When you hire a roofing company, exterior painting contractor, or really any type of professional to do work around your house, we know your pet is on your mind. Identifying pet-friendly businesses is a part of life with a furry friend. As dog and cat lovers too, we totally get it. In fact, our crews get asked the question all the time… What should I do with my cat while you’re working? Will my dog be okay…?
It’s a valid concern and a big part of the reason we offer free dog boarding (and cat boarding) to customers. Our commitment to operating as one of Ohio’s pet-friendly businesses means answering your questions and providing solutions. So what exactly can companies do to be considered pet-friendly businesses? And more importantly, how can you identify those that aren’t?
Pet-friendly businesses can look different depending on the industry. For restaurants and sidewalk shops, a water bowl or streetside signage can be a great indicator. For contractors and service businesses, it pays to look at things like proactivity and communication, pet-friendly protocols, and special accommodations.
We all know that as pet owners, finding pet-friendly accommodations is one of the first items on your list any time you go on vacation. Whether you bring your furry friend with you to Aruba or drop them off at Pet Palace for their own vacation, making sure your pet is comfortable until it’s time to head back home is important. But what about those times when home isn’t so comfortable for a couple of days?
When you need a plumber, home renovation crew, exterior painting contractor, or other workers around the house, how do you decide who to hire? Well, you can start by looking for a couple of easy indicators.
Pet-Friendly Businesses Demonstrate These Things
Proactivity and Communication
Say you have a contractor out to your home to give you a quote. (After all, not all companies offer free drone estimates yet.) Naturally, your puppy is going to be excited. He’ll probably be jumping all over the place, right? Maybe your tabby cat doesn’t know quite where to be with a new guest walking all over the place. One easy test for pet-friendly businesses is to pay attention to how a contractor deals with this initial visit.
If he/she is friendly with your pet and quick to answer any questions you have, that’s a good sign. It’s even better if the business takes initiative to bring it up themselves, as in: “Your pet has a lot of energy! I know having contractors around can be disruptive. Here are a couple of tips for during the project if you
*Of course, many businesses won’t be as intrusive as an in-home contractor. For restaurants and shops, a great place to check is their website. Most pet-friendly businesses have a notice online. They make a point of communicating their pet-friendliness through their online presence or distributed literature. You may even find a special promotion or free treat day!
Pet-Friendly Protocols
Companies that make a point to outline their pet policy are communicating a couple of things. First, they’re saying they care about making you and your pet as comfortable as possible. Secondly, they’re saying they’ve been in this position before. They’ve dealt with pets in or around their business, and have developed a system for being a pet-friendly business.
At GPro Exteriors, one thing we do is train our crews on a series of techniques to use when working on a house with one or more pets. Our employees designate a door for pet and family indoor/outdoor access during a project. They communicate that with the homeowner(s). We also take roofing safety very seriously on every job, regardless of the pet situation — utilizing the Equipter RB4000 and an additional catch-all tarp system as a membrane to keep homes and yards much safer than a typical roofing company can.
Special Accommodations
Water Bowls
Pet accommodations can look like any number of things. For instance, a water bowl outside the ice cream shop on a hot summer day is a good indicator that the owner hasn’t forgotten about cooling down the shortest member of your family.
Dog and Cat Boarding
If you’ve hired a contractor, you may not have the extra cash in your budget to send Fido to Pet Palace. Dog and cat boarding is kind of expensive when you consider that you’re already paying for work to be done around your home. Be it a kitchen renovation, metal roofing installation, or indoor pool installation (hey, I don’t know what kind of life you lead), your dog or cat probably doesn’t realize that you’re potentially already shelling out thousands! But they still deserve complete safety and comfort.
That’s why GPro Exteriors pays for client pet boarding during roofwork.
There may be other companies that do this too, but we haven’t heard of ’em. So at least when you need a new coat of exterior paint, roof work, or a new set of windows or gutters installed, we’ve got you covered. We could try installing that indoor pool for you, but that might end poorly… so we’ll stick to what we’re great at and put your dog or cat up for a pet spa getaway at Pet Palace (or somewhere comparable if you have a preferred pet-boarding spot).
Pet-Friendly Businesses: A Wrap-Up
One cat and dog-friendly business may look a little different from the next, but the key indicators are usually there. Look for proactivity and communication, widely-accessible pet-friendly protocol information, and potentially a special accommodation or two if the business wants to go above and beyond. Your pets will definitely thank you!
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