From Health Crisis to Pet Care Passion: A Journey with Zippy Pets
We've got a very special company and person in our next Client Spotlight. Meet Makenzy Moore and Zippy Pets! Based in beautiful Asheville, NC, Makenzy and her amazing team provide much more than pet care. They deliver peace of mind to their pet parent clients while providing exceptional care to pets designed to enhance their physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
Zippy Pets offers an array of services, ranging from dog walks and drop-in visits to dog hikes, pet transportation, specialized care, and more. Makenzy and her passionate team of pet lovers provide personalized care to all the pets they get to hang with. To learn more about Zippy Pets, check out their website. They also have some of the best pictures we've seen on their Instagram and Facebook pages. Now to Makenzy's story!
What caused you to get into pet sitting/dog walking?
I initially started this journey in 2020 while navigating a health crisis. I needed something more flexible because every day and every week felt unpredictable with doctors' appointments. A regular 9-5 wasn't possible anymore, so I searched for work that would be less taxing on my mental health. I began on Rover, where I earned a significant number of 5-star reviews in a short time. Alongside my own challenges with finding reliable pet care and making progress in healing, I saw a real need for skilled, compassionate, and dependable pet sitters. In response, I founded Zippy Pets in 2022.
Pet sitting has supported me through so much-a nervous system disorder, family struggles, two miscarriages, and the birth of my child. The pets I cared for reminded me of the unconditional love that exists and kept me going during the hardest moments of my life, and they still do. Last year, my husband joined me full-time. With his experience in scaling and managing teams, we now co-run a team of seven passionate pet professionals. Together, we're excited to elevate the standard of pet care and make a positive difference in the lives of our clients, their pets, and our team.
What is the most fulfilling part of owning a pet sitting/dog walking business?
There are so many fulfilling aspects, but the biggest one is the impact we make - not only in the lives of our clients and their pets but also within our team. Our goal is to build community through pet care and create a lasting impact on everyone who crosses our path, whether they're with us for a short time or the long haul. Nothing compares to the feeling of receiving feedback from clients who say they've never had someone like us or hearing from a team member that we've been supportive mentors who have made a difference in their lives.
What is the most challenging?
The most challenging part of being a business owner is the constant feeling that there's not enough time! Between customer support, administrative tasks, marketing, website management, hiring, and managing expectations, it's easy to feel stretched thin. That said, we enjoy a good challenge-it's in those tough moments that we find our growth edge.
Where do you see your business in 5 years?
In five years, I see us as one of the biggest and best-known pet-sitting businesses in our region. I also envision us leading the way in a holistic approach to pet care, offering additional services like energy healing, laser therapy, and more to ensure pets receive the best care possible.
What has Time To Pet changed the most about how you run your business?
Time To Pet has made everything much more streamlined and manageable. The automation features, especially for invoicing, have been a huge help-they save us time and make it easier to keep up with the many facets of the business. The more streamlined our systems, the more time we have to focus on supporting our clients, team, and vision!
Supporting Our Team After Hurricane Helene
Since we're based in the Asheville area, many of you have likely heard about the recent hurricane that has forever changed our community. Thankfully, everyone on our team is safe, but some of our sitters are still displaced and without a reliable income, with an uncertain future ahead. We're raising funds to cover their immediate needs - food, supplies, and any medical expenses - as well as to provide them some cushion as they determine their next steps. Every donation will go directly to helping our team get back on their feet, ensuring that Zippy Pets can continue to provide the dependable care our community relies on.
Thank you for your support. If you're able to contribute or share our story, it would mean the world to us. You can learn more and donate at our GoFundMe page here: Zippy Pets Team Recovery Fund.
