Hoping to find a Professional Pet Sitter that will care for your pet, as much as you do, can sometimes feel overwhelming. Here are some great questions to ask when interviewing potential pet sitters.

1. Insured and bonded - Not only are you trusting someone to give hugs and cuddles to your pet, you’re allowing them access to your home, to your personal belongings. Bonding protects you (the homeowner) if the person you hire decides to steal from you. Liability Insurance protects you if your pet becomes injured or worse injures someone else. Ask your potential pet sitter for a copy of their business insurance coverage. Please note that although booking sites such as Rover and Wag offer group liability insurance, it is limited and is meant to protect them not you. Always read the fine print!
2. References - Online reviews are nice but ask if your potential pet sitter can provide contact information from existing clients that are willing to be references. Talking to a live person can oftentimes give you a better insight into the level of professionalism of the Pet Sitter you’re looking to hire. Also, ask if they are a member of any pet sitter associations. Associations require a yearly membership fee that is not cheap and those pet sitters that are willing to invest into those associations to network with fellow petsitters, and gain additional training and certification tend to be more professional.
3. Emergencies - How do they handle emergencies? Are they Pet First Aid/CPR trained? What is their emergency protocol in making decisions regarding care? Did they ask you to provide an emergency backup contact who can make decisions not only about your pet but your home in your absence? Do they have their own transportation? Most importantly, do they have the time available to wait with your pet at the Vet or Emergency Hospital? What about inclement weather, are they equipped to handle all weather situations so that your pet does not get neglected?
4. Professionalism - I’ve heard so many horror stories over the years of so-called “Pet Sitters” who have not only brought over their own animals to a client’s home, but other client’s animals as well. One story involved several thousand dollars worth of damage to the client’s home because the pet sitter left the extra client’s dog locked up in the bedroom while the sitter left the house! Another story involved the pet sitter inviting friends over and trashing the house. Hiring a person or company directly whose only source of income is providing pet care tends to mean that their reputation is everything to them and as such their level of professionalism is going to be much higher. In any case, it’s always best to be very clear with your pet sitter upfront and in writing about unwanted guests.
5. Security - How does the Pet Sitter maintain their client’s information? Do they have a secure software to track bookings and accept payments? What about keys to your home, how and where are they stored when not in use? Does their insurance cover the cost of re-keying your home if a key is lost or worse, stolen?
6. Meet and Greet - A professional pet sitter should always want to to meet with you before you hire them. There are several reasons for this including: reviewing the information you provided about your pet, their feeding schedule, any medication your pet needs, as well as discussing any additional duties needed done throughout the home: taking the garbage out to the curb for pickup, watering plants, alternating lights/curtains/sound equipment to help deter theft, collecting mail, etc. The most important reason for the meet and greet is of course to allow your pet to be introduced to your potential pet sitter while they are in their safe place (their home) with you there. This establishes that you have allowed the pet sitter to come into the home and that they are welcome. Watch the sitter interact with your pet, do they have a gentle demeanor, did they approach your pet calmly, do they listen to your concerns (if any). Go with your gut, if the sitter doesn’t feel like a good fit, then say so and interview a different sitter.  

​Lots of ideas were welcomed last night at the public info meeting located at the Wilsonville Community Center regarding the Wilsonville Memorial Park Dog Run.

Did you know based on the size and design of the park, it is designated as a Dog Run instead of a Dog Park. The desire of the Wilsonville Parks and Recreation Department is to have a place where dogs can run and run and...(you get the idea). 

​The timeline for the new Dog Run located next to the Community Garden off of SW Schroeder Way has been extended, with construction beginning July 2019 (new fiscal year for Wilsonville) and completion by end of this year/beginning of 2020 due to budget limits. There is still talks of reinforcing the current pedestrian bridge to allow vehicles to access the park from SW Kolbe Lane.

The Parks and Recreation Department was very warm and welcoming at last night’s meeting and encouraged participants to speak up and offer suggestions regarding design, and amenities. They plan to keep the park similar in size to the original location, which will include a small dog area and a large dog area. Both Dog Runs will be separated by a walking trail to allow smaller dogs the opportunity to play without fear of big dogs directly on the other side of the fence. The department will be installing a single stall bathroom and a dog washing station. An attendee asked if the water would be warm in order to use year round and the department said they would look into that. The department also stated that they do not plan to have the large gate like the old park does since it can pose a risk to the dogs in the park being able to run out of the park when someone is coming or going through it. Instead the new location will only have double entry gates. Additionally, there is a plan to incorporate benches and a shelter, just like the original location. They are also aware of the drainage issue surrounding the water fountain in the middle of the park and are currently brainstorming ideas as to minimize water and mud. One idea is to possibly elevate the fountain on a mound of soil to allow water to drain down.

Participants at the meeting were grateful for the opportunity to share their ideas and provided the following suggestions:

• Add Trees inside the new location to provide shade
• Community Bulletin board to post lost pet flyers, community events and such
• Dog play structures such as a bridge, large boulders to climb on, or a tunnel to run through
• Dog water fountain that would be built into the human water fountain

The Parks and Recreation Department has a desire to create a “Bark Board”, a Dog Run advocacy group. The group, comprised of volunteers, would meet once a month and help with maintenance, report issues, and possibly volunteer at events.

If you have any suggestions or comments about the development of the new Dog Run, the city is encouraging residents to contact Mike McCarty (Parks and Recreation Director) at 503-570-1579 or mccarty@ci.wilsonville.or.us 

Did you know that by keeping your dog’s nails trimmed it can actually keep their feet dryer?

When nails are long, it forces your dog’s paw to spread out more, which in turn exposes the inside of the pad and in between each toe.
Whether it's the potential for snow, or just rain in the forecast, it’s important to know how to properly care for your dog and their feet.
If you are planning on a long walk or numerous trips outside through Ice or Snow, it’s best to use "booties" on your dog’s feet to minimize chances of chapped, irritated and/or itchy paws. Sweaters and coats are also good to use to help your dog maintain it’s core temperature but don’t rely on it completely. Their head, ears, tail and feet are still exposed which can result in lower body temperature if they become wet and stay outside too long. Dogs can get frostbite and hypothermia just like humans, so keep your walks to a shorter time frame, especially if they are not used to being out in colder temperatures.

Signs of Mild Hypothermia may include:

• Body temperature 90-99 degrees (normal body temp is 101-102.5 degrees)
• Shivering
• Weakness
• Lack of mental alertness

*Consult your veterinarian right away on the proper course of treatment.

If you’ve walked through areas where ice melting chemicals or salt has been used, it is important to immediately wash your dog’s feet with warm water and mild soap after you come back inside. Make sure to wash in between the paws (and belly if you have a shorter dog) as well. These chemicals can cause skin irritation and if ingested can be harmful. Also, do not allow your dog to drink from puddles of water or melted snow that is near any area that may have had de-icer used nearby.

Antifreeze is also deadly to animals. Make sure to immediately clean up any spills. Click here to get step by step instructions on how to clean it up.

Rule of thumb (or paw) is to always dry off your dog’s feet when coming inside from a wet environment.