I Was an Amateur Once, Believe it or Not

​I just published a memoir about my pet sitting adventures, it is called Your Pets Are Fine …and Other Lies: True Adventures in Pet Sitting. It has been very well received and I have gotten amazing support from my clients, strangers, family and friends.

There are people who prefer to pretend that they are perfect, and that everyone else is too. Well, we were all amateurs at something once, and we’ve all made a poor decision or three in our lifetimes. Call me Brene Brown, but I felt it was important to be vulnerable and put a few of my bad “learning experiences” in this book. Being honest is liberating and it can free others from shame and pain too.

I cringe when I think about that first Fourth of July when I discovered that pets reallllly do not like fireworks. It is that experience that taught me to always ask clients at the meet-and-greet, “Does anything spook your pets – like thunderstorms or fireworks?” It is an essential question for a pet sitter to ask.

You live and learn, and grow. Fifteen years in this business and I think I’ve seen it all. What didn’t kill me (or my business) has made me stronger, more competent, compassionate and aware.  Yes it is true! 

I wish you could see the insurance emails I get periodically from my pet sitting insurance provider – they list recent claims from other pet sitters in it. There are a lot of pet sitters in the “amateur” years, making mistakes. Well maybe some are beyond the amateur years, who knows? If pet sitters were perfect at the start, pet sitters insurance would not exist.

I am glad I have grown out of that phase! I have never had an insurance claim. Knock on wood.

There are tons of books out on the market about pet sitting businesses and how to be a great pet sitter, but my book is a personal pet sitting memoir, perhaps the only one out there? My book is a real, honest look at the things that can go wrong in the amateur pet sitter years.  I am proud of how far I have come in my career. It is because of those experiences in the book that I am a stellar pet sitter today (at least that is what my clients say).

You can click here to read my client reviews if you’re still not convinced. 

Are you a pet sitter who made a snafu? Can you relate? Are you a pet owner who has had a less than stellar pet sitting experience?  It is my guess that you are not alone!

Follow me on Instagram. You might see your pup or purr on there!

Oh, and don’t forget to check out the book and let me know what you think. You just might see it on the big screen one day!

Yvonne

2018 Update: Check out the FAQs regarding my book one-year post publishing!