30th annual Professional Pet Sitters Week™ to be celebrated March 3-9
Pet Sitters International is highlighting the importance of using professional pet-care services and the viability of pet sitting as a career during this milestone celebration.
KING, N.C. (February 27, 2024) — March 3-9 marks the 30th annual Professional Pet Sitters Week™, a milestone celebration honoring professional pet sitters and dog walkers and highlighting the viability of professional pet sitting as a career.
Pet Sitters International (PSI), the world’s largest educational association for professional pet sitters, created Professional Pet Sitters Week in 1995, and in 2023 PSI added a dedicated day for pet parents to express their gratitude to professional pet sitters and dog walkers: Thank Your Pet Sitter Day™, observed on the Wednesday during Professional Pet Sitters Week. The 2nd annual Thank Your Pet Sitter Day falls on March 6 this year.
As this year marks both the 30th celebration of Professional Pet Sitters Week and the 30th anniversary of the association, PSI Founder and CEO Patti Moran reflects on the changes she’s seen in the industry over the past three decades.
“I started my business literally using index cards and a shoe box, and old-fashioned checks were the standard form of payment,” shared Moran. “With today’s technology, pet sitters are now able to provide more convenient, efficient scheduling and payment options to clients.”
“What’s not changed, however, is the importance of education for pet sitters,” Moran added. “Being an educated, professional pet sitter will be a must to meet the needs of a more sophisticated and demanding pet parent population—and to ensure the success of pet-care providers who are faced with the unexpected on an almost daily basis!”
PSI, founded in 1994 by Moran, will celebrate its 30th birthday on March 17 and is shining a spotlight on the viability of professional pet sitting as a career. According to PSI’s 2023 Post-Pandemic State of the Industry Survey results, PSI member businesses are more profitable than ever. The average gross revenue for PSI member businesses in the U.S. was $94,563 in 2022, a 25 percent increase from the pre-pandemic average gross revenue of $75,869 in 2019.
“Professional pet sitting has long been a profitable and rewarding career option, and with 66 percent of U.S. households now owning a pet, the need for professional pet sitters will continue to grow,” said PSI President Beth Stultz-Hairston “Using a professional provides pet parents with peace of mind that other pet-care options cannot.”
Pet parents can visit www.petsit.com/locate to search for a PSI member pet sitter in their area and to download a free pet-sitter interview checklist, which lists seven important questions pet owners should ask any potential pet sitter or dog walker.
The association encourages pet parents to express their gratitude for their pet sitter or dog walker during Professional Pet Sitters Week and share how professional pet-care services have made life better for them and their pets. PSI encourages professional pet sitters to celebrate the week with activities such as pet-sitter networking dinners, special offers for clients, donations to local pet organizations and local media promotions.
To learn more about PPSW or pet sitting as a career, or to locate a professional pet sitter in your area, visit www.petsit.com.
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About Pet Sitters International
Founded in 1994 by Patti J. Moran, author of Pet Sitting for Profit, Pet Sitters International (PSI) is the world’s largest educational association for professional pet sitters, with member pet-sitting businesses in the United States, Canada and more than 15 other countries. PSI members have access to the widest array of business services and educational resources available in the professional pet-sitting industry. PSI’s Pet Sitter Locator is the largest online directory of professional pet sitters, and pet owners can visit petsit.com/locate to find local professional pet sitters.
