Dog walkers have always been employed in major cities and small towns. If you walk along Manhattan's Fifth Avenue near Central Park, you can see a few dog walkers walking up to six or even eight dogs at a time. Dog walkers perform a much-needed service, and there are many pet owners who will pay someone to walk and exercise their dogs when they are at work or on vacation. The service has expanded to include pet sitting, pet taxiing, and minor medical care.

Dog walkers and pet sitters find clients by posting flyers or leaving cards at local veterinarian offices, at pet hospitals, and even at supermarkets. A good portion of their business is generated by word of mouth. One pleased client will tell another. People in these careers can earn anywhere from $10 to $15 per walk. Extra income comes from taking dogs to doggie parks and exercising them. Pet sitters are usually paid by the hour, and that rate varies based on cost-of-living factors. Dog walkers and pet sitters develop close relationships with their clients, which is essential for repeat business.

The one requirement for these jobs is to have good dog and people skills. Having some background working with animals is also helpful. One way to earn more money in this business is to specialize.

Stacey Karin walks dogs and sits for people's cats and dogs. She also can administer medication to animals. Her company is called Grateful Pets. “I have a medical background,” she says. “I'm a certified EMT for surgical practices. I started administering medications to dogs and cats by working with my local veterinarian. He recommended me for other pet-sitting jobs, and it snowballed. If a pet owner has to go on a business trip or vacation, they want to leave their pets in good hands. Knowing that I can give various medications — like diabetic medicine to cats — gives pet owners peace of mind. I do this because I care about animals, and specializing brings me more income.”

She also stays overnight at clients' homes. “Many clients want to keep their pets as comfortable as possible,” she says. “That means keeping the pets in their own homes.”

Most dog walkers and pet sitters have “menus” listing the fee for each service. An overnight stay may be $50, with an additional fee for a walk at night and in the morning.

Paul Mann, a pet sitter and dog walker, boosted his income when he formed his franchise company, FETCH! Pet Care, Inc., in Berkeley, California. “I started FETCH! Pet Care with the sole purpose of providing as-needed professional pet sitting and dog walking services,” he says.

Begun in 2002, FETCH! expanded within two years to cover the entire San Francisco Bay area and grew to become one of northern California's leading pet-sitting and dog-walking services. Today FETCH! has thirty franchise locations. “My clients appreciate the level of service they receive,” says Mann. “Our services include private dog walks, group dog exercise, daily pet visits, in-home overnight sitting, private in-sitter's home boarding and daycare, pet taxiing, yard pet waste removal, and home care,” he says.

He has done full background checks on his staff. “Clients want to know that their pet and home are safe,” he says. “They trust us with a member of their family.” Every member of his staff has been fully trained by Mann. Some work part-time hours and others are full-timers. “Very few pet sitters do this as a sole source of their income,” he says. “Depending on how much time they put in, most earn between $5,000 and $10,000 annually. Those working full-time hours can earn $35,000 a year or more.

“Many of my FETCH! franchise owners see a profit within a year in business. Earning $100,000 is doable within the first three to five years.” The fee to purchase a franchise, which comes with training, is $8,000. “The investment is minimal because your staff works out of their homes,” he says. “What's important about this business is not to look at one month or even one year down the road. It takes time to grow a business. People go into this business because they care about pets. They also like the flexibility of the job, and they want to have fun. After 9/11, I have seen many people change careers. They want to spend time with their family and with their friends. We have priorities, and one of those priorities is to have a job that you enjoy.”