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506 W. 19th Street,
Ste.208, Houston, Texas 77008 713-695-1684
     
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
EMMA
How can I benefit from your services?
The benefits for your pet include gentle, loving and
professional pet care. By allowing your pet to stay home, your pet
can continue its normal routine and have a companion that will play,
exercise and comfort them in your absence. This reduces the stress
on your pet and makes them much happier than being boarded in a
strange place. An important additional benefit is the knowledge
that your home is being looked after; newspapers and mail
are picked up daily, trash receptacles are carried out and taken
in when needed, house plants can be watered, and lighting turned
on or changed. All of these things add to the appearance that someone
at your residence is home. Additionally, by having your pet cared
for at home, your sitter will be there to notice any possible problems
with your home; including water leaks that could cause thousands
of dollars in damage in the time you are away, weather related damages,
or any other situation of this nature. When possible, you will be
made aware of any of these possible problems, immediately, instead
of when you return. This allows you to contact whomever is needed
to make repairs that may be costly if left unattended. We will also
have the information of your preferred service companies on file
and can contact them, upon your approval or that of your contact
person in the event you are unable to be contacted. The cost of
a pet sitter can, in reality, save you money and will reduce stresses
associated with leaving your pet and home for a period of time.
Why should I turn my home and pet over to Big Dog &
Miss Kitti’s Pet Sitting Services?
Not only do Big Dog & Miss Kitti’s sitters adore
and completely enjoy animals; each person must undergo a lengthy
review process prior to employment. Past experience, references,
criminal background and animal knowledge are all checked prior to
becoming a member of the Big Dog & Miss Kitti’s family. Additionally,
each is also required to undergo drug screening and must face a
detailed personal interview. They must also express, to satisfaction,
the reason they desire to become a pet sitter with our organization.
Prior to being given their first assignment, each of our sitters
is required to be bonded and insured. We only want the best and
most trustworthy sitters available for our clients. Our clients’
security, trust and satisfaction are our highest priorities!
How will I know which of your sitters will be
caring for my pet and home?
Once you have decided that Big Dog & Miss Kitti’s Pet Sitting
Services is the one for you, we will schedule an initial interview.
Our company’s owner and the sitter that is to be assigned to handle
your service will then meet with you. At that time, you will meet
your sitter, ensure all paperwork is completed and accurate, sign
contracts, allow your sitter to meet and familiarize their selves
with your pet, and hand over keys to the entrances you wish your
sitter to use. We want you, your pet and the sitter to all be completely
comfortable with each other. By doing this, you can relax and so
can your pet!
What happens if my sitter becomes ill?
We will choose the best candidate from our list of available
sitters to replace yours during their illness. When your sitter
is able to, they will resume the care of your pet as before.
What happens if the weather is bad and the sitter
is unable to safely get to my home?
While scheduling your pet care visits, during the initial
interview, you will be asked to supply a “Contingency Pet Care Plan”,
whereby you will give the name and number of a neighbor or nearby
relative that has agreed to care for your pet in the event weather
conditions make it unsafe for the sitter to travel to your home.
Should weather conditions become this extreme, your “Contingency
Pet Care Plan” would be followed.
What
happens if my pet become ill or injured while I am away?
When you are asked to complete the , information is
collected at that time regarding your preferred veterinarian or clinic.
When you sign our contract, you will be agreeing to our rules and
regulations, as well as giving Big Dog & Miss Kitti’s Pet Sitting
Services permission to seek medical treatment for your pet in your
absence. As stated in our contract, you will need to notify your veterinarian
or clinic to let them know your pet care plans while you are away.
Should your pet require medical attention, the sitter will make every
possible attempt to get your pet to your preferred veterinarian. In
the event your preferred veterinarian is unavailable, we will take
your pet to the first available veterinarian from our list of qualified
Doctors of Veterinary Medicine. We want your pet happy and healthy.
Therefore, we will get it the medical treatment as quickly as possible,
should the need arise. When possible, you will be contacted prior
to our taking your pet to the vet, however if time is of the essence
and the medical condition requires immediate attention, we will see
that the pet gets the care it needs then contact you immediately.
If I agree to sign the contract and my pet's
medical prognosis is bad, do you decide if it lives or dies?
Absolutely not, should the question
of euthanasia arise in regards to your pet's physical health, your
pet will be made as comfortable as possible, then you will be contacted
immediately. It will then be a decision between you and your veterinarian
as to what actions will be taken in the best interest of your pet.
Big Dog & Miss Kitti’s Pet Sitting Services will never give
the order to euthanize an animal. You, as the pet’s owner, are the
only one that can give that order.
What happens if my pet dies while I am away?
You will be notified immediately. At
that time, you can tell us how you would like us to precede.
What references can you provide?
We have several comments from clients
located on our “Reference” page. However, should you desire more
reference information, we will be more than happy to provide a written
contact list of references. We want you to be completely comfortable
with Big Dog & Miss Kitti’s Pet Sitting Services before allowing
us to serve your pet care needs.
I have a very unusual (or exotic) pet. Can you
provide care for it?
Big Dog & Miss Kitti’s Pet Sitting
Services relies on continual training and education, regarding the
care of many animals, to provide the best care possible, no matter
what species of pet you may have. Additionally, we stay in touch
with several animal specialists that are available to consult with
our sitters whenever needed.
What happens if I my return home is delayed?All
of our clients are required to contact us upon their return home.
If we do not receive a call from you, we will continue providing
pet care services until we can confirm that you have returned and
resumed the care of your pet. If possible, it does help for you
to call us and let us know you are being delayed, however we do
understand that this is not always possible. So, you can rest assured
that your pet will continue to receive care even if you are unable
to return as scheduled.
What is your privacy policy?
Big Dog & Miss Kitti’s Pet Sitting Services adheres
to the strictest policies possible. Your private information and
service schedules are never shared with anyone outside our BDMKPS
family. Only the owner, sitters and office personnel will have access
to any of your files, each of whom are bound by our service contract
to provide complete client confidentiality.
How will I be billed or make payment for services?
As of August 21, 2003, payment for
services will be expected, IN FULL, prior to service start date.
You will be able to pay by check or credit card. Checks must be
backed with a credit card number. Should a check be returned for
any reason, your credit card will be charged for the amount of the
returned check, plus the additional returned check fee stated on
your contract.
I travel frequently; how far ahead would I be able
to schedule pet care services?
We welcome any continuous clients. We can schedule all
your pet care service dates as far ahead as you would like. At the
initial interview, you will receive a “Client Manual” which contains
“Reservation Request Forms”, located in the back. Simply fill one
of these out and mail it to us or go to our online "" and submit
it to us electronically. Be sure to complete one form for each time
period of service you would like to schedule. We would like to remind
you, should your schedule change, requiring service schedules to
change, you must contact us immediately. Otherwise, services will
begin on your specified date and charges may be applied.
What do you charge? What are your fees?
If this is the first question you have, then
perhaps we are not the pet sitting company for you. We don’t accept
every potential client that comes our way. You will notice in our
policy that we have very high standards for our clients, as well
as for ourselves. Our clients require only the best for their pets
and that is what we provide. “You get what you pay for” applies
here. We are not the cheapest and proud of that fact. Realistically,
we are on the high end of the scale for pet sitting fees in Houston.
Our regular pet sitting rate is $18.00 per visit.
Why are your fees
somewhat higher than the others I have checked out?
Quality is the simple answer.
We only allow the best pet care
providers to work with our company… we pay them accordingly. Consistency
is important in the bonding process for animals. By paying our sitters
well and keeping them happy, they are more likely to stay with BDMKPS,
ensuring we can better provide your pet with a sitter they have
grown to love and have bonded with for as long as you are a client.
This is especially helpful when animals are older or have health
problems. What a regular pet sitter can see, because they are accustomed
to a particular pet, its behavior or look, (and what someone new
may not detect), are any changes in your pet. A consistent pet sitter
bonds with your pet and in more cases than not, will go above and
beyond the call of duty to make sure that your pet is very well
cared for.
Each member of our BDMKPS family is experienced and is actively
striving to learn more and more in this field so that we can better
serve you and your pet… we are all continuously adding to our pet
related education.
We perform extensive background checks along with drug testing for
all prospective staff.
We are fully insured.
We are bonded.
We are active members of, PSI (Pet Sitters International) and Cybersitters
United (pet sitting trade organizations) along with other local
organizations and we attend the annual conferences/trainings.
We are members of several online pet sitting groups where pet related
information is exchanged on a daily basis.
How long do you stay with my pet?
This is a good question to ask and one that
I am pleased to answer proudly. I am not going to provide anyone
with a set time for the duration of pet visits. Ideally we stay
30 minutes and that is what we schedule for, although this is an
approximate time. There will be visit times that are shorter and
visit times that are longer. I use the word approximately because
there are times (during holidays for example) that 30 minutes is
not practical nor is it honest for me to say that sitters will stay
that long. I think that you will find, that when the pet sitter
does not have a heavy schedule, your pet will receive not only 30
minutes, but much more than that! Our staff has been known to stay
way over the allotted time because they knew the animals were lonely,
not feeling well, or just needed more play time. Our staff has also
done extra, UNPAID visits on their own. A pet care provider that
can be in-tune to the needs of your pet is one of the main things
we look for when interviewing prospective staff.
Do you have a question that is not listed here?
Then, please feel free to Contact us. We will be happy to answer any
further questions you may have.
MISSION
STATEMENT
It is not only the goal, but also the requirement at Big Dog &
Miss Kitti's Pet Sitting Services to provide quality, loving and
conscientious pet care, but to also ensure the security of our clients'
homes and personal confidentiality. Our quality of service standards
are not simply words, they are our way of doing business and will
never waiver.
QUALITY OF SERVICE
STANDARDS:
Our Professional Pet Sitters must:
-
be both bonded and insured.
- provide
references with the knowledge that all listed references will
be checked and will agree to a complete criminal background check
and drug screening.
- be
experienced in providing loving and conscientious care for pets
and always be aware of the need for safety and well being of both
the pets and the clients' homes
- always
provide, in writing, descriptions of services, contract requirements
and agreements, and fees charged.
- visit
the clients' homes, prior to the first day of services, to acquaint
themselves with the pets, client, their home, and to obtain special
and/or detailed information regarding services to be rendered.
- always
show a positive attitude and be completely comfortable and confident
in dealing with animals of any type. They are also to always remain
courteous, interested and well informed of the needs of each client.
They must show a complete desire to learn as much about the animals
that are to be in their care, as well as, the residential security
requirements of each client.
- keep
all information regarding our clients, their homes and pets completely
confidential. information is to only be shared with the owner
and other required staff members of Big Dog & Miss Kitti's
Pet Sitting Services.
- conduct
business in a manner that reflects complete honesty and integrity.
They are required to follow all federal, state and local laws,
especially those pertaining to animal care and the operation of
business.
- have
a veterinarian available, on call, for any emergency services
that may arise.
- ensure
a contingency plan for pet care is in place and up to date in
the event of inclement weather or personal illness.
- complete
initial and all on going training sessions.
- ensure
the client has returned home and that the client has resumed care
of their pets. If this confirmation cannot be made, the sitter
will continue to do provide services until a confirmation can
be made.
- provide
client with a service rating form to be completed after each service
period.
- reflect
complete professionalism when dealing with clients, pets, client's
neighbors, staff and other industry colleagues, to present the
sitter and pet sitting industry in a positive and favorable light.
- keep
regular office hours and strive to completely answer any and all
client questions. Additionally, sitter will strive to professionally
listen to and rectify any client complaints to the satisfaction
of both the client and pet sitting service.
Call Big Dog & Miss Kitti's Pet Sitting
Services at (713) 695-1684 today!
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