@ Pets, People Getting Paid To Play: Dog Sitting And The Sharing Economy (NAPSA)—A growing number of people are finding it may beto their benefit to have their career go to the dogs. For example, consider the case of Dr. Jen Tserng, wholeft medicine to join the sharing economy as a dogsitter. She cares for several dogs a day and earns more than she did as a doctor. “I love what I do now and so I do a great job, which keeps clients coming back to me,” she said. “I can rely on a certain level of income that I can dial up or down howeverI choose.” It’s not just about the money. “It’s hard to not be happy when you are playing with dogsall day,” she explains. She gets her dog-ownerclients through Rover.com, a nationwide network of dog lovers for hire. Rover offers the largest network of dog sitters in the United States, and an alternative to traditional caged boarding facilities, eliminating the need to impose on family and friends whoare often asked to sit in a pinch. The sitters provide in-home day care, dog walking and overnight dog boarding in the owners’ homeor their own. In addition to full-time dogsitters, there are part-timers, who may be students, stay-at-home parents, retirees or office professionals. Some do it because they love dogs and just want to spend time with them, while someuseit as a way to earn extra money to buy a home, afford a wedding, pay off debts or set aside a travel fund. Sitters set their own schedule and can work as little or as much as they want. “Having a dog of my own was out of the question,” explains Cate Hassett, a research assis- tant at Boston Children’s Hospital. “My landlord didn’t allow pets but I missed having a dog in my life. Becoming a sitter seemed like a great way to spend time with dogs while making some extra money.” Initially, Hassett tried to become a pet sitter on her own but found it was time consuming and Aol i An online service makesit possible for dog sitters to set their own schedule and work aslittle or as muchasthey choose. she had trouble building herclientele. Then, she explains, she found Rover. “I was amazed at how easy and flexible it was for both thesitter and the owners. Now, my weekendsarefull of fun time with local dogs. ’m meeting great people along the way and Rover gives methe opportunity to explore new neighborhoods I wouldn’t normally see if I didn’t have the dogs to walk with me!” To get started, sitters create a profile and set their prices for the services they offer. Then they choose the age and size of dogs they want to care for and set their scheduled availability. The company’s customer service team is available to help sitters get established. The site even includessitter training videos and business promotiontips. In addition to connecting owners with dog sitters, the Rover platform offers free premium insurance, 24/7 vet consultation, mobile apps, photo sharing, videos of stay highlights, around-theclock emergency support, sitter background checks and customized tags. The site also handles client billing and makes payments electronically to ensure sitters get paid quickly. To learn more about becoming a Rover sitter or to book a stay for your dog, visit www. rover.com/sitters.
