How I Got Into Pet Sitting
Me and my horse Rose.
Recently, I've been asked, "How did you get into pet sitting?"
It's a question that often leaves me searching for words, especially in public settings where time is limited. So, I thought I'd take this opportunity to share my story with you here.
I grew up on a bustling horse farm in Southern Ohio, where my father, a thoroughbred racehorse trainer, instilled in me a deep love for animals from a young age. Surrounded by ponies, horses, dogs, cats, and a menagerie of other creatures, I developed a passion for animal care and dreamed of one day becoming a veterinarian with a parrot companion in my waiting room.
I went to college at The Ohio State University for pre-vet, and I soon discovered there were many reasons I didn’t want to be a veterinarian. So I switched over to animal science and followed a path of being more hands on right away with animals. While I was in college, I worked at a horse farm of retired thoroughbreds and riding quarter horses. I decided to follow that route because that’s what I knew, I always admired my dad for following his passion for animals and working outside and wanted to follow that path as well, and it’s always brought me so much peace to offer kindness and proper care to animals.
Following college I moved to Tucson, Arizona where I worked as a natural resource management and wildlife research intern. While I was there, I needed some additional income so I started looking for some pets to care for and I ended up meeting the sweetest couple who needed help with their three horses and three dogs :-)
Eventually, I moved back to Ohio and started feeling the urge to get a canine companion for my dog Jade. Then I suddenly started getting all these pet sitting and dog walking requests! I would watch dogs in my home so Jade ended up making so many friends that we didn’t need to get another dog.
Watching dogs at my house was enjoyable, but it was also nice to have time at home with just my dog, so I started going to my client’s homes to care for their pets. It was so clear to me how much more comfortable they were in their home environment. Dogs that stayed at my house all had a certain level of anxiety, just from being dropped in a new place. Caring for them in their own homes also allowed me to get my kitty fix in :-)
While I got into pet sitting on the side when we moved back to Ohio, I had also gotten a job at a parrot aviary, managing and caretaking for a flock of 250 parrots (35 different species). They ranged in age from hatchlings to 60+ years old. I learned so much there and really grew a passion for learning about parrots. Managing the parrot aviary gave me the experience I needed to start pet sitting for them as well, which has always been so much fun for me.
My time in Ohio caring for pets taught me so much about what to expect, what’s important, and how I would want to go about starting a professional pet sitting and dog walking business one day. I’m super grateful for all the families and friends that have trusted me with their pets over the years, and continue to be grateful for the trust our community of pet people here in the greater Asheville area.
If you’ve made it this far, thank you for being here! Reflecting back on my journey, bonding with animals and advocating for high quality animal care is something that has been instilled in me since a very young age. I hope you enjoyed learning more about my story!
Best Regards,
MaryBeth