Community Highlights: Meet Tracy Zipay of The Pawsitive Pets Sitter LLC

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tracy Zipay.

Hi Tracy, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was at home during the pandemic quarantine, caring for my aging dog, who passed in August 2020. I went back to fostering puppies to fill the gap in my heart. Our family fostered for the Humane Society for years, and my Cami, who passed, was my only foster “fail.” We humorously call it a “fail” when we end up adopting our foster. I found joy and purpose in fostering. It became time for me to become employed again, and a friend challenged me to find a way to make caring for animals a career. It just happened that a friend of mine, Kate McPike, was looking to change her pet sitting business. We started working together in June 2021, and she trained me. On September 1, 2021, I acquired her dog clients while she moved to cat-only pet sitting. Since then, it’s been wonderfully satisfying building this business! I put in the footwork by learning the ropes with the best, investing in pet behavior education, getting certified as a Fear Free Professional, registering as an LLC, and getting insurance, bonding, and pet first aid/CPR training. There’s a lot more to pet sitting than simply loving pets. My client list grew quickly through word of mouth and wonderful community support. In March, my daughter Taylor joined me, expanding our pet sitting services to the Chandler area and Ahwatukee.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been pretty smooth. I’ve lived in this community for more than 2 decades, so I was accepted fairly easily. The struggles tend to be earning legitimacy as a professional. Many people think it’s so easy to pop in and feed an animal, give it some attention, and go. That’s not what professional pet sitting is about! We also struggle sometimes with boundaries and expectations in client relations;

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next, you can tell us a bit more about your business?
My business is The Pawsitive Pets Sitter LLC, and I am a pet sitter. I go to people’s homes and either stay there for the duration of the pet sit or visit the pets while the owners are gone. I also board pets in my home. My daughter joined my business recently, so we have a lot of fun doing this together as my children grew up having a lot of foster animals in our home over the years (we were a foster family for the Humane Society). As well as always having a menagerie of our own, including dogs, rabbits, cats, sugar gliders, horses, and rabbits, I also raised AKC Labrador Retrievers (before I had children) and competed in the show ring and field with them.

Many call themselves “pet sitters” and proclaim their love for pets. To me, that’s the very, very minimum. What sets us apart as professionals is that not only do we have extensive experience in raising animals, but we actively seek education in the newest scientific findings on animal relationships and behavior. I am Fear Free Certified – this educational program teaches us the best ways to handle pets in a cooperative, compassionate and considerate manner. We deal with the emotional, as well as physical, needs of the pet when we pet sit. I have an extensive inventory of puzzles, enrichment toys, games, and treats designed to help animals deal with stress and anxiety, and we know how to use them. That is what we call the Pawsitive Pets Sitter difference. This helps their pet parents, too! We have a lot of fun doing this, and it is so rewarding when we hear from clients that incredibly stressed over leaving their pets that they returned to calm, happy animals.  My daughter is also Fear Free Certified. We are not trainers, but we are proficient in working with pets as partners, not possessions. As well as being registered in Arizona, my business is insured, bonded, and we are pet first aid/CPR trained. We are professionals.

Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
My biggest risk was deciding to start this business right after the pandemic. I had not worked for about a year and decided to do this rather than return to a 9-5 W-2 job. Risk is a funny word – I am willing to take it for myself as I am very open to, and comfortable with, change; but I do not take risks with the animals in my care or my business. I have a lot of faith in myself and the people around me – by that, I mean I’m good at taking the leap of faith– not from A to B, but the leap from A and seeing where it goes.

Pricing:

• Check in Visits from $25/visit
• Overnight Stays from $90
• Live in from $160

Contact Info:

• Website: yesspet.com
• Instagram: @thepawsitivepetssitter
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YessPet