Staff Photo by Angela Lewis
Wendy Robertson, owner of Zoo Mommy, left, and Meagan Grundy, walk Lucky and Cinnamon on the walking track behind Christ United Methodist Church in East Brainerd Road on Friday.

Members of an East Brainerd family recently put their dog Lucky on a diet, and to fast-track his progress they enlisted a new pet sitting service to get him moving.

“Lucky is on a weight management program,” said Wendy Robertson as she walked Lucky around a track at Christ United Methodist Church one sunny day last week.

Mrs. Robertson is the district manager of Zoo Mommy Premier Pet Care, a Knoxville-based pet sitting business that recently began offering services in the area.

The business had grown so well in the Knoxville area — up to 400 clients in just two years — that owner Nicole Harvey decided it was time to branch out.

“We talked about it for the past year or two years, and we wanted to make sure the timing was right, so now just seemed perfect,” said Mrs. Harvey, who is originally from Ooltewah and lives in Knoxville.

So as the economy goes to the dogs, the dogs themselves are generating plenty of business for the pet-sitting industry. Instead of being dragged down by the economy, the pet industry has been doing well during the recession, Mrs. Harvey said.

“The recession hasn’t changed the fact that people care about their pets,” she said.

Cathe Delaney, director of operations for the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters, said the downturn in the economy missed the industry.

The group has about 2,000 members across the United States and is growing every day, she said.

“We’re really doing well,” Ms. Delaney said. “We haven’t really been affected at all.”

Mrs. Harvey, 32, and her family will remain in Knoxville while Mrs. Robertson runs the business in Chattanooga. There are two other employees in the area.

Zoo Mommy services include 10-minute puppy potty breaks for $10 and hourlong visits that can include extra long walks or for households with several pets for $24, though mileage charges are additional. The business does light grooming, overnight visits, and also can turn blinds or adjust lights during a visit. The pet sitters maintain communication with the owners throughout their visits and can even provide video updates of pets.

Mrs. Harvey plans to expand the business to Nashville in the coming years, and is looking at going to Charlotte and Atlanta. The initial investment to start the business was very low and consisted primarily of the cost of designing the business’ Web site, she said.

So far, she has been pleasantly surprised by how fast the operation has grown. It’s off to a slow start in Chattanooga, but she expects things to pick up as summer approaches.

“It is easy for people to leave their pets at home,” she said. “They don’t have to figure out their boarding schedules, and when they come home they know what is going on with their pets.”

 Lower Lights