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Michelle Miller, owner of At Home Comforts Pet Sitting in Panama City, Fla., has been named Pet Sitters International’s 2014 Pet Sitter of the Year™. This award is presented annually to one pet sitter who embodies the passion and professionalism of the pet-sitting industry.

Miller will serve as the public face of PSI’s nearly 7,000 independently owned member businesses and represent the pet-sitting industry throughout 2015.

Created by Pet Sitters International (PSI) in 1995, the Pet Sitter of the Year designation is considered the pet-sitting industry’s highest honor. The 2014 selection process brought in more than 440 nominations for professional pet sitters across the United States. Nominations for the award are received from professional pet-sitters’ clients, pet-care peers and pet professionals, such as veterinarians.

“Each year, PSI staff and the selection committee have a very difficult decision as they read through the hundreds of nominations from pet owners describing how committed their pet sitters are to providing the best care possible,” noted PSI President Patti Moran. “Michelle’s nominations left no doubt as to the significant role she plays in the lives of her clients, their pets and her local pet community at large.”

Miller joined PSI in 2011 and completed the Certificate in Professional Pet Sitting Program that same year. She is also trained in pet first aid and CPR and has participated in PSI’s Locator Designation Program, which offers third-party verification of a pet sitter’s clear criminal history. In addition to pet sitting, Miller is also an active volunteer with the Animal Rescue Center of Bay County, is a trained volunteer at her local PetSmart cat adoption center and serves as a spokesperson on her local television and news shows to promote pet adoption and foster programs.

The 2014 Pet Sitter of the Year award is sponsored by Business Insurers of the Carolinas, pet-sitter insurance provider and pet-sitting industry supporter for two decades. Miller will be officially crowned at PSI’s 2015 Pet Sitter World Educational Conference and Expo in Myrtle Beach, S.C., this September.

Serving on this year’s selection panel were David Pearsall, Vice President of Business Insurers of the Carolinas; Denise Fleck, author and founder of Sunny-dog Ink; and Sari Reis, PSI’s 2013 Pet Sitter of the Year.

The other top-five Finalists in the 2014 Pet Sitter of the Year competition were:

• Amy Dittig, Your Pet's Friend, Inc., Willow Springs, N.C.

• Regina Duncan, Paw Pals Pet Sitting & Pet Transportation Service, LLC, North Port, Fla.

• John Hauman, Ma& Paws Pet & House Sitting, LLC, Toledo, Ohio

• Nikki Timberlake, Pawsotively Purrfect, Inc., Fort Myers, Fla.

To learn more about PSI’s Pet Sitter of the Year award, locate a PSI member pet sitter in your area or to request more information about pet sitting as a profession, visit PSI’s Web site at www.petsit.com or call (336) 983-9222, option 1.