A key aspect of business is figuring out what needs you solve. Why would someone want to use our dog walking and pet sitting services? Often time this is more of a want than a need. A person that is at work wants to use our dog walking services. There are those that need our services.
To highlight a current dog I walk I travel to an assisted living home every morning to take a little white fluffy dog on a walk. It isn’t the longest walk, but it is a nice walk, and it is an important walk. You see, this dog’s owner is wheelchair bound and has trouble walking her dog. She can take the dog outside but really can’t go very far or very fast. Outside of myself this dog doesn’t get a dog walk that often.
We’ve had other clients like this before. None as regular but we have had people that need dog walking. Think of someone getting reconstructive new surgery or having a baby. Their dogs are used to having a person to walk them, and while Stable Hands Pet Care can’t always provide the same number of walks as the pet owner we are there to help in anyway we can.
Working for someone that is stuck at home either from surgery or from other circumstances gives us a chance to get to know our clients more than usual. Most of the time we see the clients at the meet and greet, get a key or access to their home, and never see them again. We show up when people aren’t at home. In the cases of the homebound client we show up when they can’t leave the home. It gives us the chance to talk with them, get to know them, and to truly be their partners in pet care.
Dog walking and pet sitting is a rewarding job. We get to spend time with animals, go for walks outside, and travel the city and see the sights. Taking care of the homebound takes it to a new level. In these cases we get to see the client every day and are often told exactly how much we are helping.
At this point I am starting to think my client in the assisted living doesn’t really need us anymore. When she was living in a high rise at the oceanfront I was the only walk her dog got during the day. Now that she is living in a building designed for people like her she is able to take her dog out herself. However she still wants the dog walk as it is a fast passed and longer walk than she can provide. I have also grown to love this dog.
When I first met the client and her dog a year ago a lot had to be down. The dog needed grooming and veterinary care on top of the dog walks. I made these suggestions, worked with the client, and even utilized a few connections to get the dog what it needed. This is what we mean when we say we are your partners in pet care. We are there to not just provide pet sitting and dog walking services. We are there to help make our clients the best pet owners they can be.