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Pet Sitter Education Month – September 2024

Pet Sitter Education Month is observed in September every year. The month-long event was created by Pet Sitters International (P.S.I.), an educational association for professional pet-sitters, in 2016. The objective is to highlight the continuous effort pet sitters exert to educate themselves. The organization offers pet sitters a wide array of educational material in the form of webinars, magazines, and toolkits, among other things, and certification opportunities to help separate the professional pet sitter from the idea of the ‘kid-next-door’ pet sitter.

History of Pet Sitter Education Month

Pet sitting is a reasonably recent profession that began when Patti J. Moran founded her pet sitting business in 1987. Pet sitting before that was majorly unorganized, and often seen as a way to make extra money instead of being its own independent profession. The success of Moran’s business prompted her to pen down her advice in “Pet Sitting for Profit,” which was published the same year. The subsequent flood of requests for her pet sitting business forms led her to establish Patti Moran’s Products for Professional Pet Sitters. As pet sitting gained momentum as a profession, Moran founded the National Association of Pet Sitters in 1989 and Pet Sitters International in 1994.

Since its inception, Pet Sitters International has been a trusted source of educational material within the world of pet sitting — for both pet sitters and pet owners. The organization has since become the most trusted authority on pet sitting. It offers its members access to a myriad of educational resources and certification programs. It has also led the movement to establish pet sitting as an organized profession, eligible for insurance, and worthy of an established calendar of events.

The organization also established Pet Sitter Education Month in 2016 to highlight the efforts made by pet sitters to continue educating themselves about their profession and to promote resources that will make the job easier for them. Pet Sitter Education Month has been celebrated for just under a decade now and aims to improve the state of the profession as well as the quality of service provided by pet sitters in general.

Pet Sitter Education Month timeline

1987
Pet Sitting as a Profession

Patti J. Moran establishes her own pet sitting business

1987
Pet Sitting for Profit

Moran publishes “Pet Sitting for Profit.”

1994
Pet Sitters International

Moran establishes P.S.I.

2016
First Pet Sitter Education Month

P.S.I. celebrates the first Pet Sitter Education Month.

Pet Sitter Education Month FAQs

What are the responsibilities of a pet sitter?

A Pet Sitter’s responsibilities include cooking meals for pets, monitoring and reporting behavioral issues, and playing with pets.

What qualifications does a pet sitter need?

There are no specific qualifications required to become a pet sitter.

How many times per day should a dog sitter visit?

For most dogs, two visits per day are the minimum. Three visits are recommended.

How to Observe Pet Sitter Education Month

  1. Watch a P.S.I. Facebook live

    P.S.I. regularly organizes Facebook lives for pet sitters. If you’re so inclined, watch one.

  2. Talk about it on social media

    Talk about Pet Sitter Education Month on social media. It might help someone access resources they weren’t previously aware of.

  3. Research pet sitting

    One aim of Pet Sitter Education Month is to highlight pet sitting as a viable profession. Read up about it if you’re interested.

5 Interesting Facts About Pets

  1. A cat’s whiskers

    Cats have four rows of whiskers.

  2. Dalmatian spots

    Dalmatians are actually born without spots, and only develop them when they're about a week old.

  3. Canine vocal sounds

    Dogs have about 10 vocal sounds.

  4. Cats don’t sweat

    Cats do not have sweat glands.

  5. Hamsters blinking

    Hamsters often blink one eye at a time.

Why Pet Sitter Education Month is Important

  1. Pet sitting is a viable career

    Pet sitting may not be viewed as a viable career option by many. Pet Sitter Education Month moves to change this view.

  2. It makes resources more available

    P.S.I., over the years, has created a catalog of resources for pet sitters. Pet Sitter Education Month serves to raise awareness and make those resources available to more and more people.

  3. It’s a standard by which to evaluate pet sitters

    Pet Sitter Education Month also makes pet owners aware of these resources. They can ensure that the care being given to their pets is in accordance with a certain level of competency.

Pet Sitter Education Month dates

YearDateDay
2024September 1Sunday
2025September 1Monday
2026September 1Tuesday
2027September 1Wednesday
2028September 1Friday
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