Meet Jennifer Shafton of Rufus and Delilah in Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Shafton.

Jennifer, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I started Rufus and Delilah Dog Walking, formerly Claws N Paws Petsitting, in January 2004 to share my love of animals. I turned my passion for caring for pets into a highly respected and 5 star reviewed business that can be seen on Yelp. After the first 6 years of doing all the visits on my own and turning away clients when the economy was at its worst, I took a leap of faith and expanded. I offered jobs to independent contractors who have the same love, passion, ethics, and attention to detail when caring for client’s pets. We have been in a constant growth mode ever since. I am often asked who my biggest competition is. I like to consider that to be myself. I am always finding ways to make Rufus and Delilah Dog Walking run smoother for our clients and the sitters. The happiness of our clients and their pets is of the utmost importance to me. I am 100% committed to providing all our clients pets with the highest quality of care.

Has it been a smooth road?
We have a few hundred active clients, each one with their own set of needs. Some dogs simply need to burn off energy with a fast-paced walk or a slow sniff and smell walk with a potty break. In other cases, clients ask us to also dress us their pets, give them designer brands of bottle water, take their dogs to and from the groomer, take them to the vet to get their anal glands expressed, or ask that we prepare elaborate meals. For an example of what a client may request for an elaborate meal, see below for notes from a client’s profile:

Feed a third of the pre-mixed container of Sojos food. Please warm his food in microwave for 30 secs (press “Add 30 secs” button on microwave panel) in human bowl, not in plastic container. Bowls are in cabinet opposite kitchen window against the wall by the microwave. Transfer warmed food into Alfie’s steel bowl. If seems too thick, can add some distilled water to make it thinner. While his food is in microwave, pls rehydrate 4 of the Stella & Chewy’s or Vital Essentials meat patties in hot water in a separate mug. The amount of water to heat in the Keurig machine is the smallest size cup on the serving size panel. Once the mug has the hot water in it, crumble the 4 patties into the water so they get wet. Then pour the patties & water on top of the warmed Petstaurant food, and mix together a bit. Please check to make sure food isn’t too hot before giving it to him. Once right temp, place food bowl next to water bowl in kitchen near fridge. Alfie will wait near dishwasher, under Sparklett’s water jug on counter by laundry room door, or on carpet just outside kitchen swing door to family room. Once the food is down, tell him “OK Alfie” in a happy voice, and step aside for him to approach. He likes to eat alone, and is very polite when eating. After feeding him, you can go for his walk. He usually poops within 30 min of eating.

My goal is to make sure that not only each of these needs are met but to over deliver for every client. When one of our clients has a last-minute request and their dedicated dog walker or past pet sitter isn’t available scheduling with an alternate sitter can be one of my biggest challenges because of the logistics involved. I have to make sure I’m matching the clients pet with a sitter with the right personality for the pet, who has opening within their busy schedule for the exact length of the visit within the two hour arrival timeframe that the client is requesting, who will go to the city where the client lives, who is the right match for the size of the dog, who can tolerate if the dog pulls if the pulling is more excessive than usual, and while considering if the sitter is comfortable driving and/or walking in the hills if that’s where the client is located. All the while, I need to respond as quickly as possible to the client while making everything appear as smooth and seamless as possible for both the client and the sitter.

So, let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Rufus and Delilah story. Tell us more about the business.
Rufus and Delilah Dog Walking specializes in weekly dog walking and as needed dog walking when clients are at work or are away from for extended hours. We custom tailor each visit to each client’s needs. We do not gather multiple dogs from other households so our time and focus is only on our client’s dog(s). We do not socialize our client’s dogs with other dogs when on walks as we have no reason to believe the friendliest of dogs will always get along. The safety of our clients’ pets is a priority. We always leave a note at the end of each visit with details of our time together and we always offer a complimentary consultation before starting with a new a new client.

Other services we offer are pet sitting visits for clients with dogs and cats when they travel. When pet sitting for cats we require a minimum of one visit a day. We do not offer every other day visits for the safety of our clients’ cats. When pet sitting for dogs on the day’s clients are away for a full 24 hours, different from other businesses, we require a minimum of three visits a day. When pet sitting for clients who are traveling, we can email daily updates with pictures upon request for peace of mind.

We are proud that Rufus and Delilah was voted Best Dog Walker on the L.A. Hotlist 4 year in a row, has over seventy 5 star reviews on Yelp, and over 30 more 5 star reviews on Yelp that are filtered by Yelp since the reviewers only reviewed one business! What sets us apart from the rest is our attention to detail and that we are 100% committed to providing all our clients pets with the highest quality of care. Our clients’ pets are not just dogs and cats. They are their fur-kids. As a pet parent myself, I understand that when we are providing weekly dog walks, as needed dog walks, or pet sitting visits there are a myriad of questions we need to ask in order get all the information we need from each client to give each of their pets and homes the best care. You’d be surprised at how much more complicated a dog walking or pet sitting visit can be than most would think from needing to know different styles of harnesses, what triggers to watch for when walking different dogs for what they will react to when on walks, from types of water each dog drinks, if clients want us to set aside time for playing, brushing, giving medication, dressing their pets, turning on lights before leaving so it won’t be dark before they get home, etc. We also need to know if clients’ pets have food allergies, favorite hiding spots, and so many other details about their routines all in order to be able to provide the best care. There are different questions we ask when caring for cats. Knowing what to ask makes all the difference.

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
There will be continued growth in the dog walking/pet sitting industry over the next 5 to 10 years. As you see newer businesses opening up like Just Food for Dogs in local neighborhoods offering homemade varieties of food for dogs and cats and more services for alternative types of therapies for pets when they get sick such as acupuncture or water therapy to name a new few it just goes to show that pet parents are spending an equal amount of money on their pet’s care that they would on their children’s care. I think the services that offer dog walking on demand will be a thing of the past. When booking a dog walker, you really need to work with a Company or a person who is going to take the time to assess each client and their pets in the sign-up process to make sure they are matching them with a dog walker or dog sitter who is going to be the right fit for their dog(s). You can’t just send any dog walker to any client. You have to know each client’s pets and their needs as well as the personality and traits of each dog walker to know if they are going to be the right match.

Pricing:

• Weekly Dog Walking Rate For 30 Minutes For One Dog Starts At $21
• Weekly Dog Walking Rate For 45 Minutes For One Dog Starts At $26
• Weekly Dog Walking Rate For 45 Minutes For One Dog Starts At $31
• As Needed Dog Walking Rate For 30 Minutes For One Dog Starts At $23
• As Needed Dog Walking Rate For 45 Minutes For One Dog Starts At $28
• As Needed Dog Walking Rate For 45 Minutes For One Dog Starts At $33
• Pet Sitting Visit Rate For One Dog Or Cat Starts At $23
• Pet Sitting Visit Rate For One Dog Or Cat Starts At $28
• Pet Sitting Visit Rate For One Dog Or Cat Starts At $33
• For Each Additional Pet There Is a $5 Additional Pet Fee Added To Each Service

Contact Info:

• Website: www.rufusanddelilah.com
• Phone: 818-986-8740
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rufusanddelilah/
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/rufusanddelilah
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/RufusandDelilah
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/rufus-and-delilah-sherman-oaks
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/rufusanddelilah/