Sittercity Introduces the Purrrfect Care for Your Pet
April 16, 2007FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
America's First and Largest Parent-Babysitter Matchmaking Site Introduces a Petsitting Division
(Chicago, Ill.) - Sittercity, America's first and largest online babysitting network, is launching a pet sitting division on June 1 of this year, which will serve as a national matchmaking site for pet owners and local pet sitters. From daily walks to overnight stays in the home, Sittercity's more than 150,000 pet sitters will be standing by to cover the needs of America's pet owners.
"Pets are truly considered part of the family, and Americans are treating their pets more and more like children these days," says Genevieve Thiers, founder and CEO of Sittercity. "Since Sittercity.com is the largest babysitting network in the country, we found it only natural to expand our services from kids to pets."
Like anxious parents, pet owners worry about the well-being of their pets when they travel or work long hours. However, traditional options like kennels and daycares carry the risks of pets getting sick, picking up bad habits and becoming injured. In addition, those care options are often expensive and, in many cases, inconvenient.
"Pet owners need the ease in finding care that Sittercity has provided to parents since we revolutionized the babysitting industry, and we're going to bring it to them," says Thiers.
The launch of this pet sitting service comes just as the pet industry is exploding in America: pet owners in the U.S. spent $38.4 billion on pet related products and services in 2006, nearly double what was spent in 1996. Much of that spending goes towards pet care.
Pet sitting is growing in popularity among pet owners, who want to allow furry loved ones to remain in safe, familiar environments with customary diet and exercise routines when their owners go out of town. With a local pet sitter, pets don't run the risk of catching parasites or kennel cough, or being traumatized by the kennel "bully." Sittercity's more than 150,000 pet sitters encompass all aspects of pet care - from daily walks to medication administration to trips to the groomer.
Sittercity will offer the pet sitting services to existing users for no additional cost, while new users will have access to the entire Sittercity network of caregivers at an affordable rate.