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KING, N.C. (February 24, 2015) —After a corporate layoff in 1983, Patti J. Moran decided to start her own small pet-sitting business—a service unheard of at the time—in North Carolina. As requests for information on starting similar businesses came in from around the globe, Moran’s passion for pets—and her new pet-sitting business—led her to write Pet Sitting for Profit, establish an international association and spearhead an entirely new industry. Pet Sitters International (PSI), the professional pet-sitting organization Moran founded in 1994, is now the world’s leading educational association for pet sitters, and March 1-7 marks PSI’s 21st Professional Pet Sitters Week™ (PPSW™).

Introduced by PSI in 1995, PPSW is an annual observance that honors professional pet-care providers, seeks to educate the pet-owning public about the advantages of professional in-home pet care and encourages pet-loving entrepreneurs to explore professional pet sitting as a viable career.

“PSI celebrates PPSW to honor its professional pet-sitting members, who offer quality, dependable care to clients’ pets year round,” said PSI President Patti Moran. “PPSW is also a time for us to stress to pet owners the importance of using only professional pet sitters.”

Moran added that professional pet sitters’ commitment to excellent pet care includes maintaining pet-sitter insurance and bonding, having any necessary local business licenses or permits, using a pet-sitting service contract, offering proof of clear criminal history and staying up to date on the latest pet-care information through continuing education like PSI’s Certificate in Professional Pet Sitting Program.

For pet owners seeking pet-care options, Moran noted that while there are more options than ever before, pet owners must be careful.

“Pet owners shouldn’t assume that just because a pet sitter is listed on an online directory—even if it’s a nationally publicized site—that it is a legitimate, qualified pet-sitting business,” explained Moran. “Anyone can post a profile advertising pet-sitting services, so it’s important for pet owners to take a closer look to ensure they are hiring a ‘real pet sitter’ to care for their pets.”

PSI offers pet owners a free pet-sitter interview checklist on the PSI website, www.petsit.com. The site also offers a free ZIP/postal code search for U.S. and Canadian pet sitters, as well as an International pet sitter search, at http://www.petsit.com/locate.

Moran noted that with the influx of pet-care directory sites popping up in the last few years and news stories touting pet sitting as an easy way to earn extra money, more and more people are deciding to cash in on the growing need for pet care.

The growth of the industry has made it necessary for professional pet sitters to focus on ways to make their businesses stand out in their local service areas. To help its member pet sitters succeed, PSI offers access to group rate pet-sitter insurance and bonding, free pet-sitters forms and marketing materials and access to industry credentials, such as PSI’s Certificate in Professional Pet Sitting and the PSI Locator Designation Program, the only third-party verification of pet sitters’ clear criminal histories in the pet-sitting industry.

As part of its PPSW celebration, PSI will also be giving up to 100 randomly-selected members a free Motorola Scout 1500 digital wireless indoor and outdoor pet monitor. Members can also take advantage an extra discount for all purchases from The Pet Sitter Shop, www.thepetsittershop.com, throughout March.

PSI encourages its nearly 7,000 member businesses to celebrate PPSW 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, pet sitting as a career or to local a professional pet sitter in your area, visit http://www.petsit.com.