FETCH! Pet Care(TM) Launches Nationwide 'Get to Know Us' Discount Program to Help Pet Owners Prepare for the 2007 Holiday Travel Season

By: Fetch! Pet Care | 1,014 Shares 304 Reads

Industry-Leading Pet Care Purveyor Offering Consumers the Opportunity to 'Test Drive' At-Home Pet Care as a Healthy Alternative to Kennel Boarding and Group Daycare Facilities to Minimize Pets' Risk of Contracting Canine Influenza or Kennel Cough

BERKELEY, CA--(Marketwire - October 1, 2007) - In observance of National Pet Wellness Month and in preparation for the 2007 holiday vacation travel season, FETCH! Pet Care (www.fetchpetcare.com), America's largest and most sophisticated pet care franchise offering home-based professional pet sitting and dog walking services, today announced the nationwide launch of its "Get to Know Us" discount program rolled out throughout its network of more than 100 franchise territories covering over 1,200 cities and towns in 31 states across the U.S.

As part of the company's "Get to Know Us" initiative, through October 31, 2007 all FETCH! Pet Care locations from coast to coast are offering a 10% discount off each new client's initial service.

"The discount offer, in honor of National Pet Wellness Month, is also specifically timed to help pet owners consider and evaluate alternative pet care options for the upcoming holiday travel season beyond kennel boarding and group daycare facilities, which carry their share of physical and emotional health concerns," notes Paul Mann, founder and CEO of FETCH! Pet Care. "The good news is that alternative safe and nurturing pet care options are available to keep dogs healthy and happy while their owners are away for an extended period."

Professional in-home pet sitting is one sound option to thwart pet illness, since most reputable pet care services typically visit or stay overnight with dogs, cats and other small animals in their own home, walk them one at a time or, when applicable, in very small groups, or privately board or daycare them individually in the comfort and safety of the pet sitter's home.

Mann continues, "With all of the necessary catch up after your holiday travels, a sick pet is the last thing you want to contend with. An ailing animal can also cut your long-planned, expensive vacation short should you need to come home early to nurse your pet back to good health. Accordingly, holiday travelers should think twice before boarding their dog, as 'en masse' lodging could very well put the pet at risk of contracting some not so uncommon ailments that are deadly serious, including kennel cough, Parvo disease and canine influenza. And, considering the overall savings in avoiding expensive veterinarian bills and assuring the safety, comfort and emotional well-being of pets, in-home pet sitting is a much safer and cost-effective alternative to pet care all around."

How can pet owners avoid putting their beloved pets in dangerous health situations this holiday season by using a professional pet sitter and dog walker? Below, Mann offers his "Top 10 Tips Assuring Pet Sitting Satisfaction":



1)      Diligently check all of the company's references -- at least three

        should be voluntarily provided;

2)      Ensure the company is fully licensed, bonded and insured;

3)      Verify that the sitter can accommodate both your pet's daily

        feeding and walking schedule as well as your desired vacation

        schedule during busy holidays;

4)      Ensure the company offers 7-day per week telephone and email

        availability;

5)      Confirm that your sitter has undergone a criminal background check

        and has received proper training;

6)      Pre-interview sitter with your pet(s) present to observe

        interactions and establish a "comfort level" for both you and the

        pet(s);

7)      Clearly state how you would like the sitter to use his/her visit

        time in terms of walking, playing, feeding, cleaning, etc.;

8)      Provide medical and behavioral history about your pet(s) as well as

        veterinary and other emergency contact information, and gather all

        necessary supplies, including food, vitamins, and treats in one

        central location;

9)      Ensure company has "backup" measures in place should your sitter

        have an emergency that prevents them from completing your

        assignment;

10)     Confirm the service is a current member of Pet Sitters

        International, the world's largest organization for professional

        pet sitters

FETCH! Pet Care provides a range of services that meet every need and budget, including boarding and daycare in the sitter's home, overnight sitting or daily visits in the client's home, private and group dog walks, pet taxiing, pet yard waste removal, and miscellaneous home care. A free in-home consultation permits clients, pets and sitters to get pre-acquainted and address each pet's unique needs.

Consumers and interested business affiliates can reach FETCH! Pet Care through its Web site at www.FetchPetCare.com or via toll-free telephone at 1-866-FETCH-ME, where they simply enter their 5-digit zip code to be quickly connected to the FETCH! Pet Care office nearest them.

About FETCH! Pet Care, Inc.
Founded in 2002 and with over 1,200 service areas across the United States, FETCH! Pet Care is the pet sitting industry market leader -- the new face of pet care in the 21st century. The company offers a humane alternative to kennel boarding by providing loving, in-home overnight and/or daily care to any kind of pet in the most professional and reliable manner possible. FETCH! Pet Care's carefully selected, screened and trained pet sitters and dog walkers, who are all pet owners themselves, have serviced over 7,500 clients this past year alone. The company has been featured in Small Business Opportunities magazine's top 20 "Boom Businesses" to get into in 2007, named among Pet Product News International's "25 to Watch in 2007" and included in Entrepreneur magazine's coveted Franchise 500 list in January 2007 and in its "7 Hot Businesses That Can Make You Rich" feature in September 2007. For franchise information or to find a location near you, visit the company's Web site at www.FetchPetCare.com or call the corporate office at 1-866-FETCHME.

###