Jude's Pet Sitting

Goal: Sole owner and operator of Jude's Pet Sitting, Jude Delgado lives in the home with the pets she is taking care of and tries to follow the pet's normal routine as close as possible. She feels this is the best for the pets because they are less confused and adapt readily to her.

History: Delgado has had pets her whole life and has been told by many people that she has a gift with dogs. When Delgado moved to Clearwater Junction in July 2012 after retiring as a social worker, she quickly realized that pet sitting was a niche that was not being served in the area. She purchased insurance and started promoting her business through the Pathfinder classifieds and word of mouth.

Before any job, Delgado does a meet and greet with the pet(s) and owner(s) at their home. She talks with owners about their pet(s), finds out what kinds of needs the pet(s) have, learns about the daily feeding and medication routine, what the pet(s) like to do and gets the veterinarian's and any other emergency phone numbers.

"The meet and greet is great because the pet sees me with the owner and the owner gets to see how I react with the pet," said Delgado. Delgado makes it a practice to never approach a dog or cat. She waits for them to trust her enough to approach her.

"It's a great job because in the past two and half years I haven't had any issues with [the] pets and the owners just love me," said Delgado. "I get to know all kinds of breeds and they bring a lot of joy and are so accepting. It's a labor of love."

Products & Services: Delgado charges $50/day and stays with the pet in its home. While she primarily takes care of dogs and some cats, she is willing to care for any pet. She will take pets in for vet and grooming visits as well as accommodate other special requests by the owner. While maintaining the normal daily routine, Delgado ensures that dogs get walked three times a day if they are able. Under special circumstances she will stop in but, because she lives out of town, that is difficult. She does not currently care for pets in her home.

For More Information: Delgado advertises in the Pathfinder classifieds under Services. She can be reached by calling 402-890-3756 or email judedelgado@live.com