Hurray 5 Year Anniversary!

I can hardly believe it has been 5 years. KSR Pet Care was officially founded on November 17, 2008.

Happy Birthday KSR Pet Care!

We still stick to the same principles and our service area is still like it was, except with the addition of zip code 22102. We like it that way and there is definitely plenty of business inside that area.

I have to admit it feels like it has been a decade... Going into pet sitting and dog walking is hard work, long hours and a lot of sweat and tears. Some days or slow, others fly by where you are working into the night. Regardless, I am still passionate and happy to say that a lot of my team members have been with me since the start. Loyal to one another and the business we adore. Personally I still enjoy the field work very much.  Probably also because I have to do more office work these days...

I am proud and glad that after 5 years I am where I am now and can still say that as a business we stay true to our ideals and the principles with which we started 5 years ago. Just like in the beginning, we still
"are a small team of mature Professional Dog Walkers and Pet Sitters. We offer Pet exercise, Vacation visits, Cat, Exotic and Small animal care, Puppy and Senior pet care. We are insured and bonded. Pets can be unpredictable, so who is experienced enough to think outside the box and step up for your pets' well-being when more is required than the straightforward care? Who will take care of them and your house as if you were still at home? That's what KSR Pet Care pledges to do. We assign one primary walker/sitter to bond with your pet. There is no extra charge for more than one pet in the same family. We possess the passion, experience, maturity and commitment to offer you the best in pet care." 
-- Home page http://www.ksrpetcare.com/

We have not stood still in time though. We have added more professional contractors to our team. We are and continue to be very selective who to hire: do an extensive interview and application process, background check and reference check before allowing anyone new on our team. We have also grown with the online world of social media, have an online scheduling system and calendar for our clients and sitters, have tied into the right kind of professional business services, try to stay up-to-date about SEO, online traffic and our virtual presence. We are member of Pet Sitters International and, locally,  the NOVA professional Pet sitters Network. We even have an event which we co-host called Mutts n Munchkins Crafty Kids Fundraiser which is a non-profit for families, kids and dogs. To offer the best in pet care we need to constantly educate ourselves, network and stay professional.

So with this, we go on...ready for the next 5 years!

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Being six again

Sally, me and Harry

What a nice and brand-new experience today! I felt like being six again myself. All eyes on me, the children and three adults. I was invited to have a talk about cat care at a 6-year old girl's birthday party this afternoon. Fiona and her six friends had all dressed up as kittens with painted faces. Not sure they were excited at first about getting a talk from a cat sitter but when they heard about the cats in my car, they were all ears :-) I did not prepare a speech or script. I wanted it to be spontaneous and let them ask questions. My calico cat Sally was cooperating nicely but poor Harry was very nervous and I left him in the carrier most of the time. I did do a lot of the talking; it comes natural to me and interjected with lots of questions. I was able to keep their attention and they asked so many questions...really impressive and cool! I explained why Harry and Sally were scared and nervous and not acting like themselves. Their questions were cute and sometimes surprising and smart. I love the way a child's mind works. I showed them how to approach a cat, how to pet a cat, never to chase or grab a cat. We also checked out the sharp teeth and claws. And what are those whiskers and paw pads for? Little girls: they come up with the craziest but also best creative or innovative ideas. I hope our half an hour get-together was educational to them and they take home that it is important to take very good care of one's pet and watch out for other pets in need.

Our calico Sally was a true sport!

Fiona's mom wanted to pay me for my time but instead I asked her for a donation check to the attention of  Pets with Disabilities. I could see she was thrilled about this special appearance during her little girl's birthday party. The smiles on the girls faces and on birthday girl Fiona's in particular were more than enough a reward to me. I feel like I did a good thing here.

Giving Back

It's with great pleasure that we announced our recipient for this year's KSR Pet Care donation in honor of Professional Pet Sitters Week yesterday. Last year we donated $800.00 to Friends of Homeless Animals (FOHA) with KSR Pet Care. The FOHA volunteers were overjoyed and we had a great day at their facility in Aldie, VA. We hope to do as well this year for...Pets with Disabilities, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the adoption of dogs and cats with disabilities. The organization serves as a shelter and an adoption placement aid for animals that have been injured through trauma or disabled by illness. Joyce Darrell, along with her husband Michael Dickerson, founded the Pets with Disabilities organization in 2000. Their lives were changed forever after their rescue dog Duke broke his back playing as a puppy. 

How it works to collect the money for the donation, is we take 10% of the proceeds we made from March 1-15.  I admit it is always a bit scary too...You never know how well business will go in March but it's also hard to predict the rest of the year and as a business we are first of all responsible for our expenses and our invaluable dog walkers' and pet sitters' pay checks. So usually I hold back on my own pay checks for a couple of months just to make sure the cash flow is going okay ;-) It's a sacrifice I am willing to make for a great cause like an annual donation to an local animal organization.

Fingers crossed and thanks to all for your support! Check out our posts on our KSR Pet Care Facebook page and like like like please!