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By Eileen M. Carlton
05/28/2004
Published in Loudoun Times-Mirror
Komodo dragons are welcome.
Horses are not.
Rats and cats are welcome.
Snakes are not.
Parakeets and pot-bellied pigs are welcome.
Neurotic dogs and cats are on the "maybe" list.
In short, with the growing population of two-legged creatures in eastern Loudoun, there is also a growing population of four-legged, and feathered, creatures. This is not a real issue until the two-legged types are left with the prospect of leaving pets alone while they work 14-hour days or want to take a vacation. Then, what to do with the four-legged or feathered ones? This is among the most important, if not the most important, decisions to make.
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Details Kit and Kaboodle Pet Sitting Service Carmen Velasco 44050 Ashburn Shopping Plaza 571-223-2977 Office hours: Monday- Friday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. www.kitandkaboodlepets.com Stream Valley Veterinary Hospital Dr. Mary A. Corey 42902 Waxpool Road, Ashburn 703-723-1017 |
Carmen Velasco, of Kit and Kaboodle Pet Care Services in Ashburn, provides in-home services in varying degrees, depending on what the customer wants.
"Kit and Kaboodle started in 2000 and we have grown to more than 1,000 clients at this point," Velasco said. "Everybody that we take care of is a domestic. We don't do horses because of liability issues. Though, we have a client in western Loudoun who had us take care of pot-bellied pigs."
Usually the "clients" are dogs, cats, rabbits, gerbils, mice, rats, exotic birds, Komodo dragons and lizards.
"No snakes, and everybody who applies says they will not do snakes," Velasco said.
The fees, she said, range from $11 to $19 a visit, depending on the type of service.
"Basically, we have two kinds of businesses: a dog-walking business for the person who works in D.C., the commuter who wants a sitter midday. We can come by for 15 minutes or half an hour. This runs about $15, depending on what the client asks for.
"The second business is the pet-sitting side, the client who wants to use us as an alternative boarding. Three times a day the pet is fed, walked, played with, given a little TLC. Some a little less, some more. We always ask the people."
Velasco stressed that if an animal is badly behaved, whether from separation anxiety or poor training, they will not be scheduled for care or the animal's space will be significantly limited.
"We don't want to take any animals with separation anxiety. They will cause severe damage to the home and they'll hurt themselves in the process. They can eat through a crate. If it's a misbehaved dog, we will keep it in a confined area to keep damage to a minimum," Velasco said.
She also stressed that it is critically important to make sure people use a reputable, dependable service.
"We always tell people that when they are picking a sitter, to pick a professional service that has insurance and bonding," she said.
Kit and Kaboodle is a member in good standing with Pet Sitters International and, according to Velasco, "that's a good list to go by."
Tricia Molz, of Ashburn Village, has a Kit and Kaboodle sitter come for her 6-year-old Jack Russell terrier, Gracie, while she and her husband commute to Arlington, where they work for a trade association.
"My husband and I tend to work very long hours and we have a long commute. So it gives us peace of mind knowing someone is coming in during the day and taking Gracie for a short walk and visit with her," Molz said.
"We've had many, many dog-walking services, and [Kit and Kaboodle] are by far the best. They are so trustworthy and so responsible. If we didn't have this job service, I would probably have to find a job closer to home."
Dr. Mary A. Corey, of Stream Valley Veterinary Hospital in Ashburn, outlined the options for those who prefer boarding their pets.
"We have both vacation boarding, which is very popular in Ashburn. We have 14 large-dog runs, seven small-dog runs and we are almost completely booked from when the kids get out of school through when they enter again, all the way through the summer. Some are two, some are four weeks at a time.
"During the winter we have developed a fairly active weekend board and we are using the kennels for day care for people. Depending on the length of their workday, they can drop them off at 7 a.m. and pick them up at 5 to 6 p.m. in the afternoon," Corey said.
The fees run $24, $26 and $28 a night for summer board. In the winter it is a flat fee of $20 for winter day care.
Corey's clients have included dogs, cats, birds, lizards and rabbits.
Once there was even a hedgehog, but, Corey said, Ashburn is fairly routine, with most pets being either canine or feline.
"We had a lot more exotic animals in New Jersey," Corey said.
Linda Fairchild, of Ashburn, also has a female Jack Russell terrier, 12-year-old Shelby. She knows exactly why she prefers a kennel over a pet-sitting service:
"The first, the most important, is the care that she gets. They seem to love her as much as I do. And she seems to love them.
"The second is that Dr. Corey is her vet. If anything happens to her, she has her own doctor there.
"The third is the convenience to where I live."
There is also the matter of time in Fairchild's case.
"I don't often, when I travel, have time to plan in advance. I also don't want to leave Shelby alone. Pet sitters don't stay in your home. Shelby has more interaction with people being over there, and I've boarded her ever since I've had her and she seems to be acclimated to it," Fairchild said.
©Times Community Newspapers 2004