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The association is highlighting important safety tips and new training opportunities this May during its ninth annual Pet Sitter Safety Month.

KING, N.C. (April 28, 2025) — This May for its 9^th annual Pet Sitter Safety Month™, Pet Sitters International (PSI) is providing professional pet sitters and dog walkers with free safety resources on the latest best practices to stay safe on the job, while also encouraging the public to take a few simple steps as well to help keep these pet-care professionals safe.

PSI, the world’s largest educational association for professional pet sitters, created Pet Sitter Safety Month in 2017 to highlight the importance of promoting safe practices for today’s professional pet sitters and dog walkers. This year, the association will highlight a variety of safety-related topics for PSI member pet sitters in their May Monthly Member Toolkit, which includes a free online training, a downloadable safety guide, and other resources.

“A career in professional pet sitting or dog walking is rewarding, profitable and fun, but as with any profession, it’s essential to follow best practices for safety,” said PSI President Beth Stultz-Hairston. “We equip pet sitters with tools and resources to review their safety practices each year—and we want to encourage pet lovers to do their part as well to help keep pet professionals safe.”

Pet sitters and dog walkers can visit the Pet Sitter Safety Month section on petsit.com to access safety tips and resources.

On social media, PSI will be sharing information for pet parents, as well, such as these quick tips:

• Share your pet’s history. Your pet sitter or dog walker is tasked with keeping your pet safe, as well as any other people or pets they may encounter (on a walk, for example), so let your pet sitter know about any aggressive tendencies your pet has shown before, anything that stresses out the pet, and any other relevant information.
• Do not try to “pet that dog.” Dog lovers may be tempted to pet any dog they encounter—especially if it is a neighbor’s dog—but please know, it is best practice for pet sitters and dog walkers to avoid interactions with others while walking clients’ dogs. Any dog can display unpredictable behavior when facing new circumstances, people or pets.

“Professional pet sitters and dog walkers take their jobs seriously and work to ensure that they—and the pets in their care—remain safe,” Stultz-Hairston said. “Still, pet owners and the general public can do their part to make their job a little easier.”

For more information on Pet Sitter Safety Month, visit www.petsit.com/safety. To learn more about PSI or to locate a professional pet sitter in your area, visit www.petsit.com/locate.

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