One of the biggest dilemmas of pet owners is finding a trustworthy petsitter when going away for long holidays or work trips.
There are a number of pet boarding services in the country but many of them are unlicensed. From time to time, stories about animal neglect at pet hotels would surface, contributing to fears among pet owners about using such services.
Dog owner Terrena is one of the thousands of pet owners in Malaysia with the concern and decided to try PetBacker, an app that connects pet owners with animal-loving petsitters.
“This is my second time using the app to find a sitter for Snow. My first experience using it was a good one as my dog was well-taken care of while I was outstation for work,” she said.
Founded by two Malaysians, PetBacker is a mobile-first platform that matches providers of services such as pet boarding, petsitting or dog walking with users who need the service.
It was first launched in the US in November 2016, where the pet service industry is fairly established and aided the further development of the app.
PetBacker co-founder Edward Khoo said the app was introduced in Malaysia last year but is also available in other countries like Indonesia, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom and Australia.
Safe and secure
PetBacker is the first pet-centric platform in Malaysia that allows pet lovers to gather in one community and offer a variety of pet services such as pet grooming, dog walking, pet sitting and boarding, as well as veterinary services.
Charges start from as low as RM20 and can go up to RM45 per service, but owners can rest assured that their pets would receive top notch care and protection.
“Our goal is to provide a dedicated platform for animal lovers. PetBacker is like a one-stop centre for pet owners, including those with exotic animals,” he said.
Edward said that those wishing to offer even temporary petsitting services would need to register and provide personal details, including their identity card number. They would also need to take an online test that would assess their knowledge on petsitting.
“Such requirements are necessary not only to put pet owners’ hearts at ease but to provide insurance against any accidents or infections that the pets might be afflicted with while under the pet sitters’ care,” Edward explained.
Unlike pet boarding houses, PetBacker offers RM10,000 in insurance by making it compulsory for not only service providers but also pet owners to provide personal identification details.
Edward said that it was initially difficult to earn the trust of pet owners but after two years, the positive reviews from pet owners who have used PetBacker helped improve the app’s ratings.
“PetBacker is community-based and pet owners can check the reviews and testimonials of petsitters themselves before selecting one.
“Petsitters with poor reviews will be given counselling,” he said, adding that the app now has over 10,000 registered users and over 2,000 pet sitting service providers.
Owners can keep tabs
Edward said that PetBacker also allows owners to keep tabs on their beloved pets while they are away. Dog owners, in particular, can track the whereabouts of their canine while away through the ‘dog-walking tracker’ function in the app.
“We assure you that your pets are safe with us. As a reminder though, pet owners must only deal (with sitters) through the app. All the details of the petsitters are on the app, which is very user-friendly,” he said.
The app vets petsitters to ensure that they have at least the basic knowledge in providing care for the animals they would be taking care of.
“Some cats or dogs may be a bit ‘fiesty’ or uneasy with strangers, but these sitters will be able to handle the situation with calm and ease. These are people who are doing it for the love of the animals, not just for the money,” he said.
Pets’ welfare comes first
Edward believes that pets tended to feel more comfortable and safe in a home than a pet hotel.
“Cats and dogs, particularly, need some time to adjust to new surroundings. Some can become so stressed at pet hotels that they refuse to eat,” he said.
He said it was therefore very important for the animals to be treated with kindness and understanding.
“I believe that pets need to be in a home, not in a cage. Most importantly, they need to be cared for by someone who truly loves animals,” said Edward, who is an animal lover himself and the proud owner of a Siberian Husky.
He said PetBacker was the brainchild of its founder and CEO Vernon Tee, who had lost his beloved dog after the canine spent some time at a pet boarding facility.
“His dog contracted an infection from the pet hotel and died from it. He was devastated and did not want other pet owners to go through the same terrible experience. That’s where the idea for PetBacker came from,” he revealed.
Promoting the app
Majority of the registered petsitters are between 26 and 40 years old. Some work from home while others are students looking to make extra money.
Every petsitter on the app is given training and certification prior to becoming registered.
“We are also looking into other efforts to increase public trust in our services,” he said.
Edward said that PetBacker was currently working on providing basic obedience training for dogs.
“We believe that such services could help to further enhance and promote the app,” he said.
PetBacker can be downloaded for free on both iOS and Android platforms. Those interested to learn more about its services or read testimonials can also visit PetBacker.com or PetBacker.my. – Bernama
BY NORHAYATI MOHD AKHIR
