The mission of the Professional Animal Certification Council (PACCC) is to increase pet safety through the independent certification of pet care providers. In our “Part of the PACCC” series we interview some of these dedicated professionals who have successfully demonstrated their knowledge and experience to become certified. Our series continues with Certified Professional Animal Care Provider Kasey Litt, CPACP. Kasey is the President and Lead Trainer at Kritter Keepers Club in Marietta, Georgia. Kritter Keepers Club offers home services including pet sitting, dog walking, and private training. Opening in Fall 2017 is The Kritter Keeper Club which will have training classes, doggie daycare, and boarding.
Why was becoming PACCC certified important to you?
Our pets are family members and I want our Kritter Keeper clients to feel like their family members are getting the best care possible. Becoming a CPACP showed I have knowledge, longevity, and a commitment to my clients to provide that care. As I bring new people into my organization, it will be a requirement for them to study and test for the CPACP. Next go around, I will be taking the test for the manager track!
How do you let your clients and potential clients know about your PACCC certified status?
I have updated Linked In, my email signature, sent out in my customer newsletter, announced on Facebook, sent out a press release. I’m very proud of my certifications. I haven’t studied this hard since dog training school and I’m happy to say I passed this certification and also got my CPDT-KA.
What is your favorite part of being an animal care professional?
I think we all get into this business for the animals. I’ve met some amazing pets. I’ve been able to do some amazing things from training a hairless guinea pig to jump over a mini hurdle to teaching a never trained Great Dane to sit. But it is when I’m able to help a family keep a pet by helping them with behavior modification or obedience training or short term boarding that makes me happiest. That’s why my company is called Kritter Keepers Club…we teach people how to keep their pets.
What is one thing you wish all pet parents knew about professional animal care?
It’s not enough to hire the teenager down the street to look in to see your pets one or two times a day when you are on vacation or your neighbor down the street who successfully taught her dog how to sit. You want someone who is trained, insured and a professional in the industry.
What is the most humorous or touching experience you’ve had with a pet as an animal care professional?
Just recently I had someone who got my company’s name and phone number from a current client who responded to her post on Facebook. When she called me, she was an emotional mess. She had a friend who was going to pet sit their two-year-old German Shepherd, Iyla, but the friend had recently gotten a dog of her own. So when the two dogs met, the friend’s older dog sniffed two-year-old Iyla, and then the two-year-old sniffed the older dog and then “bit” the other dog’s leg. I put the “bit” in quotes because there were no punctures, no blood, no yelping, no running away. But the owner was ready to find Iyla a new home because, in that short minute, she no longer trusted a year of Iyla being in the house with her three children. I went to their house that afternoon and did an initial assessment on Iyla and she’s stayed with me for the 10 day vacation. She’s a little socially awkward with other dogs…her herding instinct is strong. Iyla’s human texted to me, “Thanks for everything…we are indebted to your kindness, flexibility and your love for dogs, etc. I really appreciate you!!! You have no idea how much you have just changed my attitude on everything!!!” That was, as Oprah says, a “wow” moment for me and really epitomized why I do what I do.
Thank you, Kasey for being part of the PACCC! For more on what it takes to become certified, visit paccert.org/exam-info.