Pet-Sitting a Purrr-fect Career for Ferndale Woman

As a busy film producer with a schedule that flung her across the globe, Kristen Schmitt struggled to find reliable help in caring for Charlie, her Schnauzer-Terrier mix and Benny, her 12-year-old Maine Coon cat.

When she eventually gave up the frenzy of business travel and settled down to a career in film education, she knew life would be better for her pets if a trusted someone could check in on them when she worked long hours away from home.

Seeking a way to supplement her income and sensing she wasn’t alone in her frustration with the lack of reliable, competent care for her furry friends, Schmitt founded PetCare AuPair in the summer of 2010.

“When I started this business, it was never supposed to be a full time job, but my friends and family loved it,” said Schmitt, 42, of Ferndale. “So I left my job, cashed in my meager 401(K) and decided to cater to those who were like me.”

Business is booming, according to Schmitt, who works 80 hours each week and has contracted the services of three pet sitters to help out.

“It’s difficult to describe an average day,” said Schmitt, who counted 18 scheduled visits on her calendar between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. that day. “That’s actually a light day and every day is different. My calendar is pretty crazy.”

With a professional approach to pet sitting, PetCare Au Pair offers a range of services including dog walking, feeding and watering of any kind of animal, mid-day check ins, overnight sitting, transportation to and from the vet, and shopping services for medications and other pet products.

While dogs and cats make up the majority of PetCare Au Pair’s client base, they also care for many rabbits, lizards, snakes and birds, said Schmitt.

What sets PetCare Au Pair from the average teenaged dog walker is their attention to the special needs of disabled pets and those who need medication. All staff are CPR certified, bonded and insured.

“We do require clients to sign a medical waiver and provide explicit information on how to administer medications,” said Schmitt, who noted that about 15 percent of clients require medication of some sort. “We are very thorough.”

Each client begins with a complimentary in-home consultation, said Schmitt. “This is when we walk through everything methodically with the client,” she said. “We come through the door, find out where the leashes are stored, how the pet likes to be greeted, fed, watered, medicated, everything. We realize that, especially with dogs, our clients are like little kids with their own personalities and quirks. We get paid to love them like our own, and we do.”

Dianne Reeves appreciates the personalized attention her pets get from PetCare Au Pair. As a human resources executive with three large dogs and a busy life, Reeves hired the service to fill in when work gets demanding.

“Kristen approaches her work with such businesslike attention, right off the bat I felt comfortable with her,” said Reeves, 42, of Ferndale.

Reeves has an eight month old Newfoundland named Nora, a teenage rescued German Shepherd-Huskie mix named Ben and a nine month old yellow Labrador named Carly, who suffers from stranger anxiety due to early mistreatment, she said. Reeves said she is especially happy Schmitt and her staff can provide healing socialization for Carly.  

“My dogs warmed up to her very quickly and it’s nice to know they are in good hands with her. She walks them all at once, which I can’t even do.”

Although Schmitt is still getting up to speed with the many business-related aspects of running PetCare Au Pair, overall she’s thrilled by her mid-life change of career.

“I’m from the school of everything happens for a reason,” said Schmitt. “It took lots of soul searching, but I realized early on that this job is a perfect fit for me. I struggled somewhat in the film business because I couldn’t always work full time in my field. I thought this would be good until something better came along. But what I’ve realized is that this is the better thing that came along. I couldn’t be happier.”

From a business perspective, pet related industries are predicted to enjoy a strong future. With 63 percent of all households in the U.S. home to at least one pet, “pet parents” spent double the amount of money on their pets in 2007 than they did in 1997, according to estimates from Women in Business at About.com. Entrepreneur.com estimates that 10,000 bonded and insured pet-sitter businesses exist nationwide.

During peak travel periods like summer and the seasonal holidays, pet parents have choices for overnight care, but hiring a professional sitter is often easier and in many cases kinder for the animal, according to the National Association for Professional Pet Sitters, or NAPPS.

“Traveling is always an exciting part of the summer season, but when making travel plans, pet parents should consider what is best for their furry companions,” said John D’Ariano, president of NAPPS. “Pets are comfortable and feel more secure when in the familiar surroundings of their home. Hiring a professional pet sitter can severely reduce the trauma associated with traveling or staying in a kennel, and is a great way to give both you and your furry companion peace of mind while relaxing on vacation.”

In future, Schmitt would like to grow her business to cover entire Oakland County and into Grosse Pointe, she said. A true brick-and-mortar shop with kennels and grooming are next on the list and then possibly franchise opportunities.

But for now, Schmitt said she is enjoying business life, as it is, one puppy and kitten at a time.

“I always wanted to be one of those people who is really excited to wake up and go to her job each morning,” Schmitt said. “Now I’m that person.”

Contact PetCare Au Pair at 248.850.8309 or info@petcareaupair.com, or fetch their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/petcareaupair.