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Pet sitters take the worry out of leaving Fido or Fluffy home alone

Professionals will be insured, bonded, certified in first aid.

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By Debbie Juniewicz, Contributing Writer Updated 3:05 PM Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Over the river and through the woods — you know the rest, the holiday season is all about spending time with family and friends near and far.

But, sometimes, the whole family isn’t in on the road trip, at least not the family pet. So, who watches man’s best friend when it’s time for the family trip or an exotic holiday excursion? That’s where Jennifer Andrade, aka the Luv Bug Pet Nanny, comes in.

“I started my business because of my passion for animals,” Andrade said. “They are so much like us humans, like a child really, and those humans who say pets are nothing like us have never truly understood one or opened their hearts to such a wonderful being.”

The Luv Bug Pet Nanny is just one of nine members of the Greater Dayton Pet Sitters Network.

These professional pet sitters can help you care for your pet during the holidays or throughout the year. Best of all, your furry, scaly or feathered friend never needs to leave home.

More than a job

Andrade remembers the horrific scene like it was yesterday, although it happened more than three decades ago.

“I saw somebody killing a cat and then they threw it in a trash can,” she said.

“I was just 7 years old. I lifted the lid and saw it, still breathing — barely.”

While Andrade said she was born with a love of animals, that traumatic experience intensified those feelings.

The 41-year-old Bellbrook woman spent many years fostering abused or abandoned animals. At one point, she had seven Labrador Retrievers staying with her. She also did pet-sitting part time while she was a hotel sales manager.

Andrade became the Luv Bug Pet Nanny in January 2010, when she finally decided to make caring for animals her full-time job.

“It was definitely scary at the time, starting a business,” she said. “But there is nothing like walking into a home and being greeted by a dog who is so happy to see you. I look into their eyes, and I just melt.”

Being a pet nanny is truly a full-time job. Andrade had eight jobs on Saturday including dog walks, caring for insulin dependant cats and giving medication to a horse. She wouldn’t trade the experience for anything.

“You really build a bond with them,” she said. “They become a part of you.”

That’s not to say it’s always love at first sight with the animals in her care.

“I have watched some hissing cockroaches and tarantulas,” Andrade said.

Enough said.

More than a sitter

Retiring from the Dayton Emergency Veterinary Clinic in the late 1990s didn’t mean Janet Crawford was ready to retire from caring for animals.

“Animals are great company,” Crawford said. “They care and love you so much. All my life, I have loved animals.”

That love affair with animals is evident as the Kettering woman has three dogs, four parrots and two cats of her own. Crawford, 67, began Janet’s Kritter Kare not long after her retirement so she could care for other animals as well.

Crawford’s professional background as a licensed veterinary technician enables her to do even more for the animals in her care.

“I do a lot of medical work, helping and working with sick or challenged animals,” she said. “And having your pet cared for in your home is the very best thing for them.”

When animals stay at home instead of being boarded, Crawford explains there is less likelihood of them picking up a disease or developing bad habits. The pets, however, aren’t the only ones who benefit from an at-home sitter.

“I go in, bring in the mail, turn on the lights or the TV so the house doesn’t seem empty,” Crawford said. “But the best part is the pets are better off in a familiar environment.”

U.S. pets by the numbers

Dogs

There are approximately 78.2 million owned dogs in the United States.

39 percent of U.S. households own at least one dog.

Most owners (60 percent) own one dog.

28 percent of owners own two dogs.

12 percent of owners own three or more dogs.

The proportion of male to female dogs is even.

21 percent of owned dogs were adopted from an animal shelter.

On average, dog owners spent $248 on veterinary visits (vaccine, well visits) annually.

Cats

There are approximately 86.4 million owned cats in the United States.