Pet Peeves about Your Principal’s Pet Care
We've all got our pet peeves about personal service. This is one of mine. I also receive constant confirmation from other estate managers that it's on the top of their list as well.
Yes, we all understand that employing a household team affords a certain level of service. Even so, there are certain boundaries that these often unspoken service expectations cross. Some principals abuse the privilege related to household pet care, and it starts by merely stating that it's in your job description.
I once took a position where my job description included "pet care." Those were literally the only two words included about this in my employment agreement.
Two months into my new role, my principal left the property on a Friday night, not to return for seven days, and left his beloved dog behind without a word. I called our director of residence and asked him what I should do with Rover, and he instructed me to take him home!
The first problem was that my apartment didn't allow pets, so this meant I had to stay at the property all week. Secondly, Rover had NEVER been left alone, meaning his anxiety was severe when his owner left. So I had to cancel my plans to tend to his needs. I was afraid the old guy might have a heart attack.
The third challenge was that he was accustomed to sleeping in his principal's bed – under the covers! So, you guessed it – Rover had his way in my bed.
Lastly, he was so old that his legs weren't strong enough to walk on hardwood floors. This required following him around most of the day, picking him up, and setting him on the carpet, which came with its own set of challenges as he no longer had bladder control either.
Let's just say that, by the end of the week, I was exhausted and totally stressed out. More than usual.
How to Approach Pet Care Properly
As a principal, when you travel and leave your pet behind – whether staff stays in your home or takes your pet to their home – this should be considered "additional work" with added 24-hour-a-day compensation.
Think about it this way. Proper pet care involves concentrated amounts of time to feed, medicate, groom, exercise, and train. And, just like children, they need attention and a fair amount of clean-up, including pet waste, dirty paws, and shedding hair.
When you expect the highest level of care for your pet, you should be willing to pay for it. At the very least, your staff should be bonused for this additional service as if you were paying for a high-end pet resort. Remember, you've just asked your staff to give your pet "private" care, and therefore, this should cost you more than the group rate at your local pet resort.
Taking a pet along with you when you travel isn't effortless either. International travel with a pet requires expert-level planning skills of global concierge service.
Your staff knows how important your pets are to you and your family and that the consequences of something happening to them might jeopardize their employment. As a result, they take this responsibility very seriously.
As for the assumption that your staff's workload gets lighter when you leave town… It’s quite the contrary, and often, this is when real work gets done. But believe it or not, this can be a very stressful time for your staff because they're under time constraints to finish larger projects before you return.
The point is that this type of care is equivalent to childcare and should be treated with equal value. Be mindful of the effort it takes to care for your furry children, be appreciative of the effort, and compensate appropriately. Also, be open to a Plan B in case your staff isn't able to manage this level of care during your travels. Remember, they have personal lives and outside responsibilities, too.
While you decide who's going to take care of your fur baby, let us help you create a pet care plan to outline all of the details of your expectations. The How To Manage A Mansion™ Principal Profiles Module will help you create documents to outline every aspect of required and assumed duties for anyone who is tasked with this role.
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