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Pet Sitters International advises pet parents to book their professional pet sitter as soon as possible to avoid missing out on their preferred service provider.

KING, N.C. (October 17, 2024) — “Book your pet-sitting services a.s.a.p.”—that is one of the key takeaways Pet Sitters International (PSI) is sharing based on the results from its 2024 Pet-Sitter Holiday Survey, which provides insight on topics like demand for holiday pet-sitting services, holiday surcharges and referrals.

PSI, the world’s largest educational association for professional pet sitters and dog walkers, recently surveyed more than 450 member businesses and found that more than half of respondents (53%) said they began accepting holiday pet-sitting reservations at least six months in advance for the 2024 holiday season (late November through early January). Only 13 percent said reservations had not started yet as of mid-September, when the survey was conducted.

“With our latest survey revealing that nearly 90 percent of the pet sitters surveyed have already been accepting reservations for holidays ranging from Thanksgiving to New Year’s, we encourage pet parents to book pet-sitting services now if they already know their travel dates,” said PSI President Beth Stultz-Hairston. “This will reduce stress and give you a better chance of booking your preferred professional pet sitter—or if you don’t have one, vetting a new a pet-sitting service to make sure they’re the right fit for your family.”

PSI shares these additional takeaways based on the results of its 2024 Pet-Sitter Holiday Survey:

• Last-minute travelers are not out of luck. While just over half of respondents (53%) said they expect to be fully booked and unable to accept new requests at least 2-3 weeks prior to the holiday, 34% of survey respondents said they accept last-minute holiday requests (reservations less than one week before the holiday).
• Small holiday surcharges are not unusual. 67% of respondents say they charge a holiday surcharge, with $5-7 or $8-10 per visit being the most common added-on fees (18% and 23% of those who charge surcharges, respectively).
• It’s okay to ask for a referral. The majority of professional pet sitters (85% of respondents) provide referrals to other pet-care providers when they are already booked for the holidays, so pet parents shouldn’t feel uncomfortable asking for that information if needed.

PSI recommends pet owners schedule an initial consultation with a potential pet sitter prior to booking their services, which will allow them to meet the professional pet sitter, see them interact with their pets, and review their credentials and policies.

“Knowing that your beloved pets can be ‘home for the holidays,’ enjoying their familiar, stress-free environment while receiving the careful attention of devoted pet sitters, is priceless,” said PSI Founder and CEO Patti J. Moran. “Professional pet sitters are available to meet your holiday pet-care needs and provide you with peace of mind.”

To search for a professional pet sitter in your area and to download PSI’s free Pet-Sitter Interview Checklist, visit www.petsit.com/locate. For more information about PSI, visit www.petsit.com.

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Download social media images highlighting some of the survey data:

When pet sitters started accepting reservations | Last-minute reservations