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Business Partners are Sitters, Nurses,
Playmates to their Animal Charges
by Sarah Lynch of The Independent
ASHLAND -- To Terri Tomondi and Tanya Meadows, dogs are
not just pets. In fact, they often refer to the four-legged companions as "fur
babies" and use the word "parents" when speaking of a pet's owners. Their
passion for animals has been the inspiration for the opening of their co-owned
pet sitting service, Personal Pet Pals, LLC.
Tomondi, hospital manager of four branches of the Ashland
Animal Clinic, 3101 13th St., spent years pet sitting for friends, family and
clients from the clinic.
"People were constantly asking me to take care of their
animals," Tomondi said. "It kind of snowballed and I started thinking, 'Maybe
I need to do something different.'"
When the requests became too much for one person to
handle, Meadows, a receptionist at Ashland Animal Clinic since 1997, was
called in for assistance.
"I helped Terri with a few pet sitting jobs on the side,"
Meadows said. "Eventually we started discussing the possibilities of setting
up an actual business, and in 2002, we established a limited liability
company."
The "LLC" part of Personal Pet Pals means Tomondi's and
Meadows' business is insured and bonded through
Pet Sitters International,
making it a legitimate business and its owners professionals in the field.
Pet owners who are going out of town for vacation,
business or even if a late night at the office prevents getting home on time
to let the dog outside or to feed the cats, Tomondi or Meadows can be called
upon as necessary to take care of the animals.
"We are always on call," Tomondi said. "It wouldn't be
uncommon for Tanya and I to have 10 to 15 clients a week between us and most
clients have multiple pets. Some days it gets pretty harrowing."
For some, hiring pet sitters is a necessity.
When a sudden, violent illness struck her English
Shepherd, Bailey, owner Stacey Ramsey decided to investigate the cause.
"Bailey's vet said the illness was spawned by an allergy
that can be caused by stress," Ramsey said.
The cause of the stress, according to Ramsey, could have
been Bailey's being boarded while she went out of town with her four other
dogs. This possibility prompted Ramsey's call to Tomondi and Meadows for help.
"I use them all the time." Ramsey said. "Terri and Tanya
are just wonderful. When my father-in-law had a heart attack, I was able to
call them last minute to take care of my dogs. They always can, and they
will."
Ramsey said she especially appreciates the detailed notes
left for her when she returns home that show when the pet sitters were there
and when the dogs were fed and given medication.
Personal Pet Pals work within a 10-mile radius of the
business' home base, the Ashland Animal Clinic. When Tomondi and Meadows are
called to pet sit, they will meet with the pet owners to obtain a key to the
home, to get to know the animal and to discuss any special situations.
Tomondi or Meadows will go to the pet's home to let the
animal outside, go for a leashed walk, to feed them, make sure they have
plenty of water and to administer any medications the animal may need. These
things will be done in 30-minute visits two or three times a day depending on
circumstances or pet owner preferences.
Pet sitters believe one-on-one quality time with pets in
the comfort and security of the pet's home is the most important service they
provide.
"Our main goal is to make the pet as comfortable as
possible," Meadows said. "We love on the animals, take them for walks and play
with them when we visit. Eventually, the pets figure us out and get excited
when we come because they know they're going for a walk."
"All we do are fun things," Tomondi added. "So the
animals know us as fun people."
The pet sitters will also clean up after animals as
necessary, water plants, bring in the mail/newspaper, turn on lights in the
evening and keep owners informed on the well-being of the pet.
"We want to leave the house looking as tidy as the owners
left it. The mail will be on the table, but other than that, they can't even
tell we were there," Meadows said.
Another benefit is that both women are trained and
certified in pet first aid. In fact, the pet-sitting duo plan to offer a free
training class on pet first aid.
"We're not vets and we don't pretend to be vets," Meadows
said.
"We always make sure that pet owners are taking care of
their animal's needs according to their own veterinarian's advice. If an
animal needs medical attention, we'll make sure it is taken to its usual vet
or to the local animal hospital. Our main goal is to provide information to
pet owners to help them know what to do should an emergency situation arise."
There have been a few out-of-the-ordinary situations for
the pet sitters, such as the time Meadows found a pet owner's cat accidentally
locked in a closet.
Then there was the time Tomondi was unable to enter a
home with the garage door opener she was given because of a power outage in
the neighborhood.
But according to Pet Pals client Cathy Clark of
Catlettsburg, owner of 16 horses, three dogs, two inside cats and about eight
barn cats, there is no problem the pet sitters can't handle.
"I can't tell you how long I've used Terri for pet
sitting. It's been at least five or six years. She's delivered several ponies
while I have been away. For some reason, they always wait 'till I leave to
have babies," Clark said with a laugh. "There's never been any problems. Terri
always handles the situation no matter what happens. I never worry."
Clark admitted to having some family in town who could
manage the animals while she's away showing horses. But they're "not really
horse people," she said.
Personal Pet Pals isn't just for dogs. The pet sitters
have cared for gerbils, fish and turtles. Tomondi and Meadows agree that every
pet-sitting situation is rewarding in the way each is different and they get
to make friends with all kinds of creatures.
"People who hire us already take excellent care of their
pets," Meadows said. "What we do is provide that same excellent care for pets
and allow the owners to go on vacation or an overnight business trip with
confidence that we will be there and their four-legged family members will be
taken care of."
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This site was last updated 05/19/05