Tonight was our final National Night Out planning meeting with my fellow Neighborhood Block Captains and the NAPD. We were putting the finishing touches on our event next week and then we were discussing some of the local activity taking place in North Andover.
In the past couple of weeks North Andover has seen an increase in break ins and illegal activity. Just today there was a forced entrance at Boston Hill. Yesterday there was one on Barker St. Two weeks ago a couple over near The Common.
As a Pet Care business and a CrimeWatch Block Captain this is something that I don’t take lightly. My first concern is always your animal’s health and safety, my second concern is your home.
When you hire a pet care service please remember not only are these people coming to take care of your animal, they are also entering your house. You are trusting these people with your security codes, a copy of your keys and basically allowing them to enter into your daily life.
Before you hire a service like this there are a couple of things you may want to consider first:
1. Is the company insured & bonded - which means does the company have insurance to protect your precious pet and will it cover any accidents or injuries that may occur. Bonded- this is a protection stating this business or its employees will not steal from you. Many say,” Well I don’t have employees I don’t need to be bonded.” My personal thought is: If you don’t have anything to hide, you will be bonded even as a sole proprietor. You will provide that peace of mind to your clients.
2. Are they really insured & bonded? Ask to see their insurance card. Insurance is insurance and insurance fraud is insurance fraud. Even in pet care.
Unfortunately, many may say they are and really are not! They just want to stay competitive with the competition; however they don’t want to pay for the insurance.
3. Ask the pet care business how they will be labeling your key and how they will protect your key. What if the pet care service lost your keys? What if it had your address on it? These are very important questions to ask.
4. Who has your keys? Some businesses have more than one employee or they have multiple pet care providers entering your home on any given time. Do you know which person(s) is entering and how those multiple keys are managed? What if an employee is terminated? How does the business retrieve those keys?
5. Does the business advertise their service on their automobile? Personally, you will never see my business name on my car. In the 10 years I have been caring for animals in this town I have never, nor will I have my company name painted on my car or a car magnet. WHY? Why, would I advertise that you are not home!
Most break ins happen during the day. Prior to a break in chances are the burglar has already scooped out your neighborhood. He will know what time you leave and what time you will return. He will know what time your neighbor picks up her kids from school and he will know what time your pet care services is scheduled to stop in to your home. How does he know that? Well that magnet advertising the pet care business is a dead giveaway. Therefore; why would I as a professional business indirectly give your schedule or vacation plans to an intruder? Honestly, why would I put my own personal safety at risk too? I am the one entering the home. I am the one that may walk into someone that is already inside or I may be the one to walk into a home that was already ransacked before I got there. Safety and protection comes at many levels and should be a standard business practice from your pet care service.
How can you protect your home:
1. Lock your doors – all your doors- even the one in the back of the house you think nobody even knows is there. Don’t forget to lock that bulk head too.
2. Alarm systems- some may choose to have an alarm system installed. They work !
3. If you don’t want to go to the extent of an alarm- have your key pad on your garage door link in to your cell phone. You will be alerted when someone is opening and closing your garage doors. (you always know if your dog walker is really walking your dog too! )
4. When traveling rotate a light – I have some clients that have me put their shades down at night and put them back up in the morning. Just like you would do if you were home. Keep that routine as consistent as possible.
5. Have your pet care service bring in your mail and any packages that you may have being delivered. Believe me, the way everyone shops on line, thieves love to grab packages off porches and stairs and run. Living in an apartment complex, be weary of having packages left in your lobby.
6. The Nanny web cam…no, it’s not just for watching your infant and your babysitter, this tiny device is a wonderful way to see what may be going on in your house while you are not home. Some of my clients actually set these filming out of the window to see the perimeter of the house. Others may focus on one specific room, while all of you will be able to keep an eye on what your pet may be doing all day when you are away.
7. Common sense - this is the obvious one, have your pet care provider keep a routine as similar to yours as possible. Hide your valuables and don’t leave anything just out in the open. Put everything away before you leave.
As for your pets…remember, animals are intuitive by nature. Dog or cat it doesn’t matter. They want to protect you, they want to protect your home, and they know good from evil. They understand energy at a level far beyond most humans can. Even that super friendly pet that sleeps all day while you are away and plays all night when you are home. Guess what? When put into this situation… he won’t pretend he will DEFEND !!
In the past couple of weeks North Andover has seen an increase in break ins and illegal activity. Just today there was a forced entrance at Boston Hill. Yesterday there was one on Barker St. Two weeks ago a couple over near The Common.
As a Pet Care business and a CrimeWatch Block Captain this is something that I don’t take lightly. My first concern is always your animal’s health and safety, my second concern is your home.
When you hire a pet care service please remember not only are these people coming to take care of your animal, they are also entering your house. You are trusting these people with your security codes, a copy of your keys and basically allowing them to enter into your daily life.
Before you hire a service like this there are a couple of things you may want to consider first:
1. Is the company insured & bonded - which means does the company have insurance to protect your precious pet and will it cover any accidents or injuries that may occur. Bonded- this is a protection stating this business or its employees will not steal from you. Many say,” Well I don’t have employees I don’t need to be bonded.” My personal thought is: If you don’t have anything to hide, you will be bonded even as a sole proprietor. You will provide that peace of mind to your clients.
2. Are they really insured & bonded? Ask to see their insurance card. Insurance is insurance and insurance fraud is insurance fraud. Even in pet care.
Unfortunately, many may say they are and really are not! They just want to stay competitive with the competition; however they don’t want to pay for the insurance.
3. Ask the pet care business how they will be labeling your key and how they will protect your key. What if the pet care service lost your keys? What if it had your address on it? These are very important questions to ask.
4. Who has your keys? Some businesses have more than one employee or they have multiple pet care providers entering your home on any given time. Do you know which person(s) is entering and how those multiple keys are managed? What if an employee is terminated? How does the business retrieve those keys?
5. Does the business advertise their service on their automobile? Personally, you will never see my business name on my car. In the 10 years I have been caring for animals in this town I have never, nor will I have my company name painted on my car or a car magnet. WHY? Why, would I advertise that you are not home!
Most break ins happen during the day. Prior to a break in chances are the burglar has already scooped out your neighborhood. He will know what time you leave and what time you will return. He will know what time your neighbor picks up her kids from school and he will know what time your pet care services is scheduled to stop in to your home. How does he know that? Well that magnet advertising the pet care business is a dead giveaway. Therefore; why would I as a professional business indirectly give your schedule or vacation plans to an intruder? Honestly, why would I put my own personal safety at risk too? I am the one entering the home. I am the one that may walk into someone that is already inside or I may be the one to walk into a home that was already ransacked before I got there. Safety and protection comes at many levels and should be a standard business practice from your pet care service.
How can you protect your home:
1. Lock your doors – all your doors- even the one in the back of the house you think nobody even knows is there. Don’t forget to lock that bulk head too.
2. Alarm systems- some may choose to have an alarm system installed. They work !
3. If you don’t want to go to the extent of an alarm- have your key pad on your garage door link in to your cell phone. You will be alerted when someone is opening and closing your garage doors. (you always know if your dog walker is really walking your dog too! )
4. When traveling rotate a light – I have some clients that have me put their shades down at night and put them back up in the morning. Just like you would do if you were home. Keep that routine as consistent as possible.
5. Have your pet care service bring in your mail and any packages that you may have being delivered. Believe me, the way everyone shops on line, thieves love to grab packages off porches and stairs and run. Living in an apartment complex, be weary of having packages left in your lobby.
6. The Nanny web cam…no, it’s not just for watching your infant and your babysitter, this tiny device is a wonderful way to see what may be going on in your house while you are not home. Some of my clients actually set these filming out of the window to see the perimeter of the house. Others may focus on one specific room, while all of you will be able to keep an eye on what your pet may be doing all day when you are away.
7. Common sense - this is the obvious one, have your pet care provider keep a routine as similar to yours as possible. Hide your valuables and don’t leave anything just out in the open. Put everything away before you leave.
As for your pets…remember, animals are intuitive by nature. Dog or cat it doesn’t matter. They want to protect you, they want to protect your home, and they know good from evil. They understand energy at a level far beyond most humans can. Even that super friendly pet that sleeps all day while you are away and plays all night when you are home. Guess what? When put into this situation… he won’t pretend he will DEFEND !!
