Today we’d like to introduce you to Mary Jo Crooks.
Hi Mary Jo , thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I worked as a Vet Tech for nearly 10 years and truly loved my job. In 2005, my family decided to move from St. Paul to Centerville. Shortly after settling in and welcoming our youngest, I chose to stay home with my two boys. I started walking dogs as a little side job—something flexible that also allowed me to bring my boys along.
I created a website made flyers, did some local paper advertising to advertise my dog-walking services, and before long, the emails and phone calls started coming in. Within a couple of months, the demand was more than I could handle on my own, and I hired two people to help. Soon after that, I added pet sitting and overnight care to my service list.
As my business grew, it became clear that there was a real need for reliable in-home pet care—and many pet owners hadn’t even realized this kind of option existed. Word of mouth quickly became one of my biggest sources of new clients, and it still is today.
Over time, I added more services, including cat sitting, which has now become just as popular as our dog walking and dog sitting options. I also began using online scheduling, GPS tracking, and sending digital pet journals after every visit. Clients loved the peace of mind they got from knowing their sitter showed up and seeing photo updates of their happy pets.
Like many small businesses, COVID hit us hard—but our loyal clients supported us every step of the way. Many purchased gift cards for future use, and some continued their dog walks with safety measures in place. I’m incredibly proud that we made it through that difficult period when so many pet-care businesses unfortunately did not.
Today, we’re busier than ever and still growing. Seventeen years later, I’m deeply grateful for the business I built from the ground up. I never imagined it would become what it is now. It has its challenges and keeps me very busy, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything—I truly love meeting new pets and caring for the ones already in our extended family. I have a great group of sitters that work for me and couldn’t do this without them and the help of my family. We are truly blessed.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Not a perfectly smooth road. Covid was our biggest struggle but we made it through and became even busier after. Another struggle was just getting our name out there and staying ahead of competitors especially with big box companies such as Rover and Wag but I think being a small business has helped us because we have that personal touch.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Well, as I mentioned before I was a Vet Tech for 10 years. I was a part of all aspects of that business from front office to assisting with surgeries. I think this experience helps with my current business. I am most proud of building my own business and having it be successful. I think what sets us a part is that we are a small business that gives a personal touch and we grow very close to our clients and their pets.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
People can and do support us by spreading the word about my business. Our clients are so great about supporting us in that way. I also have many other professional services that I use that spread the word about us. Word of mouth is a big supporting factor for us.
Pricing:
- Dog walks are start at $23 and go up to $37 depending on how long of a walk the client wants.
- We also offer a 15 minute visit which is great for puppies $18
- Overnights are a really good option for our clients and one of our most popular pet sitting services. We offer 10 and 12 hour options. $165 and $190 a night
- Cat sitting is huge for us and depending on how long of a visit it ranges from $28-$35 and we do overnights for cats too.
- We also have a B&B option for $104.40 it’s 2 hours in the evening and a 30 minute morning visit.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mjthecrittersitter.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mjscrittersitter/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mjccrittersitter
