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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 Gail Amshel, owner of Amshel’s Home Pet Sitting Service, LLC, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

April 1, 1993—the date is etched in Gail Amshel’s mind. It’s the day she officially opened her pet-sitting business, Amshel’s Home Pet Sitting Service, LLC. After 10 years as a pharmaceutical sales rep, Gail was able to start a business that allowed her to do what she had always loved—work with animals.

Now nearly 25 years later, she has more than 450 clients and 15 pet sitters through her business in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Gail is also a long-time PSI member; she joined in 1994, the year the association was founded.

Gail has learned a lot about running a business and pet sitting in the past few decades, and she comes back often to a simple phrase: “It’s about quality, not quantity.”

Gail happened upon the pet-sitting business concept after a woman cared for her pets while she was gone. Gail’s veterinarian asked who had watched her pets while she was away and asked for the woman’s phone number. Several calls came in, and that opened Gail’s eyes to the business potential. She was already volunteering at a zoo, because she had always loved animals.

Gail made good money as a pharmaceutical sales rep, but she didn’t enjoy the work, so shifting careers was not a problem.

“Happiness is more important,” she says.

Learning from the experts

Gail had never run her own business, so she learned from those with experience. She took advantage of a one-day seminar by SCORE, an organization of business mentors. She enjoyed the experience, gaining a lot of great information, and was able to connect with a businessman, as well as a family friend, who helped her navigate the intricacies of running a business. An accountant showed her how to keep her financial books.

Gail called dozens of insurance companies, finally finding one who was willing to provide insurance for her business. Back in 1993, the insurance companies she spoke with had never heard of a professional pet-sitting business.

Gail joined PSI in 1994. She had gone to a bookstore to see if they had any books about pet sitting, and that’s when she found PSI founder Patti Moran’s book Pet Sitting for Profit. She saw that pet sitters could access group-rate insurance and bonding through PSI, so she joined.

Over the years, Gail advertised her business through a variety of methods. Initially, she put up fliers and visited veterinary offices. She advertised in a newspaper for a while and now advertises in a community magazine.

Later, a friend made Gail a website. When it was time for a website revamp, Gail got BizIQ to help with her site and her online presence.

Gail doesn’t like tech, she says with a chuckle, so she relies on the expertise of others. She did get a computer after surpassing 200 clients, to help her keep track of it all.

Expanding the business

In a sprawling area like Pittsburgh, it would be easy to let a pet-sitting service area get out of hand. Gail says she tries to keep workers within a 10-mile radius. They primarily service the Fox Chapel area, with a few pet sitters still offering services in the city.

In addition to offering pet sitting and dog walking services, her business has a few pet sitters who do overnight stays and a few who board pets.

Over the years, Gail has cared for a variety of types of animals.

“You name it, I’ve done it—miniature donkeys, horses, ferrets, lizards, the usual cat, dog, gerbil, guinea pig, bird, fish,” Gail says.

She will care for any type of animal, as long as it is not nasty.

“If a red flag comes up, say no,” Gail advises pet sitters.

For the first three years of business, Gail worked by herself, but then she knew she couldn’t continue to handle her growing client list by herself. Since she volunteered at the zoo, she asked someone who writes the docent letter if she could put a blurb in there about her business. Her first pet sitter was a retired lawyer, and since then, she has primarily had clients come on to pet sit for her. A fellow zoo volunteer and client has been pet sitting for Gail for years and has helped connect Gail with most of her workers.

Gail says she has never advertised for workers—she or her long-time pet sitter must know them. In 25 years, she has only had a few IC’s who didn’t work out.

“I’ve been very lucky,” Gail says.

If someone calls her to inquire about pet sitting with her company, she usually tells them that she is busy and to call back in a few days. That weeds out the people who are not serious about the job.

Learning from the experience

There are many tricks of the trade that Gail has learned over the years.

“Always have a meet and greet to make sure you’re comfortable,” she advises.

Gail encourages pet sitters to get as much information from the pet owners as possible so they can be aware of the pets’ quirks and whether they are friendly with other pets and people. As she puts it, “every kid’s different.”

She uses common sense when caring for pets and relies on her experience growing up with dogs, volunteering at a zoo and helping out around a farm. A lot of her pet sitters have a medical background, so they are experienced with administering shots and medication.

“Just make sure you know all of the animal’s quirks, and if they’re on meds, who to contact,” Gail advises.

With her paperwork, she not only requires an emergency contact and the veterinarian’s information, but she also asks for information for someone else they can contact if the pet owner cannot be reached.

“Plan A, B, C, D, E, F and G—always have your back covered on every avenue,” Gail says.

Having several pet sitters to call on makes it easier for Gail and pet sitters to maintain a work-life balance. And if someone gets sick, there are workers available to cover for them.

Gail offers an important final piece of advice for pet sitters: “Go with your gut. If it doesn’t feel right, don’t do it.”