Quality Standards for Excellence in Pet Sitting  
  • The sitter exhibits courtesy and professionalism in all dealings with customers, staff and industry colleagues to positively represent the pet sitter and the pet-sitting industry.

  • The sitter is bonded and insured.

  • The sitter provides references.

  • The sitter visits the client’s home before the first pet-sitting assignment to meet the pets and get detailed information about their care.

  • The sitter displays a positive attitude during the initial meeting and is comfortable and competent in dealing with the animals.

  • The sitter is courteous, interested and well informed.

  • The sitter provides a service contract that specifies services, fees and time allocated per visit.

  • The sitter wants to learn as much as possible about the animals in his or her care.

  • The sitter has adequate knowledge and experience in caring for pets and is clearly mindful of their safety and well being.

  • The sitter takes precautions to make sure a client’s absence from home is not detectable because of any careless actions or disclosures by the sitter.

  • The sitter phones to confirm, or has the client phone to confirm, that the client has returned home.

  • The sitter conducts business with honesty and integrity and observes all federal, state and local laws pertaining to business operations and animal care.

  • The sitter keeps regular office hours and responds to client inquiries and complaints promptly.

  • The sitter has a veterinarian on call for emergency service.

  • The sitter has a contingency plan for pet care in case of inclement weather or personal illness.

  • The sitting service screens applicants for employment carefully.  
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Serving East Tennessee
ETAPPS is a group of professional pet sitters located in East Tennessee.  Our goal is to increase public awareness of our profession, as well as to provide a vehicle for our independent business owners to network, learn from each other, and to grow our businesses.