Oh Behave!

Beth Stultz-Hairston, president of Pet Sitters International, has worked in the pet industry since 2004. She is also the editor of Pet Sitter’s World magazine and author of The Professional Pet Sitter’s Startup Guide. She is an award-winning writer and frequent contributor to various pet-related publications and has also spoken at industry conferences, such as Barkworld Expo, CWA Annual Conference, Texas Pet Sitters Conference and Pet Sitter World Educational Conference.

Beth received her B.A., English, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and pursued her studies in compassion fatigue through Divine Mercy University and Regent University. She has obtained certification as both a Compassion Fatigue Educator and Compassion Fatigue Therapist and also pursued additional training in pet loss grief and companioning.

 

Transcript:

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Announcer: This is Pet Life Radio.

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Announcer: Let's talk pets.

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Announcer: It's Oh Behave with Arden Moore.

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Announcer: This show that teaches you how to have harmony in the household with your pets.

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Announcer: Join Arden as she travels coast to coast to help millions better understand why cats and dogs do what they do.

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Announcer: Get the latest scoop on famous faces.

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Announcer: They're perfectly pampered pets in Who's Walking Who in Rin Tin Tinseltown.

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Announcer: From famous pet experts and bestselling authors to television and movie stars, you'll get the latest buzz from wagging tongues and tails, garner great pet tips and have a doggone fur-flying fun time.

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Announcer: So get ready for the pause and applause as we unleash your Oh Behave host, America's pet edutainer, Arden Moore.

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Arden Moore: Welcome to the Oh Behave show on Pet Life Radio.

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Arden Moore: I'm your host, Arden Moore.

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Arden Moore: Hey, our guest is here today and she's going to spotlight a dedicated group who cares for your pets, our pets.

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Arden Moore: She serves as president of the oldest professional pet sitting association on the planet.

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Arden Moore: Please give pause and applause to my friend, the president of the Pet Sitters International, Beth Stultz.

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Arden Moore: Welcome back to our show, Beth.

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Beth Stultz: Thank you so much for having me.

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Arden Moore: Hey, you know, 30 years, everyone, 30 years.

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Arden Moore: 30 years, mark that down, 1994.

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Arden Moore: What were y'all doing back then?

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Arden Moore: Well, back then, there was an idea that was germinating and it was like, we need to add professional to caretaking pets in their own homes.

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Arden Moore: And that is how Pet Sitters International was born.

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Arden Moore: And I'm hoping, Beth, you can give us a little history back in time, we're gonna be in a time travel machine.

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Arden Moore: Are you geared up for that?

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Beth Stultz: I absolutely am.

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Beth Stultz: I love to tell the story.

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Beth Stultz: And I know you know our founder, Patti Moran.

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Beth Stultz: And so in the 80s, actually, after a corporate layoff, Patti was looking for you a new passion and where her career would go after that layoff.

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Beth Stultz: And so she sort of identified that need of, what are people doing when they travel with their pets?

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Beth Stultz: Do they have, without their pets, do they have someone reliable?

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Beth Stultz: And so she had the idea to start a pet sitting business.

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Beth Stultz: And that was in the 80s.

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Beth Stultz: But as news started traveling about that, she started getting calls at her pet sitting business from around the country.

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Beth Stultz: Not people wanting to use her service, but saying, how do I do this?

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Beth Stultz: You know, well, how could I make this a business myself?

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Arden Moore: And this was back in the day where you had to pick up a landline, right?

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Beth Stultz: Yes.

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Beth Stultz: And they were looking at the yellow pages.

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Arden Moore: And actually dial.

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Beth Stultz: Yeah, we're using yellow pages and telephones.

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Beth Stultz: Absolutely.

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Beth Stultz: And so, as you can imagine, when she first started, no one had really heard of this idea on a professional level.

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Beth Stultz: So she had to struggle to find business resources that were specific to a pet care business, insurance, which is so important for professional pet sitters and dog walkers.

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Beth Stultz: But ultimately, she was getting questions from around the country, around the world.

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Beth Stultz: And so she wrote her first book, Pet City for Profit.

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Beth Stultz: And then that's what eventually led to the creation of our association.

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Beth Stultz: And so we are excited to celebrate 30 years on March 17th.

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Beth Stultz: So we're saying three decades of Pet City Ex-Lunch.

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Arden Moore: Oh, that's awesome.

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Arden Moore: And I want to get back in context, you know, because this is another example, everyone out there, that something happens, you think you're on this one career path, you get thrown a curve ball, you can sit and pout, or as Patti did, you can create a whole new industry.

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Arden Moore: I know she has to be one of your go-to mentors, admirers.

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Arden Moore: Tell us, how has she impacted you and how you do things in life?

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Beth Stultz: Absolutely.

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Beth Stultz: And I love what you just said is she's such a shining example of, you know, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.

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Beth Stultz: But she really took time when she was laid off.

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Beth Stultz: She does into detail, it's in her past book and some past talks that she actually, because of the corporate layoffs where she worked, she had to take part in those layoffs and letting people go.

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Beth Stultz: So she experienced that herself before she was let go herself.

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Beth Stultz: And so that really gave her, she said she really knew she had to stop and think, where do I want my life to go after this?

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Beth Stultz: And so just like you said, she didn't let it get her day out as she really used it to not only create a new business or a new job for herself, she created an industry.

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Beth Stultz: So I always say that I am Patti's biggest fan girl.

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Beth Stultz: She is such, I will talk about her whenever I get the chance, but she is such an idea person.

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Beth Stultz: And what I love about what she did is not only did Patti find success as a pet sitting business owner, she so freely shared what she learned with other people.

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Beth Stultz: And her goal was always, I had to go through these hard steps of really navigating an uncharted business idea.

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Beth Stultz: And so she doesn't want other people to have to do that.

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Beth Stultz: And so that's why she wrote her book.

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Beth Stultz: She made her forms available.

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Beth Stultz: She started the association.

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Beth Stultz: And I do talk to her sometimes and I say, how do you feel to think that tens of thousands of people have started a pet sitting business since that time because of your idea?

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Beth Stultz: And she's just so gracious and she still just wants to help in any way that she can.

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Arden Moore: And probably hundreds of thousands of people with pets have used Pet Sitters International services that are licensed, insured and bonded, right?

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Arden Moore: Did you ever get a number about how many clients you've helped?

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Beth Stultz: Hundreds of thousands, as you said, are the word we have.

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Beth Stultz: We do our survey.

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Beth Stultz: And so each of our members, they're serving a few hundred, a minimum per year.

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Beth Stultz: So they're doing thousands of pet sitting visits every year.

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Beth Stultz: So let's go back to 1994.

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Beth Stultz: Those numbers just add up and add up.

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Beth Stultz: But we do like to tell our members that they're making the world a better place for pets and their people.

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Beth Stultz: And that's sort of a mission that we all keep in mind.

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Arden Moore: Well, I'm laughing because Pet Safety Cat Casey is all ears listening to you, Beth.

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Arden Moore: And I hope his purrs don't over go my voice on this magic microphone, but you had him at meow.

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Arden Moore: What do you think about caring for all kinds of pets?

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Arden Moore: Yeah, he's trying to ask a question.

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Arden Moore: What is it?

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Arden Moore: He goes, okay.

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Arden Moore: He wants to know, Beth, what you were doing in 1994.

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Beth Stultz: In 1994, I was actually starting high school.

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Beth Stultz: It's what I was doing.

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Beth Stultz: I think it, yes, I was starting high school in 1994.

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Arden Moore: It wasn't even a blip on your screen.

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Beth Stultz: It was not on my radar.

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Beth Stultz: I was starting high school at that time, I think about the year, and I had no idea that I would be so fortunate to fast forward through high school and then college to learn about PSI.

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Beth Stultz: Angie, I really, I came to, I started PSI in member services right out of college and could not have guessed at that time how that would also completely change my path in life.

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Arden Moore: Now you went to the University of North Carolina, right?

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Beth Stultz: Chapel Hill?

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Arden Moore: Nice, nice.

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Arden Moore: And so what was your aspirations when you're about to walk across that graduation stage?

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Arden Moore: What were you wanting to do?

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Beth Stultz: When I initially started college, my plan was to be a high school English teacher and then I decided that that would not be my plan.

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Beth Stultz: And so I came out of college, I graduated knowing that I wanted to work.

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Beth Stultz: My initial idea was I wanted to work in something.

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Beth Stultz: And at that point it could have been anything that would help impact women.

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Beth Stultz: And so that was for my initial idea.

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Beth Stultz: Of course, the professional pet city industry is largely female based.

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Beth Stultz: Of course, we love all pet sitters.

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Arden Moore: You love dudes too, it's okay.

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Beth Stultz: Yeah, but I was also a huge animal lover.

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Beth Stultz: And so like I said, the way everything fell together, Pet Sitters International is of course an international organization, but it was founded actually in the county that I was born and raised.

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Beth Stultz: And so everything just fell together.

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Beth Stultz: I thought going back to 2004 when I started, I saw a job ad in a newspaper.

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Beth Stultz: So that's going back to not online, but there was a job-

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Arden Moore: It was an ad in the paper?

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Beth Stultz: It was the ad in our county newspaper.

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Beth Stultz: I saw the ad, international organization, and I thought, that sounds interesting.

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Beth Stultz: And so I emailed my resume in and the rest is history.

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Arden Moore: By then we had email, yeah, 2004, we had email, but we also had Skype and all this other, it sounded like a hamster getting choked.

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Arden Moore: You know, when you ever had to do, you did a lot of faxing back then too, right?

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Beth Stultz: There was a lot of faxing.

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Beth Stultz: Now for my interview, I emailed, I called, and then I had an in-person interview, so no Skype, but yep, and then the rest is history.

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Beth Stultz: I've been there.

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Beth Stultz: I always say I came to PSI and I never left.

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Arden Moore: Well, so kudos to you because this is your 20th anniversary, right?

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Beth Stultz: It will be in September, yes.

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Arden Moore: And you started out, what was your first position?

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Beth Stultz: Member Services.

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Beth Stultz: I was a Member Services Coordinator, so I was answering phones, answering emails, just for basic member questions.

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Arden Moore: But you didn't have to grade high school essays.

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Beth Stultz: I did not, and I feel very fortunate.

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Beth Stultz: For that, at this point, when I look back, I think, what a great decision I made.

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Arden Moore: Well, what we're doing here, everyone, is taking a walk down memory lane, and we're speaking with Beth Stultz.

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Arden Moore: She rose up the ranks, and she's now President of Pet Sitters International.

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Arden Moore: And I believe, is it petsit.com, petsit.com.

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Arden Moore: We're gonna dive in a little bit more about some of the things that you may be surprised to know.

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Arden Moore: Some members in Pet Sitters International that you think they just take care of dogs and cats.

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Arden Moore: Oh, no, they do much more, much more.

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Arden Moore: And how they have evolved to becoming the largest professional pet sitting association in the whole world.

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Arden Moore: So you all know the drill.

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Arden Moore: We're gonna, cause Casey's here, we're gonna sit and purr, and we'll be right back.

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Announcer: Time for a walk on the red carpet, of course.

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Announcer: Oh Behave will be back in a flash, right after these messages.

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Arden Moore: Paws up, Pet Pals, Arden Moore here, your host of the Oh Behave Show.

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Arden Moore: Me-

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Arden Moore: Wow!

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Arden Moore: Did you know there's up to 100 million free roaming cats in the United States?

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Arden Moore: And without spay or neuter, that number is only going to keep growing.

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Arden Moore: Not only does spay neuter humanely reduce the community cat population, it keeps cats healthy.

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Arden Moore: Scooter, the neuter cat, is on a mission to give cats an extra life by making it hip to be snipped.

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Arden Moore: Hey, check them out.

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Arden Moore: Go to givethemten.org.

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Arden Moore: That's givethemten.org and help us make this a better world for cats.

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Announcer: Pet Life radio.com.

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Jim Davis: Hi, this is Jim Davis, the creator of Garfield, urging you to listen to the Oh Behave Show with Arden Moore on Pet Life Radio.

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Garfield: Well, yeah, we'll see about that.

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Announcer: We're back from the lot.

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Announcer: Just checked the paper and we had a record showing at the box.

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Announcer: The letter box, that is.

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Announcer: Now back to Oh Behave.

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Announcer: Here's Arden.

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Arden Moore: Welcome back to the Oh Behave Show on Pet Life Radio.

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Arden Moore: I'm your host, Arden Moore, and I got my buddy here.

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Arden Moore: Her name is Beth Stultz.

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Arden Moore: She is the president of Pet Sitters International.

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Arden Moore: And I'm remembering back in the day where you had a surprise guest at one of your conferences.

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Arden Moore: And it was Garfield, the cartoon cat from Jim Davis created.

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Arden Moore: He's from Indiana like me.

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Arden Moore: Do you remember that conference?

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Beth Stultz: I do.

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Beth Stultz: That was, I want to say it's 2010.

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Beth Stultz: It was in San Diego.

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Beth Stultz: I actually laugh about it.

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Beth Stultz: I'm surprised you remember that.

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Beth Stultz: But it was funny because a lot of people don't know.

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Beth Stultz: We were sent the outfit directly from Jim Davis' organization.

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Beth Stultz: You have to sign a contract.

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Beth Stultz: At that time, at least you have to sign a contract to wear the uniform.

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Beth Stultz: There are only certain hand gestures you're allowed to make.

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Beth Stultz: There are only certain phrases you can say.

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Arden Moore: So they had some legal biggles for that fat feline.

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Beth Stultz: They had definitely.

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Beth Stultz: And so I do laugh looking back because that's when I do point to that steal.

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Beth Stultz: So I just said, funny, you brought it up.

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Beth Stultz: But I tell Patti, that's the moment when she should have realized that I would do anything for PSI because I'm very claustrophobic.

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Beth Stultz: And if you've ever been in a full, it was a full fursuit with a huge hat.

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Beth Stultz: Yeah.

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Beth Stultz: But it was a fun experience.

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Beth Stultz: I got to be Garfield.

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Arden Moore: Well, that's what I was trying to bring out is like, you got to be Garfield and that's most of us just had Garfield stuck in the, on our window, in our back window, in our cars, on suction cups.

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Arden Moore: But you actually got to channel your inner Garfield.

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Beth Stultz: I did.

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Beth Stultz: It was actually, so we, PSI that year had partnered with Jim Davis and the Garfield brand for some materials.

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Beth Stultz: And so we got to meet Jim Davis, which was a great experience to work with some of his creative team.

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Beth Stultz: So yes, but wearing the costume was, I guess, the icing on the cake that year.

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Arden Moore: Oh my gosh.

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Arden Moore: So there's a lot of things that you can tout about PSI, but I want to give people kind of an overview.

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Arden Moore: What's the makeup of members of PSI?

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Arden Moore: Have you got some things to share that might surprise people or confirm?

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Arden Moore: I don't know.

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Arden Moore: You've got members in every state, how many countries?

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Beth Stultz: As you mentioned, PSI is the world's largest educational association for pet sitters.

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Beth Stultz: We have members in every state in the US.

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Beth Stultz: We have members in the US, Canada, and currently 20 other countries.

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Arden Moore: What would be a country that might surprise people?

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Beth Stultz: I'm trying to think what would be a surprise.

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Beth Stultz: I'm trying to think what I was looking today.

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Beth Stultz: I mean, we're everywhere from Singapore, Japan, Australia.

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Beth Stultz: So just a variety.

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Beth Stultz: And it's exciting to see it start to grow in different countries, but we have members from all over.

00:13:12.500 --> 00:13:18.060
Beth Stultz: What I love too is not only are they geographically diverse, we have members from all walks of life.

00:13:18.640 --> 00:13:25.720
Beth Stultz: And so, you know, what happens, I think a lot of people would expect we have some people who started pet sitting businesses that came from maybe the veterinary industry.

00:13:25.860 --> 00:13:28.000
Beth Stultz: Veterinary, vet techs, which makes sense.

00:13:28.240 --> 00:13:33.700
Beth Stultz: A lot of people come from the corporate world and they want to use their business savvy to really create a business they love.

00:13:34.100 --> 00:13:35.380
Beth Stultz: We've had a rocket scientist.

00:13:35.540 --> 00:13:40.440
Beth Stultz: Always love to mention that one, that they were formerly a rocket scientist, which I think is interesting.

00:13:40.640 --> 00:13:50.580
Beth Stultz: But from all walks of life, from stay-at-home moms to government workers, but they've all decided to leave those previous careers or paths in life to really pursue their passion.

00:13:50.800 --> 00:13:52.400
Beth Stultz: And so that is really exciting for us.

00:13:52.700 --> 00:13:56.560
Arden Moore: No, I like that because sometimes we do reinvent yourself.

00:13:56.580 --> 00:13:59.880
Arden Moore: I'll tell you, when I started off, I was a newspaper reporter.

00:14:00.100 --> 00:14:01.500
Arden Moore: That's all I thought I would be.

00:14:01.760 --> 00:14:06.840
Arden Moore: I covered Super Bowls, I covered serial killers, I covered all kinds of things.

00:14:07.180 --> 00:14:15.580
Arden Moore: I never would have guessed that I'm now 25 years in the pet industry as a radio show host, pet first aid, write books and all that.

00:14:15.900 --> 00:14:17.640
Arden Moore: So it's weird, isn't it?

00:14:17.680 --> 00:14:26.120
Arden Moore: How life can throw you a curve ball or there's something in your head, which I'm assuming a lot of the members get this feeling.

00:14:27.680 --> 00:14:30.200
Arden Moore: Is this really what I wanna do, right?

00:14:30.440 --> 00:14:35.020
Arden Moore: And I'm sure you hear some reasons why people come to PSI, correct?

00:14:35.060 --> 00:14:43.100
Beth Stultz: We do, I think there's definitely that feeling of, is there something more, that we're wanting something more out of life and really wanting to find a way to combine your career with your passion.

00:14:43.400 --> 00:14:45.700
Beth Stultz: I think we're hearing that even more after the pandemic.

00:14:46.080 --> 00:14:50.540
Beth Stultz: I think people had so much time to really think about, what do I really, what are my values?

00:14:50.560 --> 00:14:51.640
Beth Stultz: What are my priorities?

00:14:51.920 --> 00:15:03.220
Beth Stultz: And so I think that small businesses in general appeal to our members and people at large because you are your own boss, you're setting your schedule and you're getting to choose the types of clients you want to work with.

00:15:03.380 --> 00:15:06.560
Beth Stultz: And then you add pets into that mix, which bring people such joy.

00:15:06.900 --> 00:15:11.460
Beth Stultz: It really is just such a great combination for people looking to make a change.

00:15:11.760 --> 00:15:13.740
Arden Moore: So let's spotlight some folks.

00:15:14.140 --> 00:15:22.220
Arden Moore: You just, every year, your association names the Pet Sitters International Pet Sitter of the Year.

00:15:22.540 --> 00:15:27.900
Arden Moore: And they have come from solo practices to mega practices all over the place.

00:15:28.200 --> 00:15:36.400
Arden Moore: Tell us a little bit about this year's recipient and what was the occupation prior to becoming a professional pet sitter.

00:15:36.440 --> 00:15:43.800
Beth Stultz: So our 2024 Pet Sitter of the Year is Bobbi Wilson, and she co-owns Peace, Love, Paws Pet Sitters in Missouri with her husband, Scott.

00:15:43.960 --> 00:15:45.040
Beth Stultz: I loved her background.

00:15:45.060 --> 00:15:50.080
Beth Stultz: As you said, we have pet sitters who have won that award from across the country, different professions.

00:15:50.420 --> 00:15:52.960
Beth Stultz: She spent a decade as a home inspector.

00:15:53.380 --> 00:15:59.760
Beth Stultz: She was one of the only certified home inspectors in mid-Missouri for quite, for years, at the end of the time she worked.

00:15:59.920 --> 00:16:01.780
Beth Stultz: And so they were home inspector for years.

00:16:02.200 --> 00:16:07.600
Beth Stultz: And what I love about her story is that she's able to transfer those skills to her pet sitting business.

00:16:07.920 --> 00:16:12.380
Beth Stultz: And so she works a lot with her clients on, here are the things I do, safety checks at your home.

00:16:12.600 --> 00:16:18.480
Beth Stultz: She's been teaching other pet sitters that as well, because she has that unique perspective from her previous career.

00:16:19.040 --> 00:16:20.680
Beth Stultz: So she's presented a session for us.

00:16:20.860 --> 00:16:36.500
Beth Stultz: Yeah, you can bring so many, whatever profession you came from, of course, every pet sitter needs to have a pet care, pet care experience, pet care education, but there are so many soft skills from other occupations that you can bring to this industry that really set your business apart.

00:16:36.840 --> 00:16:38.460
Beth Stultz: And Bobbi's a great example of that.

00:16:38.740 --> 00:16:47.560
Arden Moore: I like that she gave a talk on it because I can imagine there is a running toilet or she smells gas or there's a frayed wire.

00:16:47.640 --> 00:16:52.320
Arden Moore: I mean, you are the eyes and ears when you walk into a client's home to take care of their pets.

00:16:52.680 --> 00:16:55.880
Beth Stultz: Exactly, and so most pet sitters, of course, think of the basics.

00:16:55.900 --> 00:16:58.540
Beth Stultz: They want to make sure there are no open doors, open windows.

00:16:58.800 --> 00:17:00.460
Beth Stultz: If there's a fence, is it secure?

00:17:00.620 --> 00:17:02.240
Beth Stultz: But there are so many little things.

00:17:02.420 --> 00:17:07.540
Beth Stultz: What do you do if you go inside the home and there's water all over the floor or if you need to find a breaker?

00:17:07.700 --> 00:17:13.440
Beth Stultz: And so things like that, just questions that maybe someone hasn't thought to ask if they don't have that prior experience.

00:17:13.880 --> 00:17:18.380
Beth Stultz: And so Bobby's done a really great job of educating other members and other pet sitters on that.

00:17:18.760 --> 00:17:22.180
Arden Moore: And I know we're going to say a nasty word, Rover.

00:17:22.600 --> 00:17:26.560
Arden Moore: There are some companies out there that are not Pet Sitters International.

00:17:26.580 --> 00:17:28.460
Arden Moore: They're not licensed, insured and bonded.

00:17:28.760 --> 00:17:35.760
Arden Moore: People sometimes say, oh, this kid down the street can watch my dogs or this other company, they're cheap.

00:17:36.000 --> 00:17:42.560
Arden Moore: Here's your time to tell us why we need to invest in our most priceless asset, and that is our pets.

00:17:42.780 --> 00:17:48.820
Beth Stultz: You know, when I talk to any pet parent, the way that I explain it to them is, of course, we love our pets and we want them to have the best care.

00:17:49.020 --> 00:17:52.920
Beth Stultz: And I think sometimes pet parents simply don't know what to ask or what to look for.

00:17:53.280 --> 00:17:58.460
Beth Stultz: So my advice is always to don't choose convenience over finding the best option.

00:17:59.020 --> 00:18:03.260
Beth Stultz: We always recommend a locally based professional pet sitter or dog walker.

00:18:03.640 --> 00:18:07.420
Beth Stultz: You want someone that's insured, bonded, that has pet care experience.

00:18:07.640 --> 00:18:10.540
Beth Stultz: If they have insurance, it's specific to a pet care business.

00:18:10.880 --> 00:18:14.680
Beth Stultz: We also tell pet parents, always make sure you meet the pet sitter in advance.

00:18:14.960 --> 00:18:23.840
Beth Stultz: Have that initial consultation, because even if a pet sitter has a great educational background and even business credentials, they still may not be the best fit for you and your pet.

00:18:24.080 --> 00:18:25.580
Beth Stultz: So you want to have that rapport.

00:18:25.860 --> 00:18:31.300
Beth Stultz: And you know, we've always, there will always be pet parents we know who will use a neighbor or a friend.

00:18:31.520 --> 00:18:33.200
Beth Stultz: And I understand the convenience of that.

00:18:33.480 --> 00:18:46.120
Beth Stultz: But you know, the stories we like to tell sort of cautionary, I cannot tell you the number of times in my almost 20 years at PSI that we've heard from pet parents who've had friendships broken over pet sitting experiences.

00:18:46.560 --> 00:18:57.520
Beth Stultz: Because you know, your friend or your neighbor may love your pet, have pet care experience, but if something goes wrong, a faucet is left running and the floors are damaged, they're not insured for that type of service.

00:18:57.880 --> 00:19:00.020
Beth Stultz: And so we've really heard of friendships being ruined.

00:19:00.180 --> 00:19:04.740
Beth Stultz: So we just tell pet parents, take time to do your research because we know they want the best for their pets.

00:19:04.920 --> 00:19:05.680
Arden Moore: Oh, I like that.

00:19:05.700 --> 00:19:06.200
Arden Moore: I like that.

00:19:06.700 --> 00:19:14.200
Arden Moore: And there are some professional pet sitters out there that can buy a fancy latte without hesitation.

00:19:14.540 --> 00:19:17.620
Arden Moore: Tell us because people may be surprised you can make a living.

00:19:17.800 --> 00:19:18.360
Beth Stultz: You can.

00:19:18.380 --> 00:19:23.800
Beth Stultz: I think that somehow even after 30 years, there's still the perception that maybe pet sitting is just a side gig.

00:19:23.980 --> 00:19:24.880
Beth Stultz: But that's not true.

00:19:24.880 --> 00:19:26.500
Beth Stultz: Our members, this is their career.

00:19:26.760 --> 00:19:32.480
Beth Stultz: And so we conduct at PSI, the State of the Industry Survey, we're actually conducting this year's right now.

00:19:32.740 --> 00:19:39.840
Beth Stultz: But looking at last year's survey, the average revenue for pet sitters in the US was almost $95,000.

00:19:40.340 --> 00:19:44.980
Beth Stultz: And if you compare that to our previous survey in 2019, that's up 25%.

00:19:45.200 --> 00:19:50.600
Beth Stultz: So pre-pandemic, the average salary was right at $76,000.

00:19:50.620 --> 00:19:54.160
Beth Stultz: But now $95,000 in last year's survey is the average revenue.

00:19:54.340 --> 00:20:01.220
Beth Stultz: So of course that varies by where you're located, the size of your business, but certainly this is a career.

00:20:01.420 --> 00:20:02.260
Beth Stultz: It's not a hobby.

00:20:02.280 --> 00:20:03.260
Beth Stultz: That's not a side job.

00:20:03.440 --> 00:20:06.180
Beth Stultz: And so for those who want to make it a business, there's money to be made.

00:20:06.340 --> 00:20:14.400
Arden Moore: I'm just wondering if that nearly $95,000, that's above the average income, isn't it for most Americans?

00:20:14.640 --> 00:20:15.120
Beth Stultz: It is.

00:20:15.140 --> 00:20:24.520
Beth Stultz: And what we found, even surveys have shown this time and again, even when people are budgeting for various things or maybe cutting costs, people tend to continue to spend on their pets.

00:20:24.800 --> 00:20:30.580
Beth Stultz: And especially once travel back up after the pandemic, people are willing to spend on their pets, but they're wanting to travel.

00:20:30.800 --> 00:20:34.100
Beth Stultz: And so business for pet sitters is really booming right now.

00:20:34.560 --> 00:20:35.100
Arden Moore: Oh man.

00:20:35.420 --> 00:20:41.860
Arden Moore: Well, there's also a couple other people that are members of PSI that have kind of unique backgrounds or do unique things.

00:20:41.880 --> 00:20:43.260
Arden Moore: You want to showcase a couple more?

00:20:43.620 --> 00:20:43.880
Beth Stultz: Sure.

00:20:43.900 --> 00:20:46.780
Beth Stultz: You know, I was talking earlier about people coming from diverse backgrounds.

00:20:46.900 --> 00:20:51.100
Beth Stultz: Another thing I love about, after the pet care industry in general, I think we're so innovative.

00:20:51.120 --> 00:20:54.620
Beth Stultz: It's the pet industry at large, and we see this in pet sitters and dog walkers too.

00:20:54.920 --> 00:21:02.520
Beth Stultz: So we have members who have started out, of course, offering the basic services that you would think of, pet sitting, dog walking, maybe overnight visits.

00:21:02.920 --> 00:21:08.540
Beth Stultz: But depending on the needs of their clients and then their community, they've evolved to offer additional services.

00:21:08.840 --> 00:21:12.060
Beth Stultz: So I know one that we had spoke about was Nicole Packen, who's in Texas.

00:21:12.280 --> 00:21:15.060
Beth Stultz: She has the Packen Method, so it's a mobile canine gym.

00:21:15.240 --> 00:21:20.100
Beth Stultz: And so that's great for people with dogs who need additional exercise as she comes to them.

00:21:20.280 --> 00:21:22.320
Beth Stultz: And so that's not a service she makes anywhere.

00:21:22.620 --> 00:21:26.920
Arden Moore: Yeah, she has like a treadmill in her van, air conditioned, climate controlled.

00:21:27.140 --> 00:21:28.940
Arden Moore: She has a giant dog named Kevin.

00:21:28.980 --> 00:21:33.620
Arden Moore: I've actually been in the Packen Method van and you can get your walk on.

00:21:33.820 --> 00:21:35.020
Beth Stultz: Yeah, it's amazing.

00:21:35.040 --> 00:21:37.440
Beth Stultz: I saw the van last year and the setup is amazing.

00:21:37.660 --> 00:21:44.380
Beth Stultz: But I love how she realized that there was a need for that type of service that maybe wasn't addressed by your standard dog walking service.

00:21:44.500 --> 00:21:49.900
Beth Stultz: And so there's so many ways to evolve and diversify your service offerings if you have a pet care business.

00:21:50.240 --> 00:21:53.400
Arden Moore: So somebody is using electromagnetic field?

00:21:54.720 --> 00:22:01.500
Beth Stultz: So we have a member, Amy Thomas, she's in Florida, Alicia's to leave, but she offers, and I always make sure I said this correctly, MagnaWate.

00:22:01.660 --> 00:22:07.440
Beth Stultz: And so it's an electromagnetic field pulsation for pets and it stimulates cell metabolism.

00:22:07.960 --> 00:22:10.860
Beth Stultz: So it's mostly for pets have maybe injuries or joint issues.

00:22:11.140 --> 00:22:13.800
Beth Stultz: She can use that on horses, she can use that on dogs.

00:22:14.080 --> 00:22:20.560
Beth Stultz: And so she was especially trained to operate that equipment and said the service is really growing in her area.

00:22:20.740 --> 00:22:26.060
Beth Stultz: But again, she saw a need that maybe most people would think about and added that to her service offerings.

00:22:26.380 --> 00:22:39.360
Arden Moore: You do normally the bulk is cats, dogs, but yes, share some other types of critters that your members are caring for and the fact that they have continued education opportunities at PSI.

00:22:39.460 --> 00:22:39.820
Beth Stultz: Absolutely.

00:22:39.840 --> 00:22:44.240
Beth Stultz: So of course, as you said, as you would imagine, cats and dogs would be the top pets cared for.

00:22:44.360 --> 00:22:53.760
Beth Stultz: But more than a half of our members are also offering services for birds, freshwater fish, saltwater fish, cage pets, pocket pets, exotics, reptiles.

00:22:54.000 --> 00:23:01.080
Beth Stultz: So whatever type of pet you have, you will likely find a professional pet sitter in your area that can offer services.

00:23:01.320 --> 00:23:04.960
Arden Moore: So you don't have lions or bears, oh my.

00:23:05.260 --> 00:23:13.020
Beth Stultz: Not for pet-seeing services that I'm aware of, but we do have, we've had multiple former zookeepers over the years start pet-seeing businesses.

00:23:13.120 --> 00:23:14.680
Beth Stultz: So I'm sure they have that experience.

00:23:14.840 --> 00:23:18.800
Arden Moore: So what advice do you give people who have pets?

00:23:19.020 --> 00:23:27.520
Arden Moore: What's a good question to ask someone you're interviewing before you decide that they can be coming into your home caring for their pets while you're not home?

00:23:28.000 --> 00:23:30.080
Beth Stultz: You know, of course, they're the basic questions that I've mentioned.

00:23:30.100 --> 00:23:32.760
Beth Stultz: Are they insured, bonded, are they trained in pet first aid?

00:23:32.900 --> 00:23:37.380
Beth Stultz: But I would also ask about the pet sitter's specific experience with your pet type.

00:23:37.480 --> 00:23:40.320
Beth Stultz: And if your pet has any special needs, you need to communicate that.

00:23:40.460 --> 00:23:47.040
Beth Stultz: And then another question that I think pet parents and sometimes pet sitters don't think about is what is their communication style?

00:23:47.060 --> 00:23:51.320
Beth Stultz: Because if I'm a pet parent and I'm traveling, do I want you to text me at every visit?

00:23:51.440 --> 00:23:54.460
Beth Stultz: Do I not want to be contacted unless there's an emergency?

00:23:54.640 --> 00:23:57.140
Beth Stultz: So even communication style is a question you should ask.

00:23:57.240 --> 00:24:09.180
Beth Stultz: But definitely look for someone that's insured, bonded, background checked, that can provide references if needed, and that also has pet care training and experience, and continues that education on a regular basis.

00:24:09.500 --> 00:24:12.640
Arden Moore: Well, you've come a long way, Pet Sitters International.

00:24:12.700 --> 00:24:14.840
Arden Moore: Salute to Patti Moran and to you.

00:24:15.240 --> 00:24:19.780
Arden Moore: Where do you see professional pet sitting going in the next decade or two?

00:24:19.800 --> 00:24:21.340
Arden Moore: Because you're probably going to still be there.

00:24:21.360 --> 00:24:21.840
Arden Moore: You're young.

00:24:22.120 --> 00:24:24.420
Beth Stultz: Some days I don't feel like it, but I don't feel young.

00:24:24.840 --> 00:24:29.520
Beth Stultz: But I'm excited when we talk about, especially having sort of a milestone of the 30 years this year.

00:24:29.740 --> 00:24:33.200
Beth Stultz: Of course, we're thinking about the next decade, and it's so exciting.

00:24:33.360 --> 00:24:40.760
Beth Stultz: I think coming out of the pandemic and seeing how resilient this industry was, I can't wait to see what's in store the next 10 years, the next 20 years.

00:24:41.020 --> 00:24:43.280
Beth Stultz: But I do think our industry is going to continue.

00:24:43.300 --> 00:24:46.940
Beth Stultz: We place such an emphasis on professionalism and education.

00:24:47.160 --> 00:24:55.740
Beth Stultz: And I think those two elements are going to continue to be so important because businesses are going to diversify, to make sure they can offer the best care to all types of pets.

00:24:55.840 --> 00:24:58.720
Beth Stultz: That continuing education is going to be so important.

00:24:58.880 --> 00:25:00.340
Beth Stultz: And I'm seeing the commitment to that.

00:25:00.560 --> 00:25:03.100
Beth Stultz: Anytime I speak to members, that is their top priority.

00:25:03.280 --> 00:25:07.180
Beth Stultz: And so we expect it to continue to grow more and more in the coming decade.

00:25:07.520 --> 00:25:12.900
Arden Moore: So last question, would you ever put yourself inside a Garfield costume again?

00:25:13.200 --> 00:25:16.000
Beth Stultz: If Patti Moran asked me to do it, yes, I would.

00:25:16.540 --> 00:25:17.720
Beth Stultz: Anything for our members.

00:25:17.740 --> 00:25:18.460
Beth Stultz: So absolutely.

00:25:18.660 --> 00:25:20.780
Arden Moore: Hey, everyone, we're speaking with Beth Stultz.

00:25:21.080 --> 00:25:24.000
Arden Moore: She is the president of Pet Sitters International.

00:25:24.340 --> 00:25:26.780
Arden Moore: Please visit petsit.com.

00:25:27.180 --> 00:25:29.500
Arden Moore: You survived another chat with me, Beth.

00:25:29.700 --> 00:25:30.620
Beth Stultz: It's always a pleasure.

00:25:30.840 --> 00:25:34.920
Arden Moore: And at this time, I also want to do a shout out to my producer, Mark Winter.

00:25:35.200 --> 00:25:41.300
Arden Moore: He is the executive producer of Pet Life Radio, the largest pet radio network on the planet.

00:25:41.320 --> 00:25:47.840
Arden Moore: And we were honored by being named the number one pet podcast for 2023 by Feed Spot.

00:25:48.260 --> 00:25:51.440
Arden Moore: And we are this show right here, right now with Mark.

00:25:51.680 --> 00:25:56.640
Arden Moore: We are the longest running weekly pet podcast in the whole world.

00:25:56.960 --> 00:25:57.860
Beth Stultz: Congratulations.

00:25:57.880 --> 00:25:58.560
Beth Stultz: We all deserve it.

00:25:58.940 --> 00:26:00.720
Arden Moore: It's an honor and we do appreciate it.

00:26:00.720 --> 00:26:02.840
Arden Moore: And we appreciate all of you tuning in.

00:26:02.980 --> 00:26:04.480
Arden Moore: Check out my YouTube channel.

00:26:04.500 --> 00:26:05.500
Arden Moore: It's growing fast.

00:26:05.520 --> 00:26:06.720
Arden Moore: Just go to Arden Moore.

00:26:06.820 --> 00:26:08.880
Arden Moore: Beth, please nod your head and say you will do it.

00:26:08.920 --> 00:26:12.360
Arden Moore: It's free and I have over 750 videos.

00:26:12.520 --> 00:26:15.580
Arden Moore: They're all pet related and things like that.

00:26:15.600 --> 00:26:18.400
Arden Moore: And check out the other shows on Pet Life Radio.

00:26:18.680 --> 00:26:27.260
Arden Moore: And until next time, this is your flea free host, Arden Moore, delivering just two words to all you two, three and four legged out there.

00:26:27.760 --> 00:26:28.320
Arden Moore: Oh Behave!.

00:26:29.240 --> 00:26:33.420
Announcer: Coast to coast and around the world, it's Oh Behave with Arden Moore.

00:26:33.440 --> 00:26:40.780
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00:26:41.280 --> 00:26:49.180
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00:26:49.440 --> 00:26:52.800
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00:26:53.260 --> 00:26:54.640
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00:26:55.040 --> 00:26:57.720
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