If you’re a pet owner, then you know how important it is to have a trusted person caring for your pet while you’re away. Being a locally trusted care provider for your pet is what Monique Bennett has been doing for the past 11 years as the owner and publisher of Chattanooga Pet Sitter, LLC.
She not only cares for your loving pet in her home, but she has created a directory of pet sitters she’s vetted to make sure your pet is in the best possible care.
“We network regularly,” Monique said about her fellow pet sitters. “It’s important that we bond because we’re referring each other, and I can't refer you if I don't even know you.
Monique said her pet sitting services started when her son, who is now in his 20’s, was a young boy and wanted a sibling. “And I said, how about a puppy?” she said. “So, we got the puppy. And of course, the puppy lost its luster with him and became my puppy, and I knew he needed a playmate.
What Bennett created was a community based, locally owned pet sitting service for the Scenic City and the surrounding areas. Soon her dog named Zane had several dogs to play with as she started to grow her business. She started to tell people about her pet sitting service and little by little, primarily through word of mouth, her business grew exponentially.
Later she created a print and online directory of pet sitters in Chattanooga and the surrounding areas. Safety for the animals and her own dog is her top priority. Monique said she schedules meet and greets with potential new customers to see if the pet is compatible with Zane and the other dogs she cares for. If the client is unable to meet in person Monique can set up a virtual meet and greet.
Monique boards and cares for the dogs at her Harrison, TN, home. She boards up to 4 dogs per day, and she primarily deals with smaller breed dogs. All the dogs must be up to date on their vaccinations and be on flea and tick preventatives.
She said her standards are the same as licensed kennels but being able to care for the dogs at her home is a more nurturing environment. “It's just like their home,” she said. “They don't see it as a caged room. It's just I'm doing the same thing you do at your house with your dog.”
Monique has a large half acre yard with plenty of toys and obstacles providing an interactive experience for the dogs she cares for.
Chattanooga Pet Sitter LLC is a BBB accredited business. “That's a big deal for me,” she said. “I started with an A minus rating and by the end of the year I want my A+ rating. We're working hard to achieve that.”
She said her website has an application form pet sitters can fill out if they want to join her directory. The directory was her way of helping other pet sitters get the word out about their services because advertising is expensive. The directory lists other pet sitters but also other businesses.
“It’s very expensive to advertise,” she said. “But if we pool our money together it’s affordable. And some people are shy but I’m not shy. I’ve been on TV four times. I'm speaking for all of us.”
Contact Chattanooga Pet Sitter:
- Email at ChattanoogapetsitterLLC@gmail.com
- Call or text (423) 320-0788
- Or visit their directory online at chattanoogapetsitter.com