Taking care of other people’s best friends means living with the chilling prospect of an emergency. Dog walking emergencies can come in all shapes and sizes, from a vehicle break down to a sprained ankle to potentially traumatic accidents. Out on a trail, an otherwise reliable dog takes off chasing an unknown scent and is lost or hit by a car. Two dogs who normally play well together get into a nasty fight. A dog you are walking swallows a rock or other non-edible item whole. All are scenarios that make dog walkers sweat. But failing to consider and prepare for accidents makes them more likely and will only aggravate an already bad situation if it happens.
Your clients, the dogs, your staff, yourself—everyone is better served by a 3 P’s approach—taking deliberate care to prevent emergencies, planning for their eventuality (life does happen, after all), and having set protocols to follow for each type of emergency to stave off panic and keep things under control.
Emergency Planning
Being prepared keeps emergencies contained when they do happen. Better a small emergency than one that blooms into a crisis.
Carry aid kit — and know how to use it
Keep a full kit in your vehicle and a small kit on your person as you walk. Visit DogSafe or PetTech websites for canine aid kit information and to look for 1 aid classes if you are not already certified.
Always have client contact information on hand. You should never have to rummage frantically through your vehicle for your phone list or, perish the thought, go home to get it. Keep up-to-date, well-organized client contact details in your car or phone at all times, and require any staff to do so as well.
Program emergency vet phone numbers into your phone
Write down or program into a work phone emergency directions to the closest vets from your most-used trails or the neighborhoods you service and keep them in any car ever used to transport dogs. Make sure all staff members know where to find the directions and understand them. Even if you work solo and you know the directions well, have them pre-programmed into your phone or GPS. When a crisis hits, it’s all too easy to forget one’s own name, let alone how to get to the veterinary hospital.
Get permission to help, in writing
Your client service contract should clearly spell out what’s expected of you in an emergency.
- Have clients give you permission to seek emergency treatment and agree to cover the cost.
- Have clients specify whether there’s a cap on the cost they will accept. (Don’t assume everyone shares your willingness to take out a second mortgage to pay for surgery.)
- Have clients specify whether they authorize you to take the dog to whichever vet or animal hospital is closest. In other words, they want you to exercise discretion in getting their dog the best, fastest care. Otherwise, they may refuse to pay because you didn’t use their vet.
- Have clients state their wishes with regards to resuscitative care. For example, some clients may not wish to have senior dogs resuscitated.
Recruit an emergency assistant
One way to prevent panic in an emergency is to have a person to call who can help you keep calm and assist with urgent tasks. Don’t just make a mental list of cool-headed friends, though. Your emergency assistant must know and agree to his or her new designation, and the two of you should set up a protocol for such calls. Maybe it’s her job to meet you at the vet clinic and provide general support. Maybe she is the one who takes the other dogs home. Maybe she finishes your walking stops for the day. Whatever it is, you always know that someone can come to your aid. You and a fellow dog pro can do this for each other, or you can ask a friend who works from home or has a flexible office schedule.
Take your emergency assistant out with you on your regular rounds so she can meet all the dogs. Then practice your emergency protocol with your assistant to make sure everything goes as planned when you really need it to.
This article is re-published with permission from dog*biz.
dog*biz helps dog lovers pursue their dream jobs through friendly, one-on-one business consulting, career counseling, business products, and the dog*biz Dog Walking Academy.
The dog*biz Dog Walking Academy is a professional course for new and experienced dog walkers looking for the best in professional education. Learn more at www.dogbizsuccess.com/dog-walking-academy-about/