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Pet Sitters International, the world’s largest educational association for professional pet sitters, offers pet owners tips for selecting pet-care providers during the busy summer travel season.

According to an Expedia and Airline Reporting Corp. report, the costs of flights were down in 2015—and surprisingly, the busy summer months of July and August saw price decreases of 13 percent and 10 percent, respectively. With travel experts predicting airfares will continue to trend downward this  year, the 2016 summer travel season is looking very bright (and very busy) for would-be vacationers. With 65 percent of U.S. households owning a pet (as well as 63 percent in Australia and 57 percent in Canada), the majority of these summer travelers are likely to be faced with an important question: “Who’s going to take care of the dog (or cat) while I’m away?”

For pet owners who plan to travel this summer, Pet Sitters International (PSI) recommends that they only use the services of professional pet sitters for their pet-care needs.

“With the growth of the pet-sitting industry, pet owners do not have to rely on untrained or unwilling friends, family members or neighbors when travel keeps them from their pets,” explains PSI President Patti Moran.

Moran notes, however, that with the influx of pet-care directory sites popping up in the past 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—and pet owners must be especially prudent when selecting a pet sitter.

PSI advises pet owners to ask seven important questions when interviewing potential pet sitters:

1. Does the pet sitter have the proper business license for your city or state? 
2. Is the pet sitter insured and bonded? 
3. Can the pet sitter provide proof of clear criminal history? 
4. Does the pet sitter provide client references? 
5. Will the pet sitter use a pet-sitting services agreement or contract?
6. Is the pet sitter a PSI Certified Professional Pet Sitter and/or has he or she participated in pet-care training, such as pet first aid? 
7. Is the pet sitter a member of a professional and educational association, such as Pet Sitters International? 

Professional pet sitters provide a much-needed service not only for travelers who must leave their pets at home, but also for those who are able to travel with their pets. Many professional pet-sitting businesses, such as Zoo Sitters, who serves Atlantic and Cape May Counties in New Jersey, also offer pet-care services at hotels and bed and breakfasts for travelers who have their pets, but need to leave them for an afternoon or day to participate in activities or events that may not be pet friendly.

Vanessa Sorace, owner of Zoo Sitters, has found that hotel staff and innkeepers are happy to have a local professional pet-sitting business to refer guests to: “Recommending us means less potential damage to their rooms and fewer complaints from other guests due to barking dogs. Plus, they get to recommend a unique service that helps their guests go about their vacations worry-free.”

For pet owners who need professional pet-sitting services for their pets at home, as well as those who are able to travel with their pets, PSI’s 2015 Pet Sitter of the Year Gerry Arner, co-owner of Pet ‘n Nanny LLC in North Carolina, offers these important words of advice:

“Book early. Because the summer months are traditionally very busy times for professional pet sitters, it’s important to begin making your pet-sitting arrangements as soon as you begin planning your summer vacation.”

-2015 Pet Sitter of the Year™ Gerry Arner,

Pet 'n Nanny LLC, Wake Forest, N.C.