This was shared by a pet sitter I network with. She ran across this ad on Craig’s List and I felt it was important enough to share with others. It highlights how crucial it is that you do your homework when finding someone to care for your pets.

http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/laf/4273335833.html

Whether this woman found this sitter on Craig’s List I do not know. Essentially, this woman who ‘supposedly’ had a professional pet sitting company, was pet sitting a dog in her home and *sold* the poor woman’s dog.

I decided to do some checking on the sitting company and several red flags came up.

• The woman has a very poor one page website. Also she has one website listing on some obscure site and when I clicked on the link, the website was non-existent.
• The woman/company have zero online presence. In addition to her poor website, she has no reviews, no social media page, no Linked In page – nothing showing she is involved and a presence in her community.
•  I do not imagine she had insurance or was bonded either.

All three of these things are red flags to me. Now granted, the woman in the article was allowing the woman to pet sit her dog at the sitter’s home, but still. Why would someone opt to turn their pets over to a complete stranger without checking any of these things?

Always make sure your Chandler dog sitter, whether doing the visits at your home, or their own, is a bonded, insured sitter.  Do they have sitters working for them? Have they been background checked? This means they genuinely care about providing the safest, most professional care for your pets. It is not just a hobby or a way to make extra money. Also, be sure to check and see if the person has reviews, or is willing to provide references for dog sitting work they may have done.

I understand that sometimes people go to Craig’s List to find less expensive alternatives for their pet care, but sometimes that option turns into a priceless mistake. Please always choose a professional for your pet’s care! If you are looking for a dog sitter in Chandler, Tempe, Gilbert, or Mesa, we encourage you to contact us.