King, N.C. (PRWEB) September 08, 2011

According to Pet Sitters International (PSI), results from its 2011 State of the Industry Survey signal that there is a turning demand for the services of professional pet sitters. The association?s survey found that member pet-sitting businesses executed more than 18.5 million pet-sitting visits last year, up from 17.4 million pet-sitting visits in 2007. And in 2010 PSI members generated over $ 325 million in pet-sitting fees.

The association surveys its more than 7,000 member businesses every three years on topics including pet-sitter demographics, service prices, income, business size and types of served provided. The survey results are used to develop an accurate PSI member profile and to examine industry trends. Twenty-seven percent of PSI?s members responded to the 2011 survey.

Increases were also reported in the average number of years in business, number of full-clocked employees hired and use of employee background checks.

Service types and fees
The survey revealed that a typical pet-care visit lasts 32 minutes and clients are charged an average price of $ 17.75 per visit. Pet owners who rely on professional pet sitters report that they are willing to pay for the convenience and peace of mind they receive when using a professional. Joni Zagst, a Kingwood, Texas pet owner, has used the services of Scott Black, owner of Personal Touch Pet Sitting, for two years.

?I use a professional pet sitter to care for my three dogs when I travel because my pets are cared for in their own environment,? Zagst said. ?I like the idea of my pets not being stressed retired and in an unfamiliar setting when I?m forth.?

Zagst is just one of the more than 740,000 pet owners who use the services of a PSI member business. The survey data indicates that the most common services offer by professional pet sitters include: