How One Woman Turned Her Love of Pets Into a Six-Figure Pet Sitting Empire
Can you really make a living walking dogs? That’s the question Kristin Morrison found herself asking in the mid-1990s, when the idea still felt more like doing a favor than building a career. In her mid-20s and living in Tiburon, California, she was still figuring out what kind of work actually fit her life.
Then she met someone who was already doing it professionally, and the whole thing started to look different. Within three months, in 1995, she took the leap and launched Woof! Pet Sitting Services.
A Sidewalk Idea Became A Real Company
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At the beginning, the idea was hard for people to take seriously. Kristin Morrison often got the same question at parties: does pet sitting even count as a real job? In 1995, that reaction was common. The industry wasn’t established, and services like this weren’t yet part of everyday life.
The early phase was slow and uncertain. She had no business background and had to figure things out as she went. Marketing, pricing, and hiring all came through trial, reading, and classes at a local community college. She treated it like ongoing training, learning what worked by actually doing the work.
Over time, that effort built something solid. Woof! Pet Sitting Services expanded over 18 years, grew to a team of more than 30 employees, and brought in millions in revenue. In 2013, she sold the company. The exact price was never shared, but the scale of the business speaks for itself.
The Six-Figure Switch
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By the early 2000s, Woof! Pet Sitting Services was growing, but Kristin Morrison was still handling most of the work herself. Her days stretched to 12 or 14 hours, seven days a week. The shift came when she stopped trying to cover everything on her own.
She stepped back from daily walks and pet visits, promoted a team member to manage day-to-day operations, and focused on clients, hiring, and expansion. Within a year, her schedule dropped to three days a week, and her income doubled compared to the previous year. By 2000, she had crossed $100,000 in annual income, and it continued to grow in the years that followed.
Dogs, Cats, Clients, And A 40-Page Manual
A pet care business sounds cute until the client instructions arrive. Kristin has walked thousands of dogs, and some came with very specific rules. One pet owner gave her a 40-page book for the walkers. This detail is funny, but it also explains why the business worked. Pet owners trust sitters and walkers with animals they consider family. The job demands reliability, patience, insurance, clear communication, and smart hiring.
Kristin also learned that pricing is crucial. She has advised new dog walkers to study competitors and avoid charging too little, because bargain prices can make clients nervous. She recommends local networking with veterinarians, groomers, and humane societies, as well as business insurance for pet sitters. Her insider tip for beginners is practical, too: cats can be easier starter clients because care schedules tend to be more flexible than dog walks.
A Tiny Niche Became Big Business
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Kristin started before social media made it easy to promote local services. She relied on SEO to ensure her website ranked well in search results. Years later, she said she would absolutely use social media, especially since pet owners now discover services online.
After selling Woof!, Kristin moved into coaching through Six-Figure Pet Business Academy. She also wrote five books, including “Six-Figure Pet Sitting” and “30 Days to Start and Grow Your Pet Sitting and Dog Walking Business,” hosted seminars and webinars, and launched the “Prosperous Pet Business” podcast.
A woman who once wondered if dog walking could count as work ended up proving it could count as a career, a company, and a pretty serious payday.