The Connection Bernards-Ridge Edition Feb/Mar 2019

PAGE 76 THE BERNARDS-RIDGE CONNECTION FEB/MARCH 2019 20 Years Emergency Veterinary Medicine Behind Us. ANIMAL PAWS BONDED & INSURED Nominated by National Animal Pet Sitting Association for 2015 for one of the Best Pet Sitting Services in the Nation. PETS ENJOY BEING HOME! Pet Sitting, LLC 19 Years of Loving Professional Pet Sitting Experience email: michelepatanio@gmail.com animalpaws.net Cell 908-963-0311 Vacations, daily dog walking, overnight stays, client education on animal care. We do transportation give insulin injections, SQ fluids, dog hikes. Please call for FREE consultation. Last minute bookings for existing clients. (no late fee) E lite T axi & Limousine of B ernardsville 908.953.9999 www.EliteTaxiAndLimo.com Fully Licensed & Insured Airports Local & Long Distance 24/7 Sedans, SUVs, Limos Bernardsville/Basking Ridge to Newark Airport $ 69 99 * *For Sedan between 6am & 11pm Plus gratuity. Cannot be combined with other offers. Expires 3/31/19. Celebrating Our 8th Year Anniversary ONLY Thank You for Supporting our Local Business Professional - Dependable Courteous State of NJ Registered Auto Body Repair Facility License # 00975A Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8am - 5pm 908-879-7174 Fax: 908-879-8094 144 North Road Chester, NJ 07930 We wish we could always bring our dogs with us when we have to go away, but sometimes that’s just not possible. Hiring a pet sitter to come and care for your babies at your home and stick to your dog’s regular routine will help make the time you’re away a little less stressful for him (but don’t worry – you’ll still get a big ol’ slobbery greeting when you get back). Here is a list of everything you should leave with the sitter. The routine: Keeping your dog to the same schedule while you’re away will help him make the transition easier and may prevent accidents. Give the sitter a detailed breakdown of when to walk and feed your dog (and, as gross as it seems, it helps to know when #2 can usually be expected). For example: Walks: 8am walk, 2pm, 8pm. House rules: Just because you’re away, doesn’t mean Fido gets a pass to sleep on the couch or chase the cat. Make sure your sitter knows what your dog is and isn’t allowed to do in the house (and if there’s an unfriendly dog in the neigh- borhood, let he or she know about that, too) Usually 3 visits a day are accept- able, some dogs need more than 3. That is owner decision. Also, might want to have a sleepover pet sitter. Contact information: Not just yours. Make sure there’s a backup person the sitter can call if you’re unreachable or if she can’t get to your residence for some reason. It’s also helpful to leave the name and number of the hotel you’ll be staying in. Your itinerary: This will ensure there’s no confusion about what date and time you’ll be leaving and returning. A list of all medications and condi- tions: If your dog needs to be treated while you’re away, the sitter should know of any medical conditions or aller- gies to report to the vet so that he can get proper treatment. Write them all down – you don’t want your sitter telling your vet about your dog’s hypothyroidism when he really has hyperadrenocorticism. Phone numbers, addresses, and driving or metro directions for the local and emergency veterinarians: If anything happens, you don’t want valuable time lost. A credit card and an authorization letter: Leave a credit card in case the dog needs to be taken to the vet, along with a signed letter stating that this person has permission to use your card for your pet’s care. Most bonded and insured pet sitters usually pay for vet’s service and get reim- bursed by owner upon owner’s return. But most reliable pet sitters have a con- tract that states all that. Extra food and (if needed) medica- tion: Make sure you have enough, plus extra in case your return gets delayed, and make sure the sitter knows where they’re stored. Also, point out where the leashes, doggie bags, and other supplies are kept. Dog’s behavior from storms, thunder, other dogs etc.: very important. As always when in doubt, call your regular veterinarian for help – your best bet! THINGS TO LEAVE FOR PET SITTER CARING FOR YOUR 4 FOOTED ONES By: Michele Patanio, Animal Paws Pet Sitting LLC 908-963-0311 animalpaws.net Happy New Year from Animal Paws Pet Sitting. We wish you and your 2 & 4 footed ones a wonderful year! www.theconnectionsnj.com