by Mary-Kate Roan
Staff Writer
Snowden’s Pet Sitting was founded by owner Carolyn Snowden out of her love for animals. Started in January, the pet sitting service was Snowden’s way of trying to turn her passion into a full-time job.
“I worked for the Financial News & Daily Record before working for the Jacksonville Symphony and then moved to Charlotte, N.C. to work for the Omni there,” said Snowden. “But I missed home too much so I moved back and started working at Cantrell Real Estate.”
Being at work all the time presented a problem: she didn’t like being away from her dogs and she didn’t want to leave them somewhere all day.
“I don’t board my dogs because they don’t like it,” said Snowden. “Some dogs are fine with it, but some dogs get really stressed and chew on themselves, so you spend a lot of money on vet bills.”
Thus Snowden’s Pet Sitting was born.
The services include taking care of the house as well as the pet — that includes retrieving mail and packages — watering plants and taking out the garbage can. Snowden does not own a facility to keep the dogs, so “Rover” never has to leave the comfort of his home.
“I grew up with dogs,” said Snowden. “And I’ve cared for dogs, cats and ferrets before.”
Snowden admits she hasn’t ever cared for a reptile, but her services will be expand if needed. She works in the BB&T Building and has a flexible schedule that allows her the freedom to also offer pet-sitting to Downtown residents.
The services offered are as cut-and-dry as the easily navigated Web site. The initial consultation is free, during which Snowden says the owner and pet get comfortable with her. There, she learns about the home, such as information on the alarm system and what needs to be done. Also on the agenda for the consultation is the pet’s veterinarian information along with their routine.
As for the services, it’s fairly basic, with a 30-minute visit starting at $15, while 45 minutes costs $20 and an hour visit will run you $25. Overnight visits are $50 and based on availability. Other pet sitters often charge to take out the trash and charge extra if there are more than two animals to be taken care of. For those fees, Snowden’s Pet Sitting will walk the dog, clean any messes left by the pets, give oral medications, water plants and put fresh water into the pet’s bowl.
With 10 “regulars” Snowden has had to bring on two sets of extra hands in the form of her husband, Andrew, and her coworker at Cantrell Real Estate, Julie Bohn.
“Carolyn came up to me at work and said she needed help,” said Bohn. “She had too many clients for just her.”
Even Andrew helps her by going to some of the houses and taking care of the pets. But he’s got a larger role than that: he manages the finances.
“Andrew loves it,” said Snowden. “He’s actually my accountant and works at Fresh Point of North Florida.”
The couple has three dogs: Bonnie, a yellow lab, Brie, a Border Collie and Lab mix, and Jack, a Beagle and Blue Tick Hound mix. Brie and Jack were actually rescued by the Snowdens.
“Andrew found Jack on Pet Finder before we were married. It said on his profile that he was found with a hunting collar around his neck,” said Snowden. “And Brie was found by a group of girls who were trying to sneak her into the Omni. I ended up taking her to the vet and eventually taking her home.”
Snowden’s clients are mainly located in San Marco. She adds that while her services extend to Downtown and she works Downtown, Snowden has no clientele in the Downtown area yet. For more information, go to the Snowden’s Pet Sitting Web site at www.carolynsnowden.com.
356-2466