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There’s great truth to the statement, “There’s strength in numbers.” Pet sitting can be lonely. And whether you are just starting your pet-sitting business or are a pet-care veteran, you have questions—and there’s no one better to help answer your questions and share in your daily challenges and joys than a fellow pet sitter.

PSI members have a network of more than 6,000 fellow PSI members and pet-sitting business owners, and PSI is always looking for ways to help our members connect with one another. From PSI’s annual conference to the private Facebook chat group, PSI is always seeking out new avenues to allow our members to find support, advice and new ideas from fellow pet sitters.

PSI’s Pet Sitter Spotlight series has that same goal. Each month, we’ll feature a different PSI member. The blog post will help you get to “know” this pet sitter and provide you with some tips and advice for your own pet-sitting business. You can view past Pet Sitter Spotlights here.

PSI members, if you are interested in being considered for a PSI Pet Sitter Spotlight, send an email to meghannevans@petsit.com.

Meet Elizabeth Moeller, owner of Team Paw-Some Pet Sitters in League City, Texas.

Elizabeth Moeller did not intend on becoming the owner of her own professional pet-sitting business. In fact, she had a different business venture in the works and a patent for it.

When she saw an ad in the paper from a pet sitter looking for help, Elizabeth simply thought it would give her a chance to get out of the house, and she was a pet lover, always involved in animal rescue efforts.

“I think the Lord knew what he was doing when he put this in front of me,” Elizabeth says of pet sitting.

After becoming a pet sitter, she went on to buy the business now known as Team Paw-Some Pet Sitters, located in League City, Texas.

After more than a decade, her company has about 250 clients, a full-time bookkeeper and a full-time scheduler—and they recently interview for their 24^th pet sitter. Many of the people who pet sit for her are former clients. Elizabeth says she has high standards and so do they, so it’s a good match.

“I’ve been blessed with some awesome people,” Elizabeth says. “I’ve always had people who’ve always had my business at heart.”

Elizabeth goes by the title of “Chief Pooper Scooper” and owner, and she does whatever is needed, including some pet-sitting assignments and meet and greets.

The previous owner of the business was already a PSI member, so Elizabeth continued as a member when she took over the company. She says several PSI members in her area meet four times a year.

“We’ve all had each other’s backs for all these 15 years, and I’m very proud of that,” Elizabeth says.

Business evolution

Elizabeth’s business has grown thanks to word of mouth. She says she has not needed to advertise.

In addition to pet sitting and dog walking, Team Paw-Some Pet Sitters offers transport and home security services. The business is located in a suburban area between Houston and Galveston, Texas.

Elizabeth will pay for any of her pet sitters to get pet CPR training, and she thinks those credentials stand out to potential clients.

In the early days, they left “pet notes” using carbon copy paper. Now clients can indicate whether they want 1-3 digital updates a day, and the pet sitters include happy photos of the pets.

Elizabeth says of the clients, “They have to be able to enjoy their vacation and know that their animals are well taken care of.”

The pet sitters like to have fun with the daily updates, and once they even shrunk photos to make it look like the pets were in a LEGO “pet store” made by the client’s child.

For a while, the business gave clients personalized calendars with a collage of their pets’ photos each Christmas. Elizabeth says they always recognize when a client’s pet passes away, whether that means giving the pet owner a rainbow bridge card, sending a plant or giving a personalized gift with the pet’s name engraved.

“We’ll always recognize a pet’s passing,” Elizabeth says, “and we share that grief with the owner.”

Emphasis on standards

Business policies and standards are important to Elizabeth.

A high set of standards is “the best tool that you can possibly use,” Elizabeth advises.

She tells all of her pet sitters to work like they are on camera at all times.

Her business has a backup system in place, and they use a buddy system for meet and greets, requiring two pet sitters to go to each one. Each client has two pet sitters who they know and who will know their pets.

If a problem arises while the pet owner is away, Elizabeth tries to figure out a solution before getting the client involved.

“The client has to have a very good time while they’re gone, and if something does go bump in the night, we’re going to try to take care of it in the most delicate manner,” Elizabeth explains.

When the client returns from vacation, Team Paw-Some Pet Sitters must get confirmation that the client is home (not just at the airport).

Elizabeth also has a policy that there is no business signage on pet sitters’ vehicles. Initially, she couldn’t afford the vehicle wraps, so she turned it into a positive. She told clients that they use unmarked vehicles, not alerting others that the clients are out of town, and that is still her policy today.

Elizabeth advises pet-sitting business owners to make sure they know their pet sitters. It’s important to have staff of the right caliber. And she also advises business owners to make sure the pet sitters know that they are appreciated.

“We have to be bonded as a team and know that we have each other’s back,” she says.