Today we’d like to introduce you to Betzy Salcedo
Hi Betzy, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I found myself without a job, and I saw an add for “Dog Vacay” which was Rover before it changed ownership and name, and I figured I could dod that until I found a job. I was a veterinary technician at the time and eventually I did find a job; however, the veterinary medicine industry does not pay as well as many might think, so I kept working as a pet sitter/dog walker subcontractor through The Rover platform part time just to have some extra cash on hand. I eventually was getting enough clients that I had to turn them down because I had to work at the clinic, so after discussing it with my husband, I quit the clinic and started pet sitting full time. I kept working solely through Rover for a year while I learned to properly manage my schedule and then in May 15th of 2019 I officially opened Wet Nose Pals. Business was so great I was even thinking of hiring, and then the pandemic happened, and it has been quite the struggle since then; the majority of the people work from home now so dog walking 3-5 days a week was reduced to 1-2 times per week. Vacationers wait until the last moment to book, which makes my schedule even more uncertain, and now with rising costs people have started using family members and neighbors for pet care versus professionals, which I completely understand, but it has affected my business tremendously. Thankfully, I have some very loyal clients who have stuck with me no matter what, and that has always kept me going! Finding a balance between work and personal life has also been a struggle. In 2023 I burned out to the point I was very close to closing with business all together, so I switched the dynamic of the company to a dog adventure business, but I have found it is quiet difficult to gain clients for such a specific service. People seem to like the concept, but I think pricing deters them; due to it being such an exclusive service, pricing runs in the higher end. In fact, most of our rates run in the higher end, but if I charge less then I would not be able to continue my certifications in Pet CPR, Fear Free, or being a member of The Florida Pet Business Association; all of those are important to me because not only make me stand out from hobbyist sitters, but it reinforces our values and mission of enriching life’s through epic adventures & experiences. Kindness, safety, fun and education are the values that help me operate the business every day. Today we are back to offering pet sitting, dog walking and of course dog adventures, but now we also publish a pet centered magazine every month concentrating on educating the public and advocating for responsible “pet guardianship” (I don’t like using the phrase “pet owner” because I feel like in order to truly advocate for our pets we need to see ourselves as their guardians, not an owner; I don’t want my dog to do what I want, I want my dogs to simply live the happiest and best life possible, and I think all of my clients share this sentiment; otherwise they would have never even hired a pet care professional). Alright, I might have gotten derailed lol, my apologies, once I start writing I just seem to keep going sand going. Another new service we offer this year is natural pet treats. I use a dehydrator to prolong shelf life, so no preservatives are used, and I try to keep it as simple as 2 to 3 ingredients only, and the treats are personalized per species, we like to keep it inclusive. When I switched the company to a dog adventure company only in 2023, I secretly felt guilty because I felt I was dismissing my other furry clients, and just felt unfair; dogs tend to get most of the attention, and cats and other species are kind of pushed to the sides, so now all of our offerings are inclusive of every species, and if there is a specific species I am not comfortable handling, chances are I know someone that is and would refer pet parents to that company instead. We belong to a wonderful network of pet business in central florida through The Florida Pet Business Association. This association is important to me because it’s aim is to uphold pet business providers to the highest standards possible, and Wet Nose Pals is so proud to be part of it! The last new offering we have this year is a program called “Pay What You Can” I have always wanted to be an entrepreneur and associate myself to a nonprofit or perhaps even create one; for now unfortunately I don’t have the means to operate a nonprofit; however, that does not mean we cannot help people when needed, so I have decided to kickstart this program to offer pet care services to families undergoing financial hardships. I know firsthand what it’s like to need help with our pets and not have the budget to hire someone. It is overwhelming, frustrating and saddening because we love our pets like they were our children, I mean pets are family, so through this program we are able to offer pet care services and let people decide how much they can pay for those services. Now there are limitations to this as it is just me running the company, we have limited spots open each month and varies depending on availability, pets must be healthy and only require once visit per day, and they must be within a small radius in Apopka. I would love to grow the program enough to where we could fully sponsor families, and perhaps widen our radius and number of visits per day. I also hope that with this program we can help keep pets and families together, many people re-home their pets out of guilt because they have to work long hours and their salary is not enough to hire a pet care professional.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
lol I think I answered this on the previous question, but the good ol’ work-life balance has been incredibly challenging. Trying to figure out how to run and operate a business that provides enough for me to pay my wants and needs, while still having time to enjoy life and spend time with loved ones. The pandemic was also a big challenge because now people work form home so they dont need a dog walker 3-5 times per week anymore; dog walking used to be my bread and butter, these people were the ones that kept the business going because it was stable income; people dont go on vacation every weekend, so that part of the business is more uncertain. Lastly rising costs is our most current and biggest struggle. People are resorting to family members and neighbors to care for their pets, and to be honest I completely understand. It is so difficult with everything going up in prices. I have raised my prices exponentially but I cannot raise them anymore, so I have to continuously figure out ways to lower the business expenses in order to keep it going. I take it all as a good business and economy lesson, but boy is it getting harder to keep the doors open. I just have faith that tings will get better and just take it day by day.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
We are a pet care professional company. We offer a variety of pet care services from pet check-ins at clients homes, dog walking, dog adventures, to pet transportation (cross-country & local). Our mission is to enrich lives through epic pet adventures/experiences. Our core values are kindness, love for the outdoors, safety, transparency, and education. We make every interaction with our clients (furry & human) an experience, from the moment they schedule a consultation to every single service we render. During our client onboarding, clients receive a welcome email, a welcome package and a free printed copy of the most recent magazine. For the pets birthdays we schedule mailed birthday cards with a personal happy birthday message to the pet. If there is a special occasion we are aware of in the client’s life, we take notice and if it’s within that month’s budget, we send a little extra gift. We are working on sending small birthday boxes too. I just want them to know that they are appreciated and that we truly care about them and their pets. To me this is not a job it’s more of a lifestyle. I care for those pets just like my own. When their pets are under my care, they are my furbabies too. This is another reason why our prices are on the higher end, I could not be able to offer all these extras if it wasn’t for that, I probably would not have the time, energy nor budget. I almost forgot to mention, we also offer monthly community dog treks where we show pet parents local hiking trails all throughout Central Florida; it’s a free event where all people and their pets are welcome! This is normally held the third Saturday of each month, but dates do vary.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
Oh my goodness so many! I will do my best to narrow it down. There are a few podcasts I follow in relation to business, Pet Sitter Confessional, Lucky Pup Podcast, & Financial Feminist. In relation to my personal life, I listen to The Huberman Lab, Unlocking Us with Brene Brown, & What The Duck?!. I also listen to audiobooks very often, the most recent ones that have had a big influence on me has been “Radical Compassion” by Tara Brach, “Think Like A Monk” by Jay Shetty, & “Atomic Habits” by James Clear. I also follow a wonderful pet business page in facebook, “Grow Your Dog Walking Business” which is run by Michelle Klein she is a coach/mentor in the industry and offers lots of valuable knowledge. I have also participated in coaching groups that have been super helpful and I have made long-life friends from those, like “Pet Business Owners” with Kate McQuillan.
Pricing:
- 20min check-in $25
- 30min Check-in $40
- 30min dog walk $50
- Half Day dog adventure $90
- Full Day dog adventure $180
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.wetnosepals.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wetnosepals
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wetnosepals
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@wetnosepals
