Meet Lisa Goetz of The Vegan Petsitter

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa Goetz.

Hi Lisa, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
When I started The Vegan Petsitter in 2011, I thought it would just be a temporary, part-time job while I worked toward a degree in biology. I wanted to go to vet school, but my previous job at an animal hospital was too much to juggle along with my courses, so this business allowed me to continue working with animals with a little more flexibility. But what started as a part-time side project quickly turned into a full-time business, and for the next few years, I took many breaks from school so I could focus on my clients.

I continued getting experience in veterinary medicine, and it wasn’t long before I realized the area that interested me the most was animal behavior — something that wasn’t a major part of a typical vet school curriculum, especially back then. I didn’t really know what that meant for my career, but I continued half-heartedly pursuing what I thought was my dream while channeling most of my energy into my business.

Fast forward to 2021. After a year of financial instability due to the pandemic, my business hadn’t really bounced back, and I had to make a decision about whether I wanted to continue. I started thinking about how to incorporate training and behavior services into my business model. I became a member of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants and started taking courses that were included in my membership, then in 2022 I joined Victoria Stilwell Dog Training Academy. Going into 2023, I’m not taking many new pet-sitting clients so I can work on building my dog training and behavior practice. I’m also returning to university to finish my degree in behavioral science, and expect to have that done within a year.

Alright, 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 hasn’t been a very fast journey or linear path, has it? But I don’t think there have really been any missteps. I’ve also spent a lot of time doing volunteer work in animal rescue and animal rights activism, experiences which helped shape my understanding of animal behavior and autonomy. Old-school training used to just be about teaching dogs to be obedient to make the human happy, but modern dog training takes an approach that’s rewarding for the dog as well. Having a lot of experience with different animals in a variety of settings really helped prepare me for that before I even started school. Knowing what I know now, I wish I had just appreciated what the next step was teaching me rather than being disappointed that I wasn’t further along. It was all valuable.

I’ll also add that if you’re someone who has a lot of ideas or a lot of experience but you still feel stuck on making your next move — try working with a business coach. Even if you can only afford one session, that might be all you need. You might be surprised at what comes out of your mouth in an hour when someone starts asking you what you want! A single session with a business coach in early 2021 helped get the ball rolling for me with training, and it was really helpful to talk with someone who knew what questions to ask.

We’ve been impressed with The Vegan Petsitter, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
After 11 years of dog walking and pet sitting, I’m now making a pivot to training and behavior. I’ll be rebranding within the next few weeks and have been working on a new website. There’s always more to learn in behavioral science, so I look forward to continuing my education and possibly working with cats and other animals. I’d also love to hire and mentor an employee or two at some point. It’s all very exciting, but I’m trying to take things one step at a time.

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Flexibility is essential. With pet sitting and dog walking, everything was pretty straightforward; even for pets with medical or behavioral needs, once I learned their routine, I was set. With training, there are so many variables to consider. The layout of their home, the number and ages of human household members, and the number and species of other pets — these are just a few of the basic things that could change a training plan. Some dogs have been trained by an aversive (punishment-based) trainer in the past, and I have to figure out what negative associations were built during that training and work on undoing them. There’s also always going to be some amount of unknown history too, from early puppyhood to whatever time the dog arrived in their new home. So it’s my job to consider each dog and their person, along with any unknowns, and come up with a plan that works specifically for them.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.veganpetsitter.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theveganpetsitter/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/veganpetsitter
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/veganpetsitter
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-vegan-petsitter-san-pedro?osq=vegan+petsitter
• Other: https://donate.angelcitypits.org/fundraiser/4313127

Image Credits
All photos by Sara Cozolino, https://www.saracozolino.com