Demand, cost for dog walkers skyrocketing in New York City

NEW YORK -- More and more pet owners in New York are turning to dog walkers, but trying to find one these days is a costly challenge.

Nine-year old Lacy needs plenty of outdoor time, and her owner, Eric Mendez, trusts his dog walker to make sure she gets it.

"I wanted to make sure that she was taken out at least 30-40 minutes during the day so that she gets a lot of that anxiety out, has something to do during the day," he said.

But Mendez is finding demand for dog walkers has skyrocketed.

Part of that has to do with the pandemic. An ASPCA survey found close to 1 in 5 American families adopted a pet in 2020 and early 2021; that's 23 million households. With that increased demand comes higher prices.

Mendez says he pays $630 a month.

"It was $500, and shortly after the pandemic took off, they raised prices to $630," he said.

The New York Times even reports one walker in New York makes six figures, though that's far from typical.

Violet Blyden is the owner of Bare Paws, a dog walking service. She says higher prices have more to do with inflation.

"Everything has gotten more expensive. We're paying $8 dollars for eggs. Dog walkers also kind of have to be able to afford New York City," she said.

She also says work from home is winding down for many humans, and they're calling her.

"I think it has a lot more people going back to work, than it has to do with more dogs. People just need us more," she said.

If you're hiring a walker, experts say do your research first, ask for references and set up a meet-and-greet. After all, it's an investment in someone you trust to keep your pup healthy and happy.