Media Articles

Food, walking and lots of TLC from pet sitter

By Bob Sullivan
Morgan county business Leader
November, 2008

The idea of starting a pet sitting service first came to Janet Trotter as she pursued opening a pet supply store in downtown Martinsville. She sought the counsel of an advisor from SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) and found that rent and utilities made the prospect prohibitive to her budget. “I knew I wanted to work with animals in some way, as I’ve always had empathy for them, and pet sitting made the most sense,” explained Trotter. “We incorporated in April 2006, had a couple of newspaper articles, and started distributing business cards and brochures.”

Trotter is certified with NAPPS (National Association of Professional Pet Sitters), and described the training as “very informative.” The training included education about animal sicknesses and treatments, as well as advice on setting up service. “We learned for instance, not to give out our home address, because then you become a drop-off for unwanted animals.” This tidbit led to destroying her original advertising materials. Other useful advice? “Don’t use a company car on visits, as that’s a tip off to neighbors a house is currently unoccupied.”

Some of Abbotts more extraordinary clients include a green-winged Macaw a three-foot South American tropical bird whose night-working owner wanted the bird to have company in the evenings. She’s also cared for chickens, goats, and horses while dog-sitting on a client’s farm. Currently, Janet sits with a “ghost cat,” a shy animal that refuses to venture out from under the bed. “All I see are eyes looking back at me.” A typical house visit takes 30-45 minutes. This includes walking, exercise, play time, litter box cleaning and disposal of waste, food and water changes and any other needs. “I charge a flat rate, so if I notice any problems or needs, I take care of everything I find while I’m there.”

Abbotts Services keeps steady weekly customers, but most of their work depends on season. “We pick up a lot in June with people going on vacation and out of town for weddings, graduations, reunions, and the holidays are always very busy.”Other regular clients include professionals with unpredictable schedules who call for an evening visit because they’re unable to get home until late. “Throughout the year, we handle more than 35 clients, and we’re growing.”

Janet attributes her steady growth to positive word of mouth from established clients. “I think pet owners are more willing to try us when they find out about our certification, and also see we’re mature adults. We take the time to thoroughly check on their pet and patiently work with the animals in ways teenagers might not.”

Janet and Kenneth Trotter co-own the service. While they’re both certified, Janet handles most of the visits while Kenneth handles the bookkeeping and technology. Janet and Kenneth moved to Martinsville over 39 years ago from the northeast side of Indianapolis. Kenneth is retired from Columbia House as a computer network technologist. They raised two daughters, Dina and Amanda. The Trotters also own four cats: Fred, Grace, Henry and Little Bit.