As originally published on Monday, December 18, 2006

By Karen Gardner
News-Post Staff

Staff photo by Travis Pratt Mary Ann Foltz prepares to take her dogs Milo and Nero for a walk Saturday afternoon in Frederick. Safe pet care options - Formal boarding facilities: Visit first to insure cleanliness, security/safety, staffing, vaccine requirements, personal attention - Veterinarians: Some will board cats or small dogs; some have adjacent boarding facilities - Pet Sitting services: Check references, experience, make sure services will meet your pet(s) needs - Neighbors who are staying home for the holidays may be willing to pet-sit--make sure they are reliable, know animals. - Take your pets with you and check ahead to make sure pets are welcome. Bring dog crates, vaccine records and license information. Tell the pet sitter - Your name, numbers you can be reached, full addresses of the locations you'll be, emergency contact numbers, a neighbor or relative who lives close by who can be contacted in an emergency. - Pet information: A picture of your pet, name, breed/description, age, vet, diet, how often fed, litter/walking needs, microchip/rabies tag/county license information, copy of vet records. Make sure your vet knows you're going away and leave instructions in case one of your animal needs vet care - If someone else is caring for your pet in your home, make it as easy as possible: pre-measure food in Baggies, leave plastic utensils that can be thrown away after feeding, leave pre-filled disposable litter boxes, use paper dishes for cats or disposable plastic wear for food. - If your pet gets lost, make sure the caregiver reports it to Frederick County Animal Control, 1832 Rosemont Ave., as soon as possible.

There's no need to panic. If you can't take your furry companions along, you can take steps to ensure your animals are cared for in your absence.

"Always call," said Sharon Farmer, owner of Stone Manor Kennels near Frederick. "We work like a motel. We always have someone who doesn't show up. People cancel, and we allow that to happen."

Boarding a dog or cat takes preparation, said Deborah Simoldoni, owner of Amberlyn Kennels in Walkersville. Shots, especially distemper, rabies and bordatella, commonly known as kennel cough, must be up to date.

"The biggest mistake people make is not having their pets' shots current and not having a record," she said.

Owners can go a long way toward preparing their pets for an emergency stay by making sure shots are current and keeping a copy of the shot records, she said.

If pet owners know they'll be headed out of town for Christmas, Ms. Farmer recommends reserving a kennel spot in early November.

Not all owners want to take their dogs to kennels. Ms. Simoldoni said people shouldn't rely on neighbors or friends to check on a pet.

"The dog is used to a routine, used to someone being around," she said. "They become very stressed when they break the routine. They're usually better in a place that's neutral."

Friends and neighbors may not check on the dog often enough, and may not have the dog's best interest in mind. Ms. Simoldoni said she's gotten calls from people whose neighbors had to go away at the last minute, leaving no one to check on their pet.

Other options

Betty, of Falls Church, Va., used to leave Lady, her 50-pound black Labrador, with her next-door neighbors when she and her husband lived overseas.

Earlier this year they moved to the Washington area, and Ms. Ortman found herself longing for the same type of arrangement here when they made business trips.

Lady is part of the family, and Ms. Ortman wanted to set up a neighbor-to-neighbor pet-watching system; people she could trust would keep her dog in their home, and in return, she would watch the dogs of other people when they traveled.

She modeled the idea after a neighbor-to-neighbor system she had grown accustomed to. Neighbors would watch each others' children and pets whenever they had to go away for a day or longer.

"Our pets have always been family," she said.

She started a Web site, www.PetWatchClub.com, where pet owners can connect with each other online. No one from Frederick has signed up, but she has several members in Montgomery County. More than 1,000 people across the country have joined. It's free the first year and then $20 a year.

The site also encourages pet owners to arrange play dates. Privacy can be protected for those who wish. Advertisers offering pet services help sponsor the site.

Pet sitters

Pet sitters often book early for the holidays, but like kennels, they may have last minute cancellations. Owners may pay a pet sitter to visit and walk their pets several times a day, if needed.

"I think the best thing you can do is keep your dog in the house and have a pet sitter come in," said Brigitte Farrell, of the Frederick County Humane Society. "That way the dog stays in a home environment. Home is best. It should be a familiar face."

She said dogs kept on schedules feel safe and less anxious, even without their owner present.

Barbara Simmons, owner of VIP Pet Sitting Services (for Very Important Pets), said, "We don't turn anybody down if it's an emergency. I've gone to the hospital and picked up the keys to let someone's pet out."

For owners who simply waited until the last minute, she said the pet owner must be flexible. "If you planned poorly, our visit might not be at the time you want," she said. "We hate to say no."

She said because many kennels require bordatella shots up to two weeks in advance of kenneling, pet sitters might be a better alternative.

VIP Pet Sitting charges $13 a visit, for a visit of 20 to 30 minutes. Ms. Simmons and her husband, Dan, do most of the visits, although they have a few people they call on when things get busy.

They visit pets throughout Frederick, from Spring Ridge and Ijamsville to Yellow Springs and Rosemont Avenue. The couple started the business, a bonded and insured limited liability company, three years ago when they realized they didn't want to take their pets to a kennel.

House sitters

Mary Ann Foltz, of Frederick, came up with an old-fashioned way to care for her pets while she's away. She hired a college student who will stay at her house during her absences. "I haven't traveled yet but I'm very confident it will work," she said.

Ms. Foltz has two dachshunds. "Before I knew a young lady who would do it but she's since gotten married," she said. Ms. Foltz put up a notice at Hood College, and through that she hired her latest house sitter.

She said she makes quite a few short trips each year. "I'm a scuba diver," she said. "And I have a niece in Texas I visit twice a year." She also gets together with a group of women for a long weekend at Deep Creek Lake, and occasionally goes on cruises.

"I figure in the college venue, house sitting is sort of a step up," she said. She has kept her notice up at Hood in order to develop one or two backups. She said many college students are pet lovers and would love a part-time job watching her pets.