Pet Care Services for All of Fido's Needs

Pets have been a big part of my life ever since I was a kid. I can't remember there ever being a time when I didn't have a dog, hamster, rabbit, or even a just a couple of goldfish in my family home while growing up. I became an animal lover early on, so it's not surprising that I'm continuing this trend now that I'm an adult. The only problem is that I'm away from home quite a bit because of work. Since I can't stand the idea of my precious pooch being neglected for 8 to 10 hours at a time, I made it a priority to find proper pet care services for him.

I used to think that pet care services were more or less limited to things related to general grooming, such as baths, haircuts, brushing, nail trimming, and things of that nature because that's how it used to be when I was a kid. I also figured training school might be included under that label. But the pet care services industry has greatly expanded over the years, so now it's possible to hire someone to handle every aspect of your pet's daily upkeep.

One of the first things I had to look into was finding a reliable person to walk my dog. I know this is pretty common in large cities, but I couldn't find anyone where I live -- not even a kid from the neighborhood looking to make a few extra bucks. Fortunately, the yellow pages had a few suitable listings under pet care services, so I was able to contact a company that sends people out to walk your dog as many times a day as you're willing to pay for. I want my four-legged companion to get as much exercise and fresh air as possible while I'm at work, since this reduces stress and cuts down on behavioral issues. So I pay for walks every three hours, which really takes a load off my mind.

In addition to daily walking, there are times when I need someone to sit for my dog while I attend an overnight or weekend conference. This is another one of those pet care services that I can't do without. I normally board my dog at a kennel when I'll be out of town for an extended period, but I hate to do that because it's a very stressful experience for everyone involved. So when I heard that I could get a dog sitter to come over to provide exercise and companionship while also feeding and freshening up the water supply, I knew I'd found the perfect compromise.

I don't mean to make it sound as though I'm foisting all of my responsibilities onto companies that provide pet care services. I make a concerted effort to do as much for my dog as possible, but since I can't be there for him 24/7, I do need to call in some reinforcements sometimes. To me, that's much better than the alternative, which of course is hours upon hours of neglect. If you're in the same situation with your beloved animal, please consider hiring someone to provide pet care services when you can't do it yourself.