Pet Sitting, Dog Walking, Scottsdale, AZ

Most people think that we “sell” dog walking or litter scooping.

We don’t.

What Bella’s House & Pet Sitting sells is trust, peace of mind, and security of your Scottsdale home and pet.

Let’s face it – at the end of the day, ANYONE can put food in a bowl, or scoop litter but when you ADD TO THE LIST THINGS LIKE:

* Closing the door
* Locking the door
* Monitoring the #1 and #2′s of your pet to make sure they are healthy and haven’t eaten anything they shouldn’t have
* Following your instructions
* Holding the leash tight and knowing to look ahead for possible dangers
* Knowing to not have parties
* Not telling strangers that you are away, (or even some pet sitters who post pictures on public
Facebook sites of your pet and what neighborhood you live in)
* Knowing how and what to look for in security checks of your home
* Knowing what to do IF there is an emergency at your home, with your pet, or with your pet sitter

…. There is so much that goes into this.

Doggie Doors is a topic that I always flinch at when I hear a caller on the phone talk about or even say, “I only need you to come once becasue my dog has a doggie door”

Really?!?!

Well I am sorry, but the protection of your pet and house mean too much to me and if that is what you want, I am sure one of the other 40 pet sitting companies in Scottsdale will help you.  Bella’s is the BEST – and low standards in service isn’t one of the reasons.

I am serious here. So serious, I even wrote a blog about this exact topic in 2009.  Pet Sitting with Car Magnets and Open Doggie Doors in Scottsdale, not such a hot idea. In that article, I drew upon statistics of break ins with doggie doors.

As recent as Dec 2010 – this news story ran on www.azfamily.com. The suspect stole a car and then:

The suspect had taken off on foot and gotten into one of the neighborhood homes through a dog door.

Gee, makes you want to get a doggie door now? The man had a gun too but thankfully didn’t threaten the family.

I write this to you all, not to reprimand you or scare you. I say it in a sincere concern for the safety of your home and pets. Let alone when you are HOME. The next time you go away – consider NOT leaving a door open the whole time to your house (even if it is the “doggie door” If you have a dog door, please CLOSE IT at night.  In addition – even if your yard is “critter proofed” and you have 12 foot walls, and no snakes can get in… there are still spiders, scorpions, and AIR ATTACKS (yes, every year I hear of at least one dog being scooped up and dying) that happen.

Be aware.

Be cautious of how you protect your home.

Be cautious of the professional pet sitters that you let into your home when you are away. After all, I think we can all agree that the two most important possessions in our lives are our PETS and our HOME. So lets treat them as such.

Bella’s encourages clients to close the doggie doors when they are out of town. We ALWAYS require a minimum of 2 visits a day for dogs.  We never tell anyone the whereabouts of the client or when they are coming home (even if we are on a walk and the person knows the dog we are walking). There is a WHOLE SECTION in our Employee Training Manual about this topic. We have a Disaster Preparedness Plan too (Reason #7 why Bella’s is the Best). Does your pet sitter have this?

It is also important to say – they are not always bad. There is just a certain risk that one takes on with having and open door to and out of their home. An electronic door may be the a better option.

*stepping off the soap box*

I want to know what you think! Do you agree of disagree with what I just wrote? Let me hear your thoughts!

UPDATE: Feb 2012 Here is another story that made it to the headlines: http://www.azcentral.com/community/glendale/articles/2012/02/07/20120207glendale-teen-shoots-intruder-coming-doggie-door-abrk.html