Small Business Saturday®, created in 2010 by American Express, is celebrated each year on the Saturday after Thanksgiving (and the day after Black Friday) to encourage consumers to support their local small businesses. While this event likely makes you think of local boutiques, neighborhood restaurants or independently-owned jewelry or home décor shops, there’s another business you shouldn’t overlook when you focus on shopping local—your local professional pet-sitting or dog-walking business. The growing need for pet-care services has prompted many tech companies and venture capitalists to enter the industry in recent years and launch large pet-sitter directories, but don’t let the click-and-select convenience of the online sites and apps overshadow the benefits of selecting and supporting a local professional pet-sitting or dog-walking business established in your community. Many of these small pet-care businesses were hit hard by the pandemic but have persevered, adopting expanded sanitation practices and adding new pet-care services to meet clients’ unique needs during this time.
