Is anyone in the pet business?

[Epcotmgm]

I really want a change and want to do something I love. For those in the pet business do you have any advice? What type of business do you run or work for? I fully expect a large decrease in what I earn but I have enough saved that I should be good for a long time.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1) I do not work in pet biz.
2) However, like anyone changing careers, my advice is go to a pro.
3) In this case, I would go to 2-3 vets in your area
. . . ask them about vet-assistant work
. . . ask them about pet grooming consultants
. . . ask them about other pet services types

 

[Epcotmgm]

I see groomers who have vans and they travel around. That seemed really interesting. Id prefer to start something and hire people to assist. I'm not sure i could handle vet assistant type of position. A few years ago I ended up helping in a shelter for 2 years and that was heartbreaking. It was only around 10 hours a week and I just couldn't handle it anymore.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I know someone who tried to start a dog walking/pet sitting business. Her plan was that it was going to be her primary income.

She said it was difficult and quit within 3 months.

She told me that she never had a day off and often had to deal with dogs that weren't properly trained or just plain mean. She said she had clients who didn't pay her on time and had one for a short time who said she stole stuff from the house. She dumped that client fast.

She wasn't bonded or insured because she couldn't afford it and wished she could have.

She has since moved away so I don't know what she is doing now. I know for awhile she would pet sit for friends only for extra money but also got a full time job that paid her bills.

Good luck.

I wanted to add that I used to pet sit for my old neighbors elderly dog. They traveled alot. I thought I could just bring the dog to my house but it didn't work. He would get scared and go bathroom everywhere. So I had to go over to their house 4 times a day to let the dog out and still I would have to clean up messes. I hate to say it but I totally regretted volunteering to do it. Just something for you to think about.

 

[MickeyHereWeCome!]

I work for a pet sitting company, and have done so for the past 10 years or so.

Overall, it's been a wonderful opportunity (a second income for me). Most of the families I work with are wonderful.

You can definitely make good money once things get rolling! The owner of our company has about 8 employees. The ones available all day get some pretty steady work. The key will be to hire good sitters soon...ones you can really count on so you can have some freedom. My boss told me, several years ago, that she had not had a vacation in 12 years! Now, she has hired an office manager, so that takes a load off of her workload!

Advertise everywhere! Make car magnets or signs for car windows. Pass out flyers.

You will run into not pleasant situations. The only bad experience I had was with a guy who had four Greyhounds. His house was filthy, and, while the dog's basic needs were met, they needed more. My boss ended up taking one of the dogs to the vet, with an extensive bill, and was never reimbursed.
That's probably the biggest downfall is having to take care of emergency situations and not knowing if you'll get paid.

Now, in addition to working for this company and going out to take care of animals, I also run my own little business of watching dogs in my own home. This provides us with good Disney money! You can take as many dogs as you want, and turn people away if you are on vacation etc. A lot of people will pay good money to not have to kennel their dogs while they are away. Most of the time I enjoy this job. There are some dogs, however, that I dread getting phone calls about because they are very high maintanance. I have a good amount of "regulars", and I tend to go in spurts with having the extra dogs....so it's not a full time thing for me. I do have a friend, however, who always has a house filled with dogs!!

Let me know if you have any specific questions.

 

[AuroraRora]

I would see if you can find a "niche" market at all and tap into it. My neighborhood has tons of dog walkers but for some reason none of them would get involved with cats. One day flyers went up from a lady offering various cat-care services - I tried to book her once and she could barely squeeze me in! She definitely found the right little market for herself, as opposed to presuming she could be a successful dog walker just because they're popular around here.

I'd also try to get certifications, classes, insurance etc, even if its just a quick online course or a one-day class at the vets etc. As a pet owner, I love to see stuff like that. It suggests to me the person is dedicated and takes it seriously. Pet first-aid knowledge is a major bonus! And get all your clients to write reviews, possibly even offering a discount in exchange for an honest (presumably good) review. People love to see that you have other happy customers.

 

[MomToOne]

We take our cat to a boarding place that takes cats only. The lady basically built or renovated a 3-room home-ish type building, and filled it up with cages and climbing trees for cats. She even put a patio on it, covered completely in chicken wire (incl. over the top), so she can let the cats that get along with each other out there for some time each day - they love it. She is constantly booked up, because she is the only cats-only boarding place in the area. I personally don't want to board my cat somewhere that takes dogs too - my cat is used to a fairly quite environment, and all the barking and such stresses her out too much. And I don't want to think of my cat being all stressed out while I am on my vacation trying to have fun and relax

 

[buzz2400]

I adopted three little kittens (triplets) from this lady who rescues cats. I have kept in touch with her. She had a high paying job but decided to open a pet store with her better half. I would say about two years later, she opened a second store about 10 minutes away and just recently consolidated the store. The second store allows her to keep cats there to be adopted (homeless not pedigree). She seems to be doing well. Her website is
h3petsupply.com if you want to see what she sells.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Good luck to you

 

[Epcotmgm]

Thank you! This is a lot to think about. I actually went and spoke to someone hiring a dog walker and they said I would be able to earn 50 a day if I did lunch walks. So not exactly something I could live on. Also looked into grooming and in general you depend on tips quite a bit. Petsmart would pay half of the fee they charge to you. Most groomers do 5 dogs a day on average in 8 hours. They said to expect about 500$ week plus tips. Weekends and nights along with be available by 7 am is required. Looked into a grooming business with a van and called a company who makes them .... $85000 and up for the van! Plus an average of $700 and up on gas per month. Plus then paying an employee and misc expenses of about $500 a month is to be expected and normal.

So after finding that out I looked into other companies hiring. Found a mobile company that would train but its at least 12 hours on your feet each day and you have very strict time limits. The pay is very low and its more about how many you can shave per day? youhave to rush a lot they said to keep up with deadlines.

 

[LuLuO]

I was a groomer for six years. Believe me that you have to really love it to do it. It is not all sunshine and rainbows and giving a dog a haircut that looks beautiful in a short amount of time is not as easy as it looks. A lot of owners would tell me how nice it was that I got to play with dogs all day. There was a lot of love but tons of work and a lot of stress especially around the holidays when I would work extra and groom up to 18 dogs a.day for 1-2 weeks. I was grooming 8-12 dogs a day normally depending on size and temperment. Also, you get hair in places that you never dreamed of, you stink after a day of work (don't expect to go out to dinner straight from work) and it is hard on your body. The animals are not always willing so some take lots of extra time and care. Getting bitten will happen from time to time and poop will happen too. The only ways to make more money is to charge more or groom more. All that said, I loved my clients even the ones who didn't love me. I thought about going back to it after my youngest goes to kindergarten but my back won't be able to handle it unfortunately. Working with animals is very rewarding and good for the heart but it isn't for everyone. Good luck.

 

[huhwhat]

I see groomers who have vans and they travel around. That seemed really interesting. Id prefer to start something and hire people to assist. .

Never has worked as a business model....Aussie has tried it and has been met with huge failure....one must be an owner operator

Thank you! This is a lot to think about. I actually went and spoke to someone hiring a dog walker and they said I would be able to earn 50 a day if I did lunch walks. So not exactly something I could live on. Also looked into grooming and in general you depend on tips quite a bit. Petsmart would pay half of the fee they charge to you. Most groomers do 5 dogs a day on average in 8 hours. They said to expect about 500$ week plus tips. Weekends and nights along with be available by 7 am is required. Looked into a grooming business with a van and called a company who makes them .... $85000 and up for the van! Plus an average of $700 and up on gas per month. Plus then paying an employee and misc expenses of about $500 a month is to be expected and normal.

So after finding that out I looked into other companies hiring. Found a mobile company that would train but its at least 12 hours on your feet each day and you have very strict time limits. The pay is very low and its more about how many you can shave per day? youhave to rush a lot they said to keep up with deadlines.

A grooming academy is where you should start. I dont know what type of "training" that company was offering but you must know skin issues, coat types, pet first aid, proper naimal handling etc....I think you should probably stick to what you know.