Acknowledging Pet Care Needs

We all know how a sick dog or cat can keep you up at night just like a sick baby and that ensuring your pet gets loving attention while you’re away on vacation can be just as anxiety-producing as finding a good nanny. Corporate America is catching on.

A company that assists employees of 35 companies such as Cost Plus and Nortel with finding child care, good schools, adoption services and programs for aging parents has added an information and referral service for pet care.

Surveys and focus groups reinforced for Pleasanton, Calif.-based FamilyCare Inc., that pet owners consider themselves moms and dads to their canine and feline companions.

On March 1, FamilyCare added pet care services for about half its clients, said Sophia Cronk, an office administrator.

Pet-related inquiries have been second only to child-care inquiries, and many involved obedience training or finding reliable in-home pet care while pet owners are on vacation, she explained. FamilyCare has assisted 38 pet owners to date.