Contributed by Jennifer Dew, 9 to 5 Pets
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What I love the most about what we do at 9 to 5 Pets is the peace of mind we provide, how personal our service is, how welcoming our clients are, and how important their trust in us is. It is an awesome privilege and responsibility to care for a client’s home and their beloved pets while they are away. We recognize how special these relationships are and that our clients’ trust in us can never be taken lightly or for granted.
9 to 5 Pets has been all about unleashing my JOY and trusting the journey and I’m proud to share my story with you now.
I was born in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, raised in Greensboro, NC, and have 2 older brothers. I graduated from the University of Tennessee Knoxville in 1998 and received my Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, Marketing. I was also an NCAA Division I Lady Volunteer Varsity Rower for Tennessee. I moved to the Jacksonville area from Atlanta back in 2000 and fell in love with our beaches community. I rented a little duplex by the sea in Neptune Beach and decided I could never be landlocked again! I married my husband Mark in 2003 and we purchased our first home here in Ponte Vedra Beach in 2004. We couldn’t imagine our lives anywhere else; and I can truly say that no matter where we travel to, we love coming home more.
Yes. I’ve felt a special connection with animals my entire life. I grew up going to the farm just about every day and riding horses, and there wasn’t a time when my family didn’t open up our home to a dog or cat in need of rescuing. For me, a house just doesn’t feel like a home without a pet. Just before my husband and I got married, we rescued our cat Otis and our dog Pete. We raised Pete for 14 years and Otis for 19 years. We missed having a dog in our lives. So after Otis crossed the rainbow bridge last year, we decided to open our hearts and home to another pup.
For 20 years I worked in sales, marketing and business development for both the corporate and non-profit sectors. During that time I experienced the pressure of trying to make time for it all in a “9 to 5” day. As devoted a pet parent as I wanted to be, there were times, unfortunately, when Pete and Otis got the “short end of the stick” when early meetings, deadlines, and business travel pulled me away. I’ve always believed the sky’s the limit when you dream big, believe in yourself, and work hard. We CAN have it all, but I’ve learned it can be hard to manage it all. And the last thing we want to feel is guilty about not giving our furry companions the love and attention they deserve. Or worse still, stress when we’ve left them too long or have to leave them behind. In this busy 9 to 5 world, we can all use a helping hand; and so in 2017 I was inspired to find my JOY, follow my passion, and launch 9 to 5 Pets to help bring a professional, dependable, and easy-to-use pet care service to the people and pets in our community that I love and can certainly relate to.
Like many businesses back in the day, client records and pet records were kept on paper. Reservations were made by phone. Clients would have to wonder and worry if you were really there for their pets and how long you actually stayed with them. Visit notes (if any) were handwritten by the sitter/walker and left on the kitchen counter. And clients would have to pay via cash or check and leave it behind for the sitter or walker to collect.
The technology that is now available to pet care professionals has allowed us to serve our clients more efficiently, with greater excellence, and with far more transparency. At 9 to 5 Pets, we have a secure online client portal and free mobile app service where our clients enjoy the convenience of quickly and easily updating their client and pet information, scheduling our services, communicating with their 9 to 5 Pets Team, and easily making payments either with a credit card or through Paypal. And they receive peace of mind (along with a few smiles and laughs) from the notes and pictures we send them after each visit, along with GPS and time tracking data so they can always rest assured knowing we are there and caring for their pets. Our time with our clients’ pets is pure JOY and it’s wonderful to see how technology has allowed that JOY to shine through to our clients. It truly makes it a “win win!”
The bond we share with our pets IS special; and through their love and constant companionship we get to experience what it truly feels like to be unconditionally loved. That’s a gift. And so it makes me smile to see more and more people opening up their hearts and homes to furry companions; because there are so many animals in need of loving homes, and we are all deserving of this special kind of love. Pets DO enrich our lives and there is no doubt in my mind that every household could benefit from their companionship.
When we volunteer we say “yes” to serving a need greater than ourselves, which I believe is an important and humbling practice. Volunteering has given me the gift of perspective, and reminds me that we all face different challenges and we all hold different strengths. And when we take the time to offer up our strengths in order to help someone who is in need, we create more space in their world and in ours for happiness, joy and gratitude to set in and thrive.
I’ll always be grateful to my mom for teaching me the value of volunteering at a very young age. She used to deliver Mobile Meals and I would ride along and help her. I remember how good it felt to know I was brightening someone’s day not just by delivering a meal, but by saying “hello,” sitting down to visit for a bit, and offering them a little companionship in their day. I learned that sometimes it’s not all about the immediate need you are serving.
There are SO many things! This place is a gem and we often feel like we hit the jackpot with all the places you could choose to call home in the United States. The natural beauty, wildlife, and peaceful community of Ponte Vedra Beach is what first drew us in back in 2004.