Last week, I returned from the 10th Annual Texas Pet Sitters Conference, which was held on a cruise ship out of Galveston, Texas. I attended this same conference in 2023 and 2024, both of which were held in the Dallas area. Next year, we’re bound for Austin, but don’t let the Texas city names fool you – this conference is for professionals from around the country. Many areas, including the Connecticut Shoreline, were represented. Today, I’m sharing about what happens when Shoreline Happy Paws attends a pet sitters conference on a cruise ship!
The History of the Texas Pet Sitters Association
The Texas Pet Sitters Association started as a grassroots effort by three professional pet sitting business owners in the Texas Hill Country. Because of the distance, they could not attend the national conferences put on by the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (NAPPS) and Pet Sitters International (PSI). The national conferences alternate location annually, focusing on different regional areas each year.
These Texas pet sitters came together to start what they thought would bring together a handful of local pet sitters and dog walkers. It has since become one of the largest, most widely attended industry conferences!
Pet Sitters Conference on a Cruise
I was thrilled when the TXPSA Board of Directors announced that their 10th annual conference would take place aboard a cruise ship. Having never cruised before, I thought it was the perfect way to get my feet wet (pun intended) and pick up invaluable industry trends and best practices in the process. I always learn a lot when I attend industry events, whether locally or in the Caribbean – though the Caribbean sounded extra fun. The event took place from Thursday, February 27th to Monday, March 3rd. The conference sessions were scheduled for our ‘days at sea’ on our way to Cozumel, Mexico, and heading home.
Day One
Our first speaker, Isabel Alvarez Arata of Covered in Pet Hair, shared many insights on blogging for local impact. Because I blog about Shoreline-related pet news and tips weekly, I enjoyed the discussion on how local blogging not only helps our business reach more potential customers, but also elevates and educates our local pet-loving community. Our second speaker, Janie Budnick, owner of 4-Legged Kids, Inc., PetBizCRM, and PetBizUniversity, covered proper care for diabetic cats. Because at Shoreline Happy Paws we are dedicated to being the best pet care providers in Old Saybrook and its environs, I am excited to bring Janie’s tips to our team. Finally, day one concluded with my coach and friend, Michelle Kline of DogCo Launch discussing the importance of creating a company culture that reflects our values.
Day Two
After a fantastic day spent at the beach in Cozumel, our final day of sessions started with two presentations from Janie Budnick. The first discussed how we can improve client experience using dedicated pet business technology. As a user of her PetBizCRM platform, I learned how to automate and encourage client connection. While I’m sure that many of our clients know that we welcome their questions, it taught me that reaching out a few more times a year might encourage even more of a community within Shoreline Happy Paws. Her second presentation was about kidney failure in pets – a topic that we take very seriously. Because we provide care to sick and aging pets, being prepared for worst-case scenarios is what sets us apart from other Shoreline pet care options. Isabel Alvarez Arata then closed te conference with a discussion on connecting with local media to spread the word about our business and our passion for pets.
Pet Sitters Unleashed
We had 92 professional pet sitters/pet business owners in attendance at this year’s conference. We got to network, share best practices, and bounce ideas off of one another. We also got to have fun and get to know each other outside of our professional life. I had the pleasure to travel with Caméa Allen of Hearts at Home Pet Sitting in Yorktown, Virginia. Caméa and I have gotten to know each other over many years of working with similar vendors and business partners in the industry. We, along with other professionals including Isabel, Janie, and Michelle mentioned above, enjoyed drinks in the jacuzzi, fancy dinners, and salsa dancing, among other things.
One of the highlights of the trip was a pet sitters adventure on a banana boat that bonded me to 4 other pet sitters as we tumbled into the crystal clear water of the Caribbean Sea laughing in our life preservers. We decided that this cruise and the banana boat experience was so special, it deserved a special name: Pet Sitters Unleashed. We won’t soon forget the connections we made and fun we had together. If only every professional industry event could happen on a cruise ship, am I right?!
The Best Care for Connecticut Shoreline Pets & Their Families
While traveling to industry events like this one is fun, the motivation is far deeper than that. I attend these events to ensure that I’m staying on top of industry trends, providing the best possible training for my team, and utilizing tools to make my operation run as smoothly as possible. In a logistically-challenging industry such as ours, these conferences keep me at the top of my game and, for this reason, I attend as many as I can annually.
If you are looking for the best pet care in our area, we are accepting new dog walking, dog hiking, and cat sitting clients! New Shoreline Happy Paws clients can create an account. We will be in touch to further discuss your needs and set you, your family, and your cat(s) up for success. Existing clients may book services by logging in to your client profile.
We serve the following areas of the Connecticut Shoreline:
- Old Saybrook
- Essex, Ivoryton & Centerbrook
- Deep River
- Chester
- Westbrook
- Clinton
- Old Lyme
- East Lyme
- Niantic
Certain Parts and Certain Service Hours in:
- Lyme and Madison
- Waterford, New London, Groton
- Uncasville, Gales Ferry, Mystic, Noank
