Correspondant

Karen Lundhild says dog sitting isn't a luxury, but a necessity.

"I don't think it's pampering at all," said Lundhild, who lives in Canton with her husband, Kevin, and their dog, Lady.

Having Roberta Cubbin come once a day, an average of three times a week, to walk Lady is "just part of good pet care," Lundhild said.

"My dog looks for her on the days when I don't need her," Lundhild said. "My dog misses her and expects me to walk her at the same time Roberta is here."

In fact, Cubbin has been visiting the Lundhild residence since she started her "pawfessional" pet sitting company in 1998. It's a full-time job for her, as well as her fianc? and business partner, John Chapman.

Lundhild says she especially likes that Cubbin was a veterinarian technician before starting her business, because she comes to the job with a lot of experience working with animals. Cubbin, a Wayne resident, noticed that Lundhild's other dog, Max, had a health problem that the veterinarian missed. That dog died a month later. But Lundhild remains a big fan of Cubbin's.

They met in 1998 when Lundhild worked eight to 12 hours a day and wanted someone to let her dogs out.

"If you're going to have a dog, you have to take into consideration that it can't be left like a cat," she said. "It needs to be walked and let out of the house."

An added benefit, Lundhild says, is that she enjoys having someone watching her house when she's not there.

"We bring in the mail, water plants, turn on the sprinklers, take out the garbage, alter the blinds and bring in flyers and packages that could be a red flag that they're on vacation," Cubbin said.

Cubbin started the business when she worked as a vet tech and clients, who were in a bind, had nowhere to leave their pets when they went on vacation.

"When I was growing up I wasn't allowed to have animals and I would go to our neighbor and ask if I could walk their dogs," said Cubbin, who studied to be a teacher at Eastern Michigan University. "They got free service when I was little. Now I get paid to do what I always loved to do."

Lady is among 62 Comfy Creatures clients in Livonia, Westland, Canton, Plymouth, Belleville, Garden City, Wayne and Romulus.

"Some dogs need extra attention or extra care and some clients want to pamper their pets," said Cubbin, explaining that she provides whatever they need, which might include more than one visit in a day. "Most of our customers treat their pets like they're their children.

"A lot of people enjoy the benefits of a pet sitter over going to a kennel, because the animals aren't exposed to other animals where they can pick up upper respiratory problems or fleas," said Cubbin, who comes home to a house full of pets - four cats, a dog, a bunny and two fish. She's insured and bonded.

Clients who have multiple animals find it's usually cheaper to hire a pet sitter than to place them in a kennel, she added.

The cost for a 30-minute visit when clients are out of town is $14; an overnight stay that lasts a minimum of 12 hours is $70; a 20-minute visit for a walk, puppy care or to administer medication is $12. She trims nails for $12. (Comfy Creatures note: rates have changed since publication of this article for current rates please visit our rates page here.)

Along with giving pets "potty breaks," Cubbin says, her visits provide entertainment and exercise and she will even provide post-surgery care. They also help clients house train puppies by making mid-day visits to reinforce commands that the owners are trying to teach.

Sometimes clients will call with special needs. For instance, during the power outage last August, some pet owners asked Comfy Creatures to make visits to their homes to comfort their dogs who are frightened during storms.

"We have clients who call us up and say, 'Can you close our windows, because it's starting to rain?'" Cubbin said. "There are several clients who call and say, 'Will you come, because I'm locked out?' That's a free service."

Keep in mind, too, Cubbin says, it's not only a service for dogs and cats. Cubbin and Chapman have taken care of everything from goats to ferrets, bunnies and a four-foot iguana.

Call Comfy Creatures at (888) 2-PETSIT or go to www.comfycreatures.com for more information.