Meet Charlie

Charlie (Charlotte) finally arrived!  After months of deciding we were ready for another dog, she finally arrived.  It took over 3 weeks of travel time due to the snow & road conditions.  Poor puppy.  She is calm, healthy 5 month old Lab/Shar Pei mix that is full of energy.  Just what our other dog Bentley needed.  He is smaller than her, but that doesn't stop him from bossing her around.  Charlie is so good-natured that she doesn't seem to mind.  Our daughters are still adjusting to a jumping dog.  Next step training!

Grace Martinez
2 Dogs & A Cat
www.2dogsandacat.net

Best of Western Washington Interview

This is Nominee Spotlights, a series in which the Best of Western Washington chats with local business owners to get the inside scoop on everything good.

Like so many pet owners, Arnie and Grace Martinez felt badly and worried about leaving their two dogs and cat home alone all day while they put in long hours commuting and being at the office. Eventually, they decided the long hours away from home were not going to jive with a house filled with kids and dogs. That conversation sparked the idea to open their own pet sitting business: 2 Dogs and a Cat. What started as a part-time business in 2001 is now a full time job. We caught up with Grace to get the a glimpse into the pet sitting world.

How did you get your start in the pet sitting business? I have always loved dogs and cats. As mentioned before, we were in the need for a pet sitter. We couldn't find one that would meet our needs. We knew that we had good business sense and that our love for pets and the quality of care would be a great start.

Describe your role at the business We are a co-owner operation. I handle all the A/R, A/P, marketing, advertising, scheduling, communication with clients, and some pet sitting. My husband Arnie, does most of the visits.

How would you describe your clientele? Some clients have become dear friends and we are thankful for meeting them and their furry friends. We appreciate all of our clients and know that without them we couldn't be living our dream.



2 Dogs & a Cat, on Facebook

What about you - do you have any pets yourself? Of course! When we initially started we had two dogs & a cat. About two years ago, both of our original dogs passed. We were heartbroken. Luckily, our kids taught us the value of moving on and we opened our hearts to our newest dog Bentley. Our 14 year old cat, Katie is still with us. But unfortunately, due to her old age, she doesn't like change and refuses to like Bentley!

How do new customers find you? Referrals, word of mouth, social media, and church advertisement.

Do you offer any special services to specific types of animals? We tend to cater to pets that don't do well in boarding situations, aggressive, shy, elderly, and in need of medication.

Is there a time of year that is busier than others? End-of-the-year holidays tend to be the busiest for us. We are extremely booked during that time-frame.

What is your favorite animal that you have ever sat for? There are a few dogs that I look forward to visiting whenever there is a need because we have been visiting them for so long. They are a part of our extended furry family.

What's the best part of owning your own business? Even though we have been in business for almost 12 years, we are still learning. We are always trying to better serve our clients and their furry family by addressing issues as they come up and offering new services. We truly appreciate that we are self-employed, able to provide for our family, and doing something we truly love.

Are cats cheaper than dogs?

Dog and cat owners don’t pay the same amount for their four-legged family members. The ASPCA did a study on the average cost of owning a dog or a cat. Here’s a more detailed breakdown:

• Small dog – $1,314 the first year, $580 per year after
• Medium dog – $1,580 the first year, $695 per year after
• Large dog – $1,843 the first year, $875 per year after
• Cat – $1,035 the first year, $670 per year after

These totals include the following first-year costs: spay/neuter, other initial medical, collar/leash, litter box/scratching post for cats, cage/crate for large dogs, carrier bag for small dogs/cats, and training class for dogs. Annual expenses include food, recurring medical, litter for cats, licenses for dogs, toys/treats, health insurance, and miscellaneous.
Of course, those are averages – the ASPCA says, “You shouldn’t expect to pay less than this, and you should definitely be prepared to pay more. Don’t forget to factor in the costs of unexpected veterinary care, as well as boarding facilities, pet sitters and dog walkers, if you plan to use them.”

But what the ASPCA doesn’t mention is ways to trim expenses.

1. Vet bills
The ASPCA says cats and dogs should see a vet at least once a year. The first year (when they usually require the most shots) is slightly more expensive. For example, they say vet bills for a medium-size dog break down like this:

• Recurring medical – $235
• Other initial medicine – $70
• Spaying or neutering – $200
• TOTAL – $505

You might reduce some of those costs by comparison shopping for vets. B be sure to compare the costs of both regular visits and emergency ones.

You can also reduce your costs by shopping around for cheaper medicines. Target and Kroger offer $4 generic pet meds.
Some owners use pet health insurance to save money on their vet bills – both expected and unexpected – but it’s not cheap. The ASPCA says health insurance for a cat runs about $175 a year.

2. Food and supplies
The ASPCA says that the average yearly cost of food and supplies for a large dog like mine breaks down like this:

• Food – $235
• Toys and treats – $75
• TOTAL – $310

Try shopping online for discounts.

3. Grooming and training
According to the ASPCA, training and grooming for a small dog breaks down like this:

• Long hair grooming – $264
• Training class – $110
• TOTAL - $374
   
• WebMD Pets has great one-minute training videos featuring a certified dog trainer. You won’t learn everything you need to know, but it’s helpful to watch the techniques in action.
• Petfinder has a training section that covers everything from behavioral problems to basic dog tricks.

 If you’re looking for grooming advice, check out:

• Grooming FAQ from the ASPCA
• How to Groom a Dog from Beneful
• Grooming Your Dog’s Hair with Clippers from Dummies.com

Bottom line? Animals aren’t cheap, but as with two-legged family members, where there’s a will to save, there’s a way. But even if your dog or cat does end up costing a little more than expected, they’ll still do something no other purchase will: pay you back a thousandfold in companionship, loyalty, devotion, and fun.

Please don't leave your dog in the car...

Animals can suffer brain damage or death from heatstroke in just 15 minutes.

Meet Bentley!

We decided to go to the Everett Animal Shelter without our daughters and "see" if there was a dog that matched our needs.  We didn't want to take the girls and have them be disappointed when we left without a dog.  The dog needed to be kid/baby friendly and cat friendly.  The dog needed to have energy but not be aggressive.  On Saturday, we were there when the shelter opened and looked around but found no matches.  The next day, a friend texted us a picture of Bentley telling us how she remembered we had thought about adopting a Schnauzer.  We went back on Monday to look around with our baby, our eldest was at school.  Bentley was still there!  He was full of anxiety and energy.  Bentley had lived in a household without kids/babies and cats.  The shelter did not know if he would be good for us.  We took him out to the play area and he smelled our baby and calmed down.  Bentley was the dog for us! 

We decided to take him home.  Arnie took him with him to pet sitting visits and he was back in time for our eldest to be home from school.  What a great surprise!  In the words of our eldest, "new dogs just make you feel happy!"  We took Bentley with us to our eldest's baseball game.  He had so much anxiety.  At night we decided to sleep on the couch so he could get accustomed to his new home.  Every time someone got up, he got up.  Poor Bentley.  We bought him a new bed - which could probably fit 4 dogs!  But he decided to sleep NEXT to the bed and not on the bed.

We forgot how much is involved with a new dog.  We have made a vet appointment, grooming appointment, and are looking for basic obedience classes.  Bentley hit the jackpot with us.  We still miss our dogs that passed away, no dog could ever replace them.  Bentley feels "adopted" but I know with time he will become an established member of our family.  I think we hit the jackpot too...