Interview with Becky VandeKerkhof of Got Paws?
February 23rd, 2010
K9 Cuisine: What is your story-how did you get into pet care?
Becky VandeKerkhof: I have always loved animals and growing up two of my closest friends’ parents who were dog lovers and breeders just rubbed off on me. Great Danes and Bull Mastiffs are the ones that made me a big dog person! Throughout my 20′s I travelled and moved around a lot and was never in a position to own a pet. When I settled in Traverse City, MI 5.5 years ago, I adopted a German Shepherd and that is when everything changed for me.
In his short 2 years, Bubba had experienced so much inconsistency and aggression. He was one scared, sensitive boy who needed every extra minute I had to dedicate to helping him heal and enjoy life. And this is what I did. We went everywhere together until he was confident enough to stay home alone. He fell in love with my car – this became his safe place – so as long as the weather was right he slept in the car while I worked and ran errands.
Our experiences together over the first few years dramatically increased my understanding of dogs and my passion for helping all animals who need a new home whether they have been mistreated, abandoned or surrendered by owners due to circumstance. I began to investigate different careers within the pet care industry and decided to start a pet sitting business – from that point it was just a question of waiting until this was financially feasible.
K9 Cuisine: What is the secret to your success with Got Paws? Pet Care Services – how have you gotten to where you are today?
Becky VandeKerkhof: I genuinely love what I do and believe that I am good at it. People and animals easily pick up on this passion and confidence. My primary focus is to ensure that clients and their pets are comfortable. It’s not easy to entrust your pet to a relative stranger, especially if they have special needs or some type of behavioral problem. Before a client hires me I go to their house for a initial consult, free of charge. By the end of the consult my goal is to feel that the client has complete confidence in me. Dependent on the situation the visit can take anything from 30 minutes to 2 hours but by the end the outcome is always the same – a level of understanding and trust has been gained and new friendships formed. Word of mouth is extremely important in this business and by behaving with integrity and setting clear and consistent standards GotPaws? has earned a great reputation in a relatively short time-frame.
K9 Cuisine: What makes you different?
Becky VandeKerkhof: In addition to providing pet sitting and dog walking services, I use my business as a tool to promote pet adoption and also to help owners find new homes for their pets when circumstance demands. I donate a percentage of my profits to the local Humane Society and I offer discounts to clients who have rescued their dogs or cats.
K9 Cuisine: What is it about dogs that you love?
Becky VandeKerkhof: Wow, that could be the hardest question I’ve ever been asked…too many answers come to mind….there’s a quote that perhaps best describes it – “Dogs are not our whole life but they make our lives whole.”
K9 Cuisine: What is the neatest part about your work?
Becky VandeKerkhof: I can’t think of any other job where you are greeted with so much excitement everyday. From the moment I arrive at a client’s house, I am shown nothing but love and affection. The dogs wag their tails and smile and maybe talk to me a little and the cats curl up around my legs and meow hello. There is a reason why therapy dogs are used in hospitals, nursing homes and shelters. They truly make your day and all they ask for in return is food, water and a walk. Oh and a belly rub and treat is greatly appreciated too!
K9 Cuisine: Where do you see the pet care industry going?
Becky VandeKerkhof: The only place for it to go is up! Take pet sitting for example, it has recently been documented to be one of the fastest growing home-based businesses in the world but it goes much further than general care - clients are demanding a wide range of services – basic pet care, dog walking, care of special needs pets, pet transportation services, overnight pet sitting, house sitting with no pet involved, errand services and pooper scooper services.
Approximately 60 percent of homes in the US have at least one pet and as a country the amount of money we have spent on anything pet related in the last 15 years has more than doubled. American’s have fallen in love with their pets and we suddenly want to treat them like children. Consider the products available these days, for example, organic dog food and dog clothing, the success of these human-like products is a clear indication of a significant shift in the role pets play in our society.
K9 Cuisine: How do you fit into that-what are your future plans?
Becky VandeKerkhof: My business is relatively young – I just reached my six month anniversary – and I am already profitable. The fact that it was viable to start my business at such an unstable economic time is a testament to the industry’s immunity to the current economic crisis. I plan to keep doing what I have been, working hard on adding more clients and making a difference in as many pets and people’s lives as possible.
K9 Cuisine: Do you have any funny stories to share?
Becky VandeKerkhof: There are two dogs that I take care of on a regular basis and they are always so excited to see me that as soon as I open the front door they often pick up one of their beds (strong teeth) and start running around the room with them wagging their tales crazily. It is the cutest thing and makes me laugh out loud everytime.
K9 Cuisine: How can people find out more about you and the your organization?
Becky VandeKerkhof: Visit my website – www.gotpawsintraversecity.com. Become a fan on Facebook and follow me on Twitter
K9 Cuisine: Tell us a little about you!
Becky VandeKerkhof: I think I gave you enough in the first answer above. But if you are looking for some more personal details ….I am 33 years old and live in Traverse City, MI with my husband Shane and our fur-child Bubba.
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This information was provided by Becky VandeKerkhol of Got Paws? offering a variety of pet services in the Traverse city area. For more information, please visit http://www.gotpawsintraversecity.com/.
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K9 Cuisine is a provider of premium dog food. We’re committed to providing our customers with the knowledge, and the products, to help their faithful friends be the best they can.
Tags: K9 Cuisine, pet care Traverse, pet sitting Traverse
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