith, Charlotte Pet Sitting, Charlotte
Sheila Smith, Laughing Dog Pet Sitters, King
Donna Zirkle, Donna's Pet Sitting, Fuquay Varina
Ohio
Kimberly Babcock, Petmates Pet Sitting Services, LLC, Akron
Kari Barber, Claws and Paws Pet Sitters, LLC, Cincinnati
Tammy Kinkade, K9's Naturally, Defiance
Mary Rings, Top Pets, Cincinnati
Deb Strunak, Deb's Pet Project, LLC, Fairview Park
Lori Zobel, No Bones About It, Mason
Oregon
Jay Heaton, All-In-One Professional Pet Sitting Services, Salem
Kris Karrick, Waggin' Trails, Beaverton
Korinne Kinish, Kori's Kritters, Gladstone
Shawn Ryan, Safe Journey Pet Sitting, Portland
Marie Warszalek, Dogs A 'Walkin, Sherwood
Pennsylvania
Melissa Auletta, Right At Home Pet-Sitting By Melissa, Ambler
Susan Berry, Pet Pals, Dublin
Shaunna Bowlby, Shaunna's Pet Sitting, Spring City
Alysa Canally, Fido and Friends, LLC, Glenside
Connie Daly, Very Important Petz, Harrisburg
Debra Farrington, Debra Farrington's Petsitting Etc., Hershey
Amanda Ferretti, Amanda Ferretti's Pet Sitting & Dog Walking, Nazareth
CaroleAnne Hensley, FBI - Furry Buddies In Home Service, LLC, Erdenheim
Erica James, Peace Of Mind Pet Sitting, York
Susan Miller, Mary DropIns, LLC, Philadelphia
Danielle Moffly, In the Dog's House Bucks County, Holicong
Virginia Regnier, ABC Pet Sitters-Always Best Care-For Your Pets, Devon
Trisha Romano-Majka, Mary Puppins Pet Sitting, Norristown
Darlene Thomas, Tabitha's Pet Care Services, LLC, Horsham
Rachel Waterstradt, My Pet Friends, Seven Valleys
Linda Whitehead, Whitehead's Pet Services, Shrewsbury
Rhode Island
Lori-Ann Audette, Max and Me Pet Sitting, Cumberland
Stacy Dandy, Best Friends, Providence
Bobbie Joia, Merry Puppins, Hope Valley
Heather Lemire, Cuddly Critters, Woonsocket
South Carolina
Deseree Allen, Happy Tails Home, Elgin
Jennifer Williamson, Happy Tails Pet Sitting, LLC, Columbia
Texas
Hilary Apple, Apple a Day Personal Pet Care, Austin
Judy Bell, Your Pet's Companion, Austin
Kathy Donchak, Dog Daze Pet Sitting, Missouri City
Jo Ann Duncan, Critter Sitters of Rockport, Rockport
Suzanne Gaines, Little Shepherd Pet Sitting Service, Austin
Rick Gann, Pawsitive Pet Care, Arlington
Tami Guttman, Metro. Pet, Plant & Home Services, Plano
Christine Harp, Anything But Alligators, Mansfield
Linda Kay McClain, Paws and Pals Au Pair Service, Boyd
Becky Nichols, Becky's Babies! Cat Care, Austin
Philomina Rouse, Phil's Pet Sitting Service, College Station
Arlene Ruiz, Spoil'd Rott'n, San Antonio
Rachel Shupp, Sweet On Pets, Heath
Paul Sweitzer, Grooming By Judy, Pet Sitting Service, San Benito
Lori Taylor, Wags Whiskers and More, Spring
Veronica Wegeforth, Whiskers R Us Professional Pet Sitters, San Antonio
Talia Williams, Triple T Pet Services, Cibolo
Utah
Laura Jablonski, Happy Dog Pet Sitting, Saratoga Springs
Kaleen Klein, Cottonwood Critter Sitters, Salt Lake City
Virginia
Shawn Bennett, Four Paws Pet Concierge, Leesburg
Angela Berry, Berry Patch Pet Care, Annandale
Isabelle Bertrand, Kingstowne Pet Services, LLC, Alexandria
Samuel Hall, Sr., At-A-Moment's Notice, Reston
Ann Healy, Annie's Pet Care, Alexandria
Emily Henninger, Southwind Pet Care, Chesapeake
Ruth Hutton, Four Winds Critter Care, LLC, Amherst
Janice Jones, Trusted Companion, Professional Pet Care, Centreville
Julie Jones, Julie's Pet Stop, Dumfries
Heather Judd, Pups Pal Petsitting, LLC, Gainesville
Karen Ann McAlpine, Comforts Of Home, Centreville
Diane Mosher, Pet Nanny, Bentonville
Leticia Parr, The BowMeow, LLC, Norfolk
William Reintzell, Wiki Walks, Arlington
Rose Roberts, Happy at Home Pet Care, Ashburn
Anne Stowe, Dog & Cat Concierge Service, Charlottesville
Kristi Suddarth, I Stay U Go Pet Care Services, LLC, Bealeton
Patrick Throckmorton, The Pet Pleaser, Winchester
Washington
Katie Eichenberger, Gone To the Dogs (& Cats)!, Renton
Jean Judy, Tail Wagging & Purr-Fect Express, Gig Harbor
Michelle Reece, Nanny Dolittle, Everett
Wyoming
Erin Eddy, Claws 'n Paws, Casper n
National Association of Professional Pet Sitters, Inc.
15000 Commerce Parkway, Suite C • Mt. Laurel, NJ 08054
E-Mail: napps@ahint.com • Website: www.petsitters.org
COMMITTEE APPLICATION
(Print or Type)
As a member of NAPPS, you play a part in the exciting growth of the in-home professional pet care industry, and you have a voice in the association’s affairs and governance. You can help shape your association by becoming more involved in the programs and activities that NAPPS offers. Your time commitment is up to you. You can
be involved as little or as much as you like. By serving on a Committee, you learn
new skills and network with your peers. Get involved today!
Member ID ______________________________________________________
COMMITTEES
t
Benefits Committee
Develops New Member Benefits.
Participates in Certification Program and
Disaster Preparedness Program.
Oversees Ezine, Volunteer Recruitment,
NAPPS Chat List Serve.
Business Name __________________________________________________
Your Name _____________________________________________________
Address ________________________________________________________
City________________________State__________Zip___________________
Phone ( ____ ) ___________________ Fax ( ____ ) ______________________
E-Mail __________________________________________________________
Previous Work Experience _________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
Please indicate the committees on which you would like to serve:
q Benefits Committee
qCertification Subcommittee
qDisaster Preparedness Subcommittee
q Marketing Committee
qAnnual Conference Subcommittee
qPartners Subcommittee
qPresents 4 Pets Subcommittee
qElementary School Program Subcommittee
q Membership Committee
t
Marketing Committee
Promotes NAPPS and the Pet Sitting
Profession. Assists in preparation of
Annual Conference. Reviews Website.
Solicits Corporate Sponsorship.
t
Membership Committee
Oversees Membership
Growth and Retention,.

NAPPS Network - National Association of Professional Pet Sitters

Transcription

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