FETCH! Pet Care™ Launches ‘Go Fetch!’ Four-Legged Fitness Service

PRLog (Press Release) - Feb 20, 2007 -
BERKELEY, CA, February 20, 2007 – With one out of every four dogs and cats in the western world reportedly obese, Fido and Felix are battling a health crisis of their own.  With this in mind, FETCH! Pet Care (www.fetchpetcare.com), America’s largest and most sophisticated pet care franchise offering professional pet sitting and dog walking services, today announced it has launched “Go Fetch!” – the company’s newest service option intended to get each client’s dog or cat up and moving for a sustained period of time. During each visit pets enjoy stimulating and enjoyable activities, while receiving attentive loving care in the process.  

Studies show that the incidence of animal obesity is escalating.  And, like obese humans, weight-challenged animals run a higher risk of developing diabetes, heart disease and joint and hip difficulties, among other problems.  FETCH! Pet Care’s new “Go Fetch!” service option is intended to proactively help stem this ominous trend by ensuring the animals under their care get a daily dose of physical fitness.

In fact, the professionals at FETCH! Pet Care take the health and well-being of animals under their care very seriously, and the company’s services extend far beyond the provision of food and water.  With the advent of “Go Fetch!,” it’s now nothing short of a corporate mandate that, with each visitation, each client’s pet gets up,  moving and having fun. FETCH! Pet Care sitters arrive at the client’s home outfitted with balls, frisbees, play toys, string and sheer enthusiasm to give the dogs and cats in their care a fun-filled daily workout.  Each animal exercise regime is carefully tailored to the pet’s age, ability, health condition, preferences and temperament.

Keeping a pet’s weight in check through daily exercise provides them with many benefits, both physical and emotional. FETCH! Pet Care offers these insights on the importance of pet-focused Phys-Ed:

·   Health:  As with humans, daily exercise provides animals with a variety of health benefits, including improved metabolism and digestion, enhancement of the immune system to better ward off illness, increases in bone and muscle density and overall strength, as well as maximized cardiovascular system function…not to mention substantial veterinary cost savings;
·   Energy:  Daily walks or play sessions are a great way of energizing lethargic and/or overweight pets, and will give them a much-needed spring in their step;
·   Temperament:  High strung, hyperactive or even aggressive dogs are often quite calm and relaxed after a good day’s workout.  Regular exercise will keep these angst-ridden pets in a greater state of contentment;
·   Sleep:  Want a good night’s sleep? So does your pet!  Daily exercise can greatly improve the quality of Fido and Felix’s overnight slumber – and in doing so, perhaps yours as well;
·   Socialization:  New pups, adopted pets, those received as gifts and/or the timid especially benefit from daily exposure to, and playful interaction with, both humans and other dogs;
·   Happiness:  Pets that exercise daily often thrive on, and return, the love and attention they receive from humans and their furry friends during the process;
·   Longevity:  We all want our pets to be around as long as possible, and daily exercise is one way to help assure that.  The multitude of health benefits daily exercise provides can help your dog or cat live a longer, healthier and happier life.

How do you know if your pet is obese?  According to a report issued by the National Academy of Sciences, “A dog is at an ideal weight when one can easily feel the ribs with a minimal amount of fat, and when the waist is easily observed behind the ribs when viewed from above. At an ideal weight, a cat appears well-proportioned, shows a moderate waistline behind the ribs, and has a thin covering of fat over the ribs and abdomen.”

FETCH! Pet Care currently services almost 1,000 cities and towns throughout Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Texas.  The company provides a range of services that meet every need and budget, including boarding and daycare in the sitter’s home, overnight sitting or daily visits in the client’s home, private and group dog walks, pet taxiing, animal waste removal, and miscellaneous home care.  A free in-home consultation permits clients, pets and sitters to get pre-acquainted and address each pet's unique needs.  

Consumers can reach FETCH! Pet Care through its Web site at www.FetchPetCare.com or via toll-free telephone at 1-866-FETCH-ME, where they simply enter their 5-digit zip code to be quickly connected to the FETCH! Pet Care office nearest them.