“Their visits were 12 minutes each; that’s not enough time to get a dog out to potty. ... They left doors unlocked,” Susan said. “I’d come home every day and say to Erick, ‘I can’t believe people are paying for this horrible service. Pet parents in McKinney deserve better; pets deserve better.’”
Her husband, Erick Gary, agreed with Susan, and they came up with a business plan for a pet sitting business that would offer “exceptional” pet care services in McKinney.
The couple has lived in McKinney since 1997 and opened Top Dog Pet Sitters in 2015. They said they share some responsibilities, such as interviewing pet sitters and meeting new clients; however, some duties are divided based on strengths.
“I like interacting with people, so I do all our scheduling, oversee our employees, work with clients, attend all of our networking events and do our social media,” Susan said. “Erick interfaces with the [certified public accountant], Texas Workforce Commission, insurance company and QuickBooks.”
During new client meetings, their love of pets is noticed.
“There are a lot of times a client will say to us, ‘Our dog is going to totally ignore you’ or, ‘You won’t see our cat,’ and they are in our laps,” Susan said. “I’m busy taking notes, and Erick is playing with the dog or cat. The client loves it.”
After the meet and greet, they carefully select the pet sitter they feel best matches the client’s personality. All their pet sitters have had a background check and undergo continuing education.
“We’re all pet CPR trained. We do that every two years,” Susan said. “Alternating years, we pay someone to train us more on how to handle dog aggression, ... how to understand dog or cat body language. Training is what sets us apart from a hobby sitter. That and insurance.”
Top Dog Pet Sitters cares for all domestic pets. In addition to requests for dog and cat sitting, they have added snakes, rabbits, guinea pigs, chickens and rats to the list.
Regarding changes they have noticed over their eight years in business, they said more clients have cameras throughout their houses, and the number of referrals they receive via social media has grown.
“One thing that has stayed the same: People always want exceptional service,” Susan said. “And they want us to love their pets as much as they do.”
Top-requested services
All services include playing with the pet, walking, feeding, giving medication as needed, bringing in whatever is on the porch and more.
- 25-minute drop-in visits are $30.
- Overnight care is $135.
- 24-hour care is $450.
214-244-1629
www.topdogpetsitters.com
Hours: services available 24/7 by appointment
