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Olds College offering pet sitting program

Olds College hopes to give entrepreneurs an edge in the dog-eat-dog world of pet sitting.

Olds College hopes to give entrepreneurs an edge in the dog-eat-dog world of pet sitting.

The Continuing Education program will offer a new two-day Pet Sitting course designed to provide the must have skills needed to run a successful pet sitting business.

Mark Fournier, Continuing Education program manager, said there is a large demand for pet sitters in today’s busy world but good pet sitters are hard to find.

Fournier said there are a lot of pet sitters who have a passion for animals but they may not necessarily have formal training.

“They may have had some with their own pets so they have a background in it,” said Fournier.

“But they aren’t really up to speed on any health-care issues the pets may have or to identify some of the common issues or to talk to a vet.”

The course is designed for pet sitters of small animals like dogs and cats.

Caring for pocket pets like gerbils or exotic animals, including snakes and lizards, will not be covered.

In the two-day course, a registered animal health technologist will cover topics such as animal behaviour, handling and restraint of selected species and bandaging procedures for small animals.

The business side of pet sitting will also be covered, with tips on dealing with Revenue Canada and other subjects.

At the end of the course, the participants will receive a certificate. Registration is now open and limited to 20 participants. Fournier said another course will be offered in the spring, depending on the success of the program.

The course runs on Oct. 13 and 14 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Olds, and on Oct. 27 and 29 at its Calgary campus.

Tuition is $275 plus GST. To register, call Olds College Continuing Education at 403-556-4677 or email at coned@oldscollege.ca. Visit www.oldscollege.ca/petsitting for more information.

crhyno@www.reddeeradvocate.com