Senior business management major Christina Vinson started as a pet sitter at a young age. She realized how much she enjoyed it and officially started her own pet sitting business in 2018 called Paws at Home Pet Sitting Services.

Vinson wants her clients to know how committed she is to give their pets the best experience possible when they are in her care.

“I’m somebody that [the pets] are used to, or they can become used to,” Vinson said. “I treat them as if they were my own animal. I’m not somebody that just walks in and is like, ‘okay, dog. I’m here for your walk. Let’s go.’ No, I’m here to love and to care for them just like you would if you were at home.”

Dogs can develop separation anxiety when owners leave them for vacation or business trips. Leaving pets in daycare may also increase a dogs’ anxiety, especially if they are surrounded by other animals they’ve never seen before.

Every dog reacts differently to new environments, which is why Vinson offers at-home services so pets can be in a setting they are already comfortable with.

According to her website and Facebook page, clients are required to book a consultation before leaving their pet in her care. For her, the consultation makes it easier to understand the dog, their behaviors and how they like to be treated at home when they are with their owner.

By request of the client, she can visit the home during feeding times or stay overnight for animals requiring more assistance.

After she graduates, Christina dreams of further developing her business by hiring employees and having her own building to offer more services.

“I’d like to keep doing the animal sitting just because it’s enjoyable for me,” Vinson said. “Doing it in the future, actually having this as a real career and then making it a larger career by opening up a doggie daycare and shelter with it.”

When she is not caring for pets, Vinson interns at State Farm. She wants to leave her internship with enough knowledge to make her business development process easier and better. Vinson’s pet-sitting website can be found at www.pawsathomepetsittingservices.com.