California Pet Sitter Named Pet Sitters International's 2013 Pet Sitter of the Year

Sari Reis, CPPS, owner of Mission Valley Pet Sitting Services in San Diego, Calif., has been named Pet Sitters International's 2013 Pet Sitter of the Year. This award is presented annually to one pet sitter who embodies the passion and professionalism of the pet-sitting industry.

Reis will serve as the public face of PSI's nearly 7,000 independently owned member businesses and represent the pet-sitting industry throughout 2014.

Created by Pet Sitters International (PSI) in 1995, the Pet Sitter of the Year designation is considered the pet-sitting industry's highest honor. The 2013 selection process brought in more than 440 nominations for professional pet sitters across the United States.

Reis joined PSI in 2007 and opened Mission Valley Pet Sitting Services in 2008. She has offered pet-sitting services to San Diego and surrounding areas for more than five years. In addition to obtaining her Certified Professional Pet Sitter (CPPS) designation in 2009, Reis is also trained in pet first aid and is a Certified Humane Education Specialist. She is a long-time volunteer with the San Diego Humane Society and also volunteers with Pets for the Homeless and PAWS San Diego.

In addition to owning and operating Mission Valley Pet Sitting Services and volunteering for local pet-rescue organizations, Reis also writes a monthly column on subjects related to responsible pet parenting for the Mission Times Courier, The Mission Valley News and the La Mesa Courier.

While Reis' credentials and community involvement are impressive, it was her commitment to her clients that most impressed the selection panel. Her clients' nominations provided numerous examples of Reis going above and beyond the call of duty-from offering additional dog walks when a client had pneumonia to staying with a client's dog that had congestive heart failure and arranging euthanization while his owner was out of the country.

"Each year, PSI staff and the selection committee are amazed to read the hundreds of nominations from pet owners describing how committed their pet sitters are to their clients' pets and their local pet community," noted PSI President Patti Moran. "Sari's nominations, in particular, were testaments to the positive impact professional pet sitters have on their communities, the pets they care for and the pet parents who rely on them."

Locating and mailing a passport to a client whose ID had expired while out of state and offering transportation to and from the vet and groomer for a client who couldn't drive after a surgery may seem like "going the extra mile" to most, but it's all in a day's work for Reis.

"I turned 64 years old this past October and have had several jobs and a few careers over the years," explained Reis. "I can honestly say I've never enjoyed anything I have done even remotely as much as I am enjoying being a professional pet sitter."

The 2013 Pet Sitter of the Year award is sponsored by Business Insurers of the Carolinas, pet-sitter insurance provider and pet-sitting industry supporter for nearly two decades. Reis will be officially crowned at PSI's 2014 Pet Sitter World Educational Conference and Expo in Indianapolis, Ind., this September.

Serving on this year's selection panel were David Pearsall, Vice President of Business Insurers of the Carolinas; Andrea Fischetti, Managing Director of Chicago Pet Video; and Vanessa Sorace, CPPS, PSI's 2012 Pet Sitter of the Year.

The other top-five Finalists in the 2013 Pet Sitter of the Year competition were:

*Regina Duncan, Paw Pals Pet Sitting & Pet Transportation Service LLC, North Port, Fla.
*Amanda Lacey, CPPS, Happy Tails Dog Walking and In-Home Pet Sitting, Winchester, Va.
*Colleen McDonough, CPPS, Barks and Blooms, Hampden, Md.
*Gina Patrick, Tall Tails, Slidell, La.

To learn more about PSI's Pet Sitter of the Year award, locate a PSI member pet sitter in your area or to request more information about pet sitting as a profession, visit PSI's Web site at http://www.petsit.com or call (336) 983-9222, option 1.