Part time job for your kids - Pet-sitting ^^

At 11, Turning a Love of Animals Into a Job

Sean Dewhurst is a New York City pet-sitter with a fifth-grade education. He will enter sixth grade in the fall, at St. Annâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s School in Brooklyn Heights. He started a dog-walking and cat-sitting service last year in the Carroll Gardens neighborhood of Brooklyn, where he lives with his parents, his three siblings and his cat, Jackie Robinson. Sean, who is 11, has earned $750 so far, and is considering making pet-sitting a career. He is accepting new clients — he put his e-mail address on the fliers he taped to utility poles — but heâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s tied up this week and next. Heâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s at sleepaway camp.
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Suzanne DeChillo/The New York Times
Sean Dewhurst
Favorite subjects at school: I like American history. I like puppetry. For one 45-minute period a week, I had puppetry. I thought it was fun. I have a bunch upstairs.

Company name: I just call it Seanâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s Pet-Sitting Service.

Services and prices: If I feed a cat once a day, and change the litter and do fresh water, itâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s $8. If they want me to do it twice a day, the same thing, itâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s $6 for each visit. For dogs, for a 15-minute walk, itâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s $8.

On being one of the cityâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s youngest pet-sitters: I havenâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t really thought about it that way. I think that my age helps. I think people would like to see a kid doing this job because theyâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]re happy for the kid. Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m glad that I started young.

Where the money went: I paid for an iPad with my earnings. It holds 16 gigabytes. I was just using it.

(Seanâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s father, Phillip Dewhurst, 44, interrupts: I would just like to add that I am particularly happy that he used his own $500 to buy the iPad.)

Why pet-sitting? A lot of jobs have already been taken by adults. I thought that it was the best job. I like animals and pets. Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m not really sure what the inspiration was. I think it was that I wanted to buy something like, like some big thing.

Beginning the business: At the start, for the first month maybe, I didnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t get a job. I wasnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t really frustrated, but I was a little frustrated. But then when I got my first job I was really excited. I think it was one cat. The price was $10 a day for, like, two weeks. The first day that I went there, the cat threw up. I cleaned it up. I stayed with it. The cat was still nice, aside from the throw-up.

Why he likes pets so much: I just grew a liking to animals. When I was little, I liked to look at animals in the backyard and stuff. It was probably my first pet, which was a lizard. I got it for my birthday, probably my sixth birthday. He got this disease in his mouth, so he wouldnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t want to eat anything, so he starved. We had the food for him, just he wouldnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t eat it. That was my first pet. I named it Geico.

Lessons learned on the job: I feel more mature. I feel that Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m better. I feel that Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m better at opening a door. Some doors have been really hard to open.

Source:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/01/ny....html?ref=cats

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I wish I could pet sit too

No offense, but I wouldn't want a kid that let a lizard starve to death watching my pets. Mouthrot is treatable and if they go off food you have to make the proper slurry mix (for insectivores) or use baby food (for herbivores) and very gently force feed them. Though, to begin with, mouthrot is often caused by improper care - hence, I would not want a kid that killed his pet lizard watching my pets. (yes, he was young. But that shows his parents are not the best teachers concerning animals)


If you're an adult that has the means to travel within your area and to get to the vet in an emergency, you could look into pet sitting. It's a lot of work, though.

I think its a cute story but I really dont know how safe I would feel leaving my pets in the hands of an 11 year old. I am all for kids making their own money, but having worked in the pet industry and having my own pets I know how much peoples pets mean to them, and just how quickly something can go wrong! You can go from happy healthy pets, to an illness very quickly and they can turn deadly if not treated. I agree with him not being able to drive to a vet in an emergency scares me, and being only 11 I would be terrified of him walking my dog if it were over 15lbs. I know how strong they can be, especially if they get on the trail of something and are a stubborn breed.

Like I said, cute, and good for him for being able to buy what he wants, but he wouldnt be my top option

^ I think he would be good in a supervised position. Helping people clean the litter box, wash and fill dishes, walk small dogs (also taking in mail and watering plants) in the cases where the owners have problems doing so due to their own health.

Originally Posted by strange_wings

^ I think he would be good in a supervised position. Helping people clean the litter box, wash and fill dishes, walk small dogs (also taking in mail and watering plants) in the cases where the owners have problems doing so due to their own health.

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Great idea! that would be a great position!

A co-workers daughter who is 15 years old looked after Abby while I was in the hospital. When I gave her a cheque at the end she was so excited. It was her very first official pay cheque!

She is also looking into finding other pet sitting jobs. She absolutely adores animals and has cats, dogs, birds, gerbils and fish at home and takes very good care of them according to her Mom.

She took the time and made the extra effort to make friends with Abby, not an easy thing to do! And Abby just adores her. I was home on Sunday and Monday when they came by and Abby ran to Janna. I was a wee bit jealous!

I told her that I would have no problem giving her a job reference if she needs one.

Before I let any kid do this job, I'd want him to see the threads about Samhainborn's Ginger.