Protecting Your Pet: Finding a petsitter

Finding a pet-sitter for one-year-old Bella can be tricky.

"She's a little hesitant with new people so we really have to find the right kind of care for her," Bella's owner, Ashlie Whitten said.

So Bella's owner turned to a new website for help. Care.com matches pet owners with local pet-sitters.

"You find exactly what you're looking for and then you pick and choose the people you want to come to the house," Whitten said.

Sheila Marcelo, of Weston, started the site after she had trouble finding a pet-sitter for her own two dogs.

"It's difficult to find services on the web that you can trust," Marcelo said.

The website provides references of potential pet-sitters and does background checks.

All you have to do is type in a zip code and you'll get a list of local pet care providers with the days and times they are available. You can even narrow the search to a pet-sitters age, gender, and hourly rate.

"It's very specific around meeting your needs of what you're looking for," Marcelo said.

But Sheila says before you make a final decision, it's important to meet.

"When you do the interview I usually suggest doing it outside the home, doing it at a Starbucks or a coffee shop. The most important part of the interview is the face to face, so inviting them to your home later on to interact with your dogs and cats is really, really important too," Marcelo said.

And then once you choose your pet-sitter...

"Start out on a trial basis and come home unannounced to make sure your pets are really cared for the way that you want," Marcelo said.

For Bella's owner it's an easy way to connect with a pet-sitter that's perfect for her pooch.

"You really find the right person that works for your needs," Whitten said.

Pet care providers can post their information on the website for free. The service costs $10 a month for pet-owners looking for sitters. The site also lets you search for childcare providers.

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