Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Jacobs.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Ashley. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I’ve been an animal lover my whole life and a pet sitter for almost 20 years, but it wasn’t until 2013 when I fostered a shelter dog that I truly understood the dire situation in animal shelters across the country. Every year in the U.S., 1.5 million homeless pets are euthanized. I wanted to do something to help since, in my opinion, the only acceptable euthanasia rates for adoptable pets is 0%. I figured what better way to help than to give 50% of the profits I earn taking care of other people’s pets to animal related causes!
Sitting for a Cause originally started as myself and my pup Diamond pet sitting throughout Southern California part time. After two years of being the sole sitter on our roster, I realized that there was only so much I could give back on my own. I decided to create a website where sitters across the country could create profiles so prospective clients could find and book their services, charging a 10% commission on their earnings and donating 50% of our profits from commission fees to animal rescues and shelters.
SittingforaCause.com launched in 2016 and is focused on serving California pet sitters and pet owners but has users throughout the United States. We are still very much a startup company but are growing each month and are optimistic that as more people hear about us, they will want to be part of our mission to save lives through pet sitting that gives back!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road! Starting a company is not an easy thing to do and we have had (and continue to have) struggles. Our biggest obstacle has been funding the website entirely out of pocket without taking on any investors. I work full time and take on freelance social media marketing jobs as well as continuing to pet sit in order to pay for our site, advertising, marketing, and any other expenses that come up.
Needless to say, I work a lot which has me stretched a bit thin! Other bumps in the road include anything from difficulties with website designers to troubles with payment processing integrations to website hosting struggles and even user acquisition hurdles.
That being said, once our site starts to gain more attraction and assist with saving even more animals in need, navigating all these bumps will be completely worth it.
Please tell us about Sitting for a Cause.
Sitting for a Cause is all about pet sitting that gives back! We are a website that connects pet owners with pet care professionals in their area, then facilitates meet and greets, bookings, and payments. We charge our pet care professionals a 10% service fee (which is anywhere from 5%-10% less than our competitors), then donate 50% of our service fee profits to animal rescues and shelters.
Our pet care professionals offer services ranging from daycare to overnight care to drop-in visits to dog walking and more! What sets us apart from our competition and what we are most proud of is our commitment to giving back as well as our low service fees.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I have many wonderful memories from my childhood, but one of my favorites is when my parents let me get my first real pet. When I was 9, our neighbor had a stray cat give birth in her backyard and I was completely smitten with all the kittens. My parents eventually agreed to let me have one when they were old enough to be adopted. I got to have the pick of the litter and we adopted Flip! He was part of our family for 18 years and was the best first pet I could have ever asked for.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.sittingforacause.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sittingforacause
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sittingforacause
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/sitting4acause
Image Credit:
Pam Jacobs
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