Business Spotlight: Pet-sitter ensures comfort of animals, owners

It's 6:30 a.m. and Francesca Tervol, owner of Special Friends Pet Sitters, is on the James River Freeway driving to one of her clients' homes. When she arrives, she's greeted by Pamela and Tommy Lee, two small, multicolored cats of questionable ancestry. Their owner is in San Diego on business, and she's left her most cherished possessions, her two cats, in Tervol's care.

Tervol enters the house and goes about her business. She puts out fresh food and water, cleans the litter box and makes a quick trip through the house to make sure they haven't damaged anything since her last visit.

When she's done, she talks to them in a soothing voice and plays with them a little bit by tossing around their favorite toy a fluffy white stuffed mouse that's missing its nose. Before leaving, she picks up the mail and opens and shuts the curtains in various rooms to give the house a "lived in" look.

Making house calls is all part of a day's work for Tervol, who started Special Friends Pet Sitters in 1997 after she and her husband Danny moved to Bat-tlefield following his retirement from the Marine Corps. Al-though Tervol was new to the area, she began marketing herself in earnest using tips she found in the book "Pet Sitting for Profit" by Patti J. Moran.

Tervol visited many local veterinarians and received permission to place flyers, business cards and other marketing materials in their offices, and she placed ads in the local newspaper and Yellow Pages.

She also obtained a business license from the city of Springfield and joined Pet Sitters International, a 4,000-plus-member organization that promotes, supports and recognizes excellence in pet-sitting. Joining Pet Sitters International also allowed Tervol to get group rates on liability insurance, which she needed because she makes house calls.

Before taking on a new client, Tervol takes time to meet the pets she will be caring for so they can establish a rapport. Clients also are required to fill out a form that details their pets' needs, any special dietary concerns and where items such as leashes or litter boxes are located.

Pet owners also are asked to leave a phone number where they can be contacted, as well as the phone number of their local vet.

Depending on the needs of the animal, Tervol may visit a pet once or twice a day, and her rates vary with the number of visits she makes. Still, Tervol said she believes her rates are both reasonable and competitive. She also believes pets respond more favorably to being cared for in their own home rather than being boarded.

"Having someone come into your house to look after your pet definitely has its advantages," Tervol said. "It's less dramatic for the pet because their routine isn't disrupted. It's also less stressful for the owner because they know their pet is well-cared-for and happy."

Since starting Special Friends Pet Sitters, Tervol has cared for a wide variety of animals including dogs, cats, parrots, tropical fish and horses. She does draw the line, however, when it comes to caring for spiders and snakes.

These days, much of Tervol's business comes from repeat customers. In fact, she keeps a photo album of clients' pets, and she's quick to share amusing stories about some of the animals she's cared for, such as Sugar Ray, a large and mischievous boxer that liked to open the kitchen cabinets and steal food.

According to Tervol, pet-sitting has to be one of the most rewarding jobs around. Like most people, though, her job has its challenges.

"I've been locked out," she said. "I've been given keys that didn't work. I've climbed fences, and I've driven in all kinds of weather. I've administered shots and given pills to sick pets. Dealing with your own sick pet is hard enough, but I get attached to the animals I watch."

Currently, Tervol is working hard to meet the demand for her services because many of her clients go on vacation during the summer. Still, she said, she's always looking for new business.

"A pet owner should be able to go away and not worry about how their pet is doing," Tervol said. "I care for other people's pets like they're my own."