Your Family May Not Be Up to the Task! Choose the Right Sitter for Your Pet
When your children were young, you wouldn’t trust their care to any old babysitter, would you? Of course not! Now, your pets are no different. When you head out for a summer vacation, they deserve to be cared for by someone who will pamper and protect them the same You may be tempted to ask your sibling, friend, or child to watch your pet. This can be a great solution because you trust them, and they’ve bonded with your furry friend already. But have you considered a professional? Some situations may call for a little more. Use these questions to help you decide: way you would. The only problem is, who? Friends and Family vs. Professionals • Will your friend or family member be able to visit your home regularly or stay there temporarily while you’re gone to avoid disrupting your pet’s routine? • Does your pet have a disability or need to take medication that would be better handled by a professional? • Does your friend or family member know how to stay cool and react calmly in case of a veterinary emergency?
If your loved one is pressed for time or easily stressed, or your pet has medical needs, you may be better off
working with a professional. How to Find the Right Pro
When choosing a professional pet sitter, don’t start with the flier on the stop sign pole down the street (it was probably put up by a 10-year-old). Instead, call your pet’s vet, groomer, and/or trainer and ask if they can recommend a nearby pet sitter. You can also ask friends and family who are conscientious pet owners. Then, thoroughly check the sitter’s credentials and experience. Look for signs that they’re serious about their work, like certifications, insurance, and background check information, and set up an interview and meet-and-greet with your pet. If you can’t find a sitter through your network, consider online groups like the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters, Care.com, Pet Sitters International, Rover, or TrustedHousesitters, and use the same vetting strategy. For more help choosing a great sitter, visit HumaneSociety.org/resources .
You’re Never Too Old to Learn Something New
As we reach retirement age and step back from our full-time jobs, many of us look for new ways to fill our time. Some participate in hobbies like tennis or golf more often, while others are content to sit on their back porches and enjoy the nature around them. However, many have a hard time shaking the urge to continue learning about things that interest them. We’ve learned about new things throughout our whole lives; we can’t be expected to stop just because we have reached a certain age. Thankfully, there are many ways to continue learning well into retirement. Here are a few ideas. Read books and watch documentaries. This is probably the most obvious way to continue your learning journey, as many of us have read books throughout our lives, but it’s still worth mentioning. Books are available on almost every subject you could imagine, and you don’t even have to go to a bookstore or library to grab a new book. Thanks to tablets and e-readers, you can pull up any book and start reading at a moment’s notice. Also, don’t be
afraid to check out new documentaries. You probably won’t find them in your local theater, but streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Max are full of them. Attend workshops, seminars, and college classes. Now that you have some additional free time, try attending classes or seminars that have always interested you. In Georgia, residents 62 and older can sign up for courses at any college or university in the state system and attend without paying tuition. That’s a pretty sweet deal! Look through the courses offered at the nearest college and enroll in any that interest you. There are also plenty of workshops and seminars offered by other organizations in the community that may appeal to you. Visit a museum. There’s nothing better than taking a walk through history, and that’s exactly what you can do when visiting a museum. Whether you like nature, art, history, college football, or science, there’s a museum in the Atlanta area that will appeal to you.
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