When pet-owning digital consultant Deb Morrison had a change in living circumstances, she originally found it very challenging to locate someone to mind her dogs. Fast forward 3 years, and she is now solving the challenge Australia-wide for other travelling pet owners after founding Australia's favourite pet sitting company PetCloud. We decided to sit down with the founder herself ahead of Christmas holidays and get her own insights on travel planning as a pet owner.
Q. First things first, do you own a pet yourself?
A dog - a toy cavoodle named Milly.
Q. How long have you had business for? On a day off what do you do?
3 years. Kayaking at Currumbin dog beach with Milly.
Q. Best thing about the business?
Reading Pet Owner reviews of our Sitters who have connected through the very site we built and the wonderful things they have done while caring for the Owners pets. It just makes me SO HAPPY. I wanted to build the website because as a Pet Owner – I experienced their same challenge of finding someone local, trustworthy, and available myself.
Q. Best tip for someone with pets planning a holiday?
Always do a meet & greet at the sitters home as far in advance as possible. Because if they aren’t a good match, you will still have time to look for another one.
Don’t be shy about asking for a little tour through the whole property remembering to check for any holes in the fence, household chemicals, nuts from trees, or sharp things that could be swallowed laying around.
Always go with a reputable pet sitting company who will provide support to your sitter in case of emergencies, and insurance cover.
Q. Should people who love to travel really think twice about buying a pet?
Times and technology have changed, making it easier to connect with the networks you need. With the national network of pet sitters that PetCloud has you can now do a trip to that coastal getaway with your pet and if you want to head out to dinner or to an event we have lots of pet sitters available close by to care for them. You can connect with sitters online and pre-book through the website using your smart phone. That way you can drop your pets off at sitters on the way to dinner and pick them up the next morning.
Q. Tell us about your pet?
Milly comes to work with me every day. She has her own Instagram account and has even met the Prime Minister and the Mayor. She just adores people. She is a big motivator for me doing daily exercise and is very patient with me when I work long hours but also reminds me when it gets too late when she’s had enough and its time we both went home.
Q. Do you believe in Xmas presents for pets? And if so, what are you getting your baby?
Every day is Christmas for Milly. She loves tastes new human foods all the time and gets her own bacon at dog friendly coffee shops when we go for breakfast.
Q. Pet day-care – what are the trends you’re seeing?
We’ve seen a huge increase in bookings for doggy day care for metro-inner cities. It tends to be in the affluent pockets where there is higher disposable incomes of animal lovers who own one dog and want their dog to not be lonely and be in the company of similar dogs. These people see their “pets as family” and we agree – they are.
Q. Where’s your favourite place in the world and why?
Nusa Lembongan – It’s an island off the coast of Kuta, Bali. Where you have the mix of villages, and traditional local cafes as well as luxury restaurants and high end villas with wi-fi and horizon pools overlooking the ocean. You can still do work remotely and then take a scooter down the road and go snorkelling with manta rays.
Q. Next holiday destination?
Norway - to see ice hotels!
So if you have your next holiday planned but are still in need of the best level of care for your pet - check out the PetCloud site here.
Even better - all Travelshoot followers get 10% OFF their first pet sitting booking with @petcloud valued at $60 or more by using coupon code: TRAVEL
(offer expires 31st Jan 2018)