Oh No! How I Found A Dogwalker On Short Notice

Photo: Monique Pouzet

Hello Everyone!

This weekend, I'll be house sitting and will be away from the dogs for four days. As many of you know, Homer, has quite a bit of energy and would be needing time for walks. When I tried my regular dog sitter, it turned out he wasn't available.

The Search Begins

The first place I checked was Google. You can find anything on Google and I thought since I lived in the greater Chicagoland area, it would be a piece of cake. It turned out not to be the case.

I found a place that was less than five miles away. I thought this would be perfect. But it turned out, I was out of the service area. I looked at other places on the website, and after looking up six more places, none of them came out to my neighborhood.

My mom then suggested the telephone book. Part of me was incredulous that I didn't think of this sooner. It seems like I've become so dependent on the internet, I missed what was lying right under my nose.

Sure enough, I called the places that I thought would be able to take me as a customer. One place I left a message and never heard back. Another, the phone was disconnected. Starting to panic, I scoured the book for any places that would be willing to take a new client on short notice.

A New Discovery!

Finally, after reaching all dead ends, I noticed a local pet store in the phone book. I always had seen the place driving to and from school but never had made it over there to visit. I called the owner and asked her if there was anyone she could recommend as a dog walker. As it turned out, she did have a name and since they were a new business, they weren't listed in the phone book. It also turned out that I knew the dog walkers because they worked at the animal hospital where I took my animals.

They were able to come the next morning and would be able to accommodate my specific requirements of taking the dogs out on two half-hour walks per day.

The Lesson Learned

Sometimes, you find what you need in the more unusual methods. It helps to contact other businesses if you're having difficulties finding a service for your dogs.

Let's Discuss!

What are some ways you found a service in a atypical fashion? Was it a success or a major mishap?

Thank you all for stopping in. Hope you have a great day.

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