Category: Tampa Dog Care | Info and Useful Tips from a Pet Sitter

Pet sitting, dog walking and all things dog from WestFetch

Is Your Pet Care Provider Breaking the Law?

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What if we told you that most pet sitting and dog walking companies are breaking the law? (Even some day care/boarding facilities) Unfortunately, many are. Most hire independent contractors (ICs) rather than employees to complete pet care and here’s why this may be illegal: ICs are supposed to be independent companies hired to complete a task. Nearly all the time, they are actually individuals working a job for the company (ie, employees). ICs are NOT… Continue reading

WestFetch vs. Other Tampa Dog Day Cares…..The Difference

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Dog love tampa

Being a lifetime dog owner (minus a few years in college), the love and relationship I’ve always had with dogs has been an important part of my life.  It’s a big reason why we started WestFetch and certainly the reason why we have developed the services we offer.  We know how important furry family members are. It started with our pet sitting service.  We tackled the professionalism and responsiveness that was missing in other pet… Continue reading

Doggie Day Care Remodel – Phase I complete!

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Phase I of our doggie day care remodel is complete!   There was some old termite damage in the attic which was necessary to complete first.  This was our big delay in getting started as we hired a structural engineer to ensure everything was completed correctly and would be strong and stable for the long term.   We live in Florida so we needed to be sure the roof and ceiling will hold up to… Continue reading

Dog Day Care Remodeling…….IT HAS BEGUN!

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Day Care Remodeling After much anticipation, our contractors have finally started on our remodeling of our day care property.  We are SO excited to really get started on the transformation (even though we’ve been working each and every week on items we can do on our own, the big hitters are now here!). We’ll post updates as we go along.  You’ll see a total transformation in the coming weeks.  We can’t wait to have you… Continue reading

Dog and Pet Safe Secret Weapon for Ant & Insect Killer in Tampa

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If you’ve ever had a yard of any sort of size, you’ve undoubtedly battled with lawn insects (grubs, ants, flies, etc).  Since we don’t want to use any harsh pesticides in treating the lawn at our day care where our doggie guests will be running and playing, we’ve found a secret weapon to battle insects, especially ants (and especially in warm cities like Tampa) Take 3-4 ounces of Dawn, add 1-2 ounces of orange oil… Continue reading

Doggie Day Care Progress….Patience is a Virtue!

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Since we closed on our day care property in September, it seems all we’ve done is talk to a million contractors and get quotes.  Would anything ever get done???   Well, we’re happy to say, it seems like we have movement now! First up was the fence.  A doggie day care without a fence is not so much a day care than a search party.  This was a priority and was the first major item… Continue reading

Dogs Drinking from Pools – Is It Safe?

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It’s summer and if you have a pool and dogs, that likely means lots of fun outside for you and/or your pup!   This is certainly a welcomed luxury in the long, hot summers here in Tampa.  Along with that, you may be asking yourself “My dog drinks from the pool, is it safe for them??” If you have a saltwater pool, it is generally safer to drink than a regular pool.  The salt content… Continue reading

The Pet Sitting Listing Sites, Know Who You’re Using!

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Over the last couple of years, there has been a proliferation of online listing sites that advertise pet sitters, dog walkers, day cares, boarders, etc (DogVacay, Rover, Care, SitterCity).  They are sort of a more organized and pay versions of a Craigslist.  Be forewarned though, because someone has a listing does NOT mean they are a true, professional pet sitter.  Because someone “loves pets” doesn’t make them a pet sitter just like someone who “loves… Continue reading

Retractable Leashes and Why Pro Pet Sitters Hate Them

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Dog leash retractable

    One thing I never gave much thought about until I became a professional pet sitter was retractable leashes.  We used them for our own dog and it seemed fine.  They can go sniff and we aren’t obligated to follow them closely into the grass/mud/dirt.  Freedom was great, right?   NOPE!!  Turns out I learned a lot of dangers now that I walk dogs every day! They offer little control.  It is so much… Continue reading

Don’t Let Your House Become a Target for Thieves!

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  So the other day I was walking a client’s dogs and noticed this house on the same street had been gathering up newspapers and flyers throughout the week.  This is such an easy target for thieves!! If you’re leaving town, even for just a few days, we’ll be happy to swing by and check on your home for you.  Here’s a sample list of what we’ll do for you: Bring in all the mail,… Continue reading