New Home Exchange Service For Pet Lovers

Portland, Oregon, March 5, 2015 (Newswire.com) - A new home exchange service makes it easier for pet lovers to travel. Pet Lovers’ Home Exchange (www.petlovershomeexchange.com) connects pet owners looking for someone to stay in their home and care for their animals for free while they’re out of town, with pet lovers willing to pet sit in exchange for free vacation lodging.

For both sides of the exchange, the potential benefits are priceless. Pet owners leave town knowing that their animals are enjoying personal attention in the comfort of their own home while avoiding the expense and hassle of hiring a professional pet sitter or using a boarding facility. Pet lovers who want a temporary home-away-from-home get to live like a local while enjoying the companionship of an animal and avoiding the cost of a hotel or vacation rental. Pet owners and pet sitters alike have the chance to make personal connections that can lead to lifelong friendships.

Susan Dussault, a Stanford-trained attorney turned mompreneur, created the service to make it easier for her pet-loving family to travel. Her inspiration came during a trip to Madrid, when the fun her sons had practicing Spanish with dog walkers they met strolling in the city was dampened by thoughts of their own canine, whom they’d reluctantly boarded in a kennel.

“I realized that there was probably someone from Madrid who would have loved to have us pet sitting for them, and that there was also probably someone visiting our home town who would have loved to pet sit for us. We just needed a way to connect.”

Dussault had already started a cultural exchange website for her husband’s colleagues at Nike. She took that framework, added all she had learned from her years of experience with pet sitting and home exchanges, and created Pet Lovers’ Home Exchange.

A key part of the web-based program is that members must offer their homes and pet sitting services to each other for free. “Money is involved only if both sides have agreed to reimburse each other for out-of-pocket costs, like utilities, housecleaning, or temporary pet care,” says Dussault. “This lets exchange partners connect on a more personal level, while making it easier to comply with laws and lease agreements that restrict short-term rentals.”

“For a lot of people, pets can make travel difficult,” Dussault explains, “but with Pet Lovers’ Home Exchange, your love of pets can open the door to a whole new world of travel. If you are a pet lover who enjoys traveling, this is the home exchange community for you.”