Who We Are
Employees Driven to Make all Dogs’ Tails Wag and to Make all Kitties Purr
From Wags to Whiskers, Inc. employs mature individuals to care for your pets. Each employee has a diverse skill set, often already having many years in a successful career. Some have raised children and most have animals of their own. We are all committed to caring for your pets in the best possible way and are willing to go beyond the standard job description.
Cody, Wyoming 2004
Founded by Cindy Thibault in 2004, From Wags to Whiskers, Inc. is Dedicated to Giving Pet Owners Peace of Mind
From Wags to Whiskers, Inc. was conceived after Cindy hired a woman to make midday visits to her dogs when working 12-hour days as a computer software engineer. She had never met a happier person. The dog sitter said, “What is there not to be happy about? I spend my whole day with animals.”
In the spring of 2004, Cindy and her husband, Richard, left behind engineering careers in the high stress environment of computer technology in Massachusetts and headed west. They spent 4 months exploring the United States in a 34-foot RV with their 3-year-old chocolate Labrador Retriever, Baxter. They settled down in Virginia Beach where Cindy pursued her dream of running her own company, focusing on her love of animals, and giving peace of mind to other pet parents, as a sitter had once given her.
Who Is Caring For Your Pets?
Employees,
Not Independent Contractors
When most pet parents look for a pet sitter to care for their animals, they will check the obvious things: insurance, bonding and references. Although hiring a company with these things in place is very important, there is also something else just as important that should be determined.
Are the pet sitters and dog walkers employees or independent contractors?
From Wags to Whiskers, Inc. Hires Only Employees
Hiring employees is more costly for a company but it also means the company has more control over how, when, and who performs a visit. We work closely together as a team when caring for all of our clients’ pets.
- The company provides workers compensation to our employees in case of an injury on the job. This type of insurance cannot be provided to independent contractors. The contractor may elect to obtain it themselves, but most do not.
- We contribute to social security, medicare, and unemployment.
- From Wags to Whiskers carries liability insurance and bonding.
- We manage, train, coach, and mentor our employees for consistency of care. By law, this type of guidance cannot be provided to or required of independent contractors as they are essentially a hired 3rd party company.
- Management is always available to our employee team for back up and emergency care should it be needed.
What Clients Are Saying
“They took wonderful care of our elderly dog – pampering him and taking him on walks, and they were even able to give our feisty cat his medication”
Sandra Humphries
“She has always been very responsive to our needs and she treats the dogs as if they were her own. She would always go above and beyond what we asked for and I always had the piece of mind that our pets were in the best care when we were away.”
Misty Goldman
“Cindy and a few of her amazing ladies took exceptional care of my sweet girl…Cindy was available, with no notice, to take care of Zoe on several occasions when something came up and I wasn’t able to make it home on time.”
Polly Crandall
Ready to Meet and Talk?
Before service can began, we must arrange a time to meet. It will take place at your home and will last approximately 30 minutes. At that time, we will be introduced to your animals and we will discuss what will happen during the visits.
Want to Join the Team?
Earn extra money doing what you love – spending time with animals! Our hours of operation are 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM, seven days a week. This job is a unique opportunity for graduate students, vet techs, military spouses, and active retirees. Due to our extensive hours of operation, your schedule can be personalized for when you want to work. Therefore, we can accommodate other regular commitments, e.g., other jobs or schooling.