Interview with Peggie Arvidson

How long have you been doing what you do and how did you become the Pet-Care Expert?

Throughout my childhood I lived with a wonderful Collie, named Tumble and several kitties from Bootsie to Nifty.  At one point I even had a hamster and a bunny.  I've always had an 'unusual' insight into what my pets (and those of friends, neighbors and even strangers) were feeling. 

As a child I assumed that everyone knew intuitively what their pets were 'thinking'.  As I grew into a young adult I realized that not only was my ability to intuit what pets needed unusual, but that lots of people (kids and adults alike) thought it was downright WEIRD.

What pre-teen wants to be weird?  So, I continued my conversations with terriers, rabbits, cats and crayfish but on a very 'down-low' one-on-one level.  (Is it any wonder that one of my favorite movies was Dr. Doolittle?) 

As I matured, I continued to put my pet-care skills further and further down my priorities list.  After all, there were exams, sorority events, roommate dramas and part-time jobs to distract me.

After college I started working in DC.  In 1989, one of my colleagues asked if I would be interested in taking care of her dogs (a Doberman and a Golden) when she was out of town and I responded with a resounding "You bet!"

For more than four years I had the privilege of caring for those dogs whenever my friend traveled.  Not only was I making money, but I was having the time of my life.  (and I was reawakening those long-buried pet skills!)  Through word of mouth, I started to build a clientele of traveling pet-owners who relied on me to care for their pets when they traveled.

During this time I was working at increasingly prestigious and demanding jobs and had adopted pets of my own.  Every time I had to travel for work, I was faced with the dilemma of who would take care of my pets as well as I did?  My friends and associates were getting tired of pitching in, and I suspected that my pets were not their highest priority when I was gone. 

I started researching small pet-care companies in my area and while I enjoyed them, they were often booked when I needed service.

Finally, after years of senior and VP-level corporate, association and non-profit work, I decided to take my years of business experience and live my dream of working for myself.  It was a no-brainer when I looked at the business ideas -- I knew I would work with animals.

For a year,  I threw myself headlong into learning everything possible about caring for animals.  I spent all my free time reading, interviewing pet-professionals, attending seminars, participating in training programs with my own dog, Kiera, and taking as many classes as I feasibly could to understand the nuances of caring for all types of animals. My studies include the hard-and-fast 'science' of pet and animal care as well as studies with pet-intuitives, holistic care experts and even pet-communicators.  Soon my friends were calling me a pet-care expert!  (And the learning never ends -- I read and work and educate myself every week)  It wasn't long before that expertise began to pay off -- In 2003, Peggie's Pet Services LLC was launched!

In 2007, Peggie's Pet Services proudly and passionately conducted just over 5,300 individual client visits to care for turtles, guinea pigs, dogs, cats, rabbits and birds.  Our team is committed to ensuring that each and every pet in our care gets one-to-one love and attention!

Can you tell me a little bit about your experience with animals?

As a pet-care professional I've worked with nearly every breed of dog and mutt, scaredy cats and chatty cats, rescued pets and show pets -- and I've had a blast working with exotic birds, rabbits, turtles, salt and freshwater fish as well as other small critters.

I've been living, working and caring for animals large (Horses and other farm critters) and small (cats, dogs, mice, rabbits, etc) since the 70's and I'm a NAPPS CERTIFIED Professional Pet Sitter
and Certified in Pet First Aid by the American Red Cross.  I'm also proud to say that we've been selected as "Best of the Best" in the Washingtonian  multiple times!  I've also recently completed an on-line 12 week course on becoming a veterinary assistant.

Of course, I'm really lucky to share my home with Kiera (the wonder chow-perd in the picture) Emma (the most ornery kitty I've ever met) and Deuce a wacky and cuddly mixed breed dog who is the light of our family.

One thing that I've learned throughout this entire process is that a pet's owner is the key to a successful relationship.  She can thoroughly immerse you in the information you need to care for a given pet.  Books and seminars have helped a lot for general information about a particular type of animal, but without the hands-on education that I get from the human client I dont' feel we've bonded. 

In other words, I've learned that there are no cookie-cutter solutions when it comes to pet care. All puppies do need to be potty-trained but the potty-training process is often tied closely to a particular household's rhythmn.

Who are your clients?

Our clients are busy professionals who live in Del Ray, Old Town, Beverly Hills, Warwick Village, Fairlington, Park Fairfax, and Pentagon Row.  By and large our clients work in law, technology, defense, protective services, the Government, and as consultants and small business owners.  Most commute more than an hour each day for work. And all travel throughout the year for work or for pleasure.

Are there any services you do not provide?

We don't provide service to any clients that keep their pets tied in a yard or have free-roaming pets. 

We also don't provide service to clients who illegally breed or sell animals.

Additionally, we reserve the right to refuse service to dogs who have not been socialized with humans and other dogs.

What associations/organizations do you belong to, and do you have any certifications?

Pet-Care Related Organizations:

The National Association of Professional Pet Sitters;

The Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council;

And the American Pet Dog Trainers Association;

and I am the founder of The Pet Care Business Success University.

I am a certified Professional Pet-Sitter and have completed my Pet-First Aid Certification training.

Additionally I am a member of the following civic and networking organizations:

Potomac West Business Association

Kappa Delta Sorority

The Womens Center

Yes!Circle

Business Networking International (BNI)

Habitat for Humanity of Northern Virginia

Let's get to some of the basic business stuff; what are your business hours?

Because we're out and about caring for great pets our administrative offices are open between 7-9am and 5-7 pm Monday through Thursdays.  E-mail is an excellent way to contact us as we can respond at any hour!

What if I have an emergency after your business hours?

In most cases we require 48 hours to schedule service, however, our clients receive emergency contact numbers for their sitters and are provided a number to call for emergency service.

Do you have a contract?

Peggie's Pet Services uses a Policies and Procedures document that walks each client through our operational policies, expectations and information necessary to conduct business. 

What happens if you haven't yet worked with my type of pet?

No worries!  Each sitter spends a great deal of time learning about animal care and different types of species.  However, we recognize that books and seminars are limited when it comes to clinical practice.  Therefore, we'll be up front with you if we've not worked with your type of pet, and we'll ask you to take the time to train us on the specific needs and nuances necessary for caring for your pet.  If you love 'em we do too!

How are you different from other petsitters?

Our approach is holistic.  What I mean by that is that we know there are no cookie-cutter approaches to any animal's care.  You can't simply come in, put down the kibble, scoop a litter box, scratch a tummy and be on your way. 

We approach each pet's care in the context of their current quality of life with their human family.  While we know we can't replicate you, we do our best to maintain a schedule that approximates yours.  We take the time to get to know your pet and work hard to provide a primary and secondary sitter who are "yours" for the duration of our relationship. 

This approach has helped us care for pets in a unique way.  One of our sitters caught the very early indicators of Lyme Disease in a dog she walks daily and as a result we were able to get him to the vet and on meds much earlier than is typical.

We are also exclusive in our client list.  Our clients have a team approach to their pet's care.  They recognize that we are part of that team, as is their groomer, veterinarian and trainer.  We work with clients that treat their pets like part of the family and treat their pet-sitters accordingly. 

Peggie's Pet Services does our best to provide you with last minute care when needed (obviously this isn't possible on holidays or busy travel weekends). 

We're human and we know you are too.  If your boss changes your travel schedule at the last minute, or you've got an ailing parent you need to visit right away, we make sure that you can take care of those things without worrying about your pets.

Basically we guarantee you a guilt-free trip!

What type of personality do you work best with and what is expected of me?

Each of our clients is passionate about their pets and their community. They are thorough in their instructions about their pet's care and they keep us in the loop about any changes in the care they need. 

Additionally, they also tend to be over-acheivers and driven types who enjoy the outdoors, exercising and learning new things.  Clients who work best with us are flexible when an emergency arises, have a great sense of humor, and go out of their way to let us know how we're doing!

Overall, our cients are vivacious, passionate people who treat us like a valuable member of their pet-care team, and they refer us to their friends and colleagues who have similar pet-care challenges. We work best with pet-owners who give us ample opportunity to build our relationship with their pets.  The more often we see and care for your pets, the better the relationship becomes.

I love seeing our clients and their dogs at local events in Del Ray, Fairlington, Park Fairfax, Old Town and around Alexandria and Arlington.  I like to consider our clients more than just clients, but friends.

What type of pet is your service NOT going to work well for?

Most pets thrive in their home environment, where they can seek solace in familiar scents and comfort zones, even when you're gone, it's rare that our service would not be a fit. 

However, because we offer a very exclusive and personalized service, I've recognized that we can't successfully be everything to everyone (and honestly, it's just not my style) so I've comprised this page
 to give you an idea of the types of folks who aren't a fit for our particular service.