Pet Watch is the oldest continuous pet sitting service providing in-home pet care for Forsyth and Dawson counties. We celebrated our 10-year anniversary on March 1, 2005. Owner Beth Fasnacht founded the company in 1995, and the reason she started Pet Watch was to put her love of animals and owning her own business together. In this business, we can help pet owners by providing them an alternative for their pets while the family is away from home.

Fasnacht had a long-time career as a Park Ranger with the National Park Service and the Corp of Engineers. This business also gives her more time to spend with her children.

“Pet sitting is an alternative way of having your pet cared for,” Fasnacht said. “It gives the client peace of mind that their pets and home are being cared for while they are away.”

The Pet Watch service is comprehensive. In addition to feeding and fresh water, litter box cleaning, and a potty breaks, pets get the love and care that they need.

“We tailor the actual sits around the pets’ habits. Whatever the owner wants, we try to do so that the pets’ routine is not broken,” Fasnacht said.

Those who travel out of town can opt for two or more visits daily. This may include a long walk, a play session, brushing, giving medication when needed and the most important part -- spending 'quality time' with 'lots of love and affection' to the client's four-legged children.

Pet Watch also includes house sitting services like the collection of the mail, newspaper, watering house plants, rotating lights and blinds, taking out the trash to the street and returning it; plus we walk around the home/property to check possible storm damage during severe weather and to check the security of the home.

All clients' schedules and information are kept confidential. Fasnacht says that some clients use the house sitting services even they don't own a pet or continue with the service if they no long have their pet. The bottom line: we want our clients to go on vacation and have the "Peace of Mind" that everything back home is being taken care of so that they can truly relax and enjoy a hard-earned vacation.

Elizabeth Sanders of Dawson County used to board her three dogs at the kennel when she traveled. She found it inconvenient to get them there and pick them up during the kennel's set times, she worried that her dogs would be exposed to diseases from other animals and she just wasn't sure that her pets got the care they deserved.

"Always when we picked them up, they were just kind of mad at us," Sanders said. "We just knew they weren't happy." Sanders now relies on Pet Watch staff to provide two daily pet care visits in her home when she travels. "We know they're happy . We don't mind leaving now," Sanders said. "When we come home, the dogs act like they don't even know we've been gone."

Mary Ellen Vanakin of Forsyth County has depended on Pet Watch to care for an African Gray bird, two very large aquariums and her Golden Retriever since 1996.

"The level of service is excellent," Vanakin said. "They're great on the phone, and the sitters are great. We feel safe putting our babies in their hands. I feel safe giving them my key."

All Pet Watch sitters are bonded and insured through the company, and clients can rely on having the same sitter for every visit.

"Most of our staff is older and responsible," Fasnacht said. "We have 18 sitters on staff and most of them stay with us for a long time. They are a group of adults who love pets and love what they do. We are blessed to have such a great group of sitters.

"The trust between our clients and the company is very important to us," Fasnacht said.

Another service we offer is our "Daily Dog Walking Service," for the client who works long hours and has to commute to Atlanta during rush-hour traffic. We come to your home and walk your dog between the hours of 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM every weekday.

Fasnacht is an active member in Pet Sitter International Association (PSI) (1996 - present) was an Ambassador from 1998 to 2003 and taught breakout sessions at the national convention for three years. She's a member of the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (NAPPS) from 1996 - present and was the Southeast Regional Director from 2000 to 2002. She founded the Georgia Network of Professional Pet Sitters in 1996 and hosted the Southeastern Regional Pet Sitters Conference for four years.

Locally, she is a member of Chamber of Commerce and Humane Society in both Forsyth and Dawson Counties, a Partner In Education with Chattahoochee Elementary School for six years, and a graduate of the 1991 class of Leadership Forsyth and 1997 class of Leadership North Fulton.

Pet Watch provides in-home pet sitting services to meet the needs of more than 650+ Forsyth and Dawson County residents with all types of house pets.

Pet Watch requires an in-home visit between the owner, the pet, and the sitter for all new clients. Fees start at $18.00 per visit for one pet (or two cats). Additional fees apply for each additional pet, visit, and on major holidays and specialized medical care. For more information or to set-up an appointment, call 770-887-7930, or visit Pet Watch at www.petwatch-inc.com.