Return To Work Fuels High Demand For Dog Walkers
BOSTON (CBS) -- For Aaron Seamons, the founder of Bostonsbestdogwalkers.com, his pooch walking business has always been a labor of love. In the last six months, his business has picked up the pace.
"Everybody started getting more and more dogs. And as we started getting through the pandemic, we started seeing a crazy increase in the amount of animals and people contacting us for our services," Seamans said.
At the beginning of the pandemic, isolated Americans turned to pets for companionship. Nearly one-in-five American households adopted a dog or cat according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Now, with many Americans returning to the office, Seamans said somebody must walk all the pets. His business has surged from 40 to as high as 75 clients a day.
"Our biggest problem is just hiring more people. Like, we're at a point now where a lot of people call us and we're not taking a lot of new clients," Seamans said.
Take a cruise through Saint Peter's dog park in the South End of Boston and the dog walker pinch is no secret.
Chihuahua owner, Susie Norris, said she has had to reserve walkers a month or two in advance.
"I've been trying to plan, and I've noticed that spring break is on, people are going out of town, summer travel is on. So, it is getting a little more difficult," Norris said.
Dog walker, Caitlin Whitney, even spun off her own dog walking business in the last year. She says she has had no trouble getting clients.
"The demand is insane. Opening my own business was so easy because there are just so many opportunities for new customers in clients," Whitney said. "Honestly we need more walkers."