If you are going to hire a pet-sitter, get a reference or two from people who have used the service. You can ask around or look up pet-sitters in the yellow pages. Neighbors will often take turns pet-sitting for each other. If they won't take payment, be sure to buy a nice gift for your friend. Always choose someone you know is responsible. I used to be so afraid I'd forget the pets, I would write on my bathroom mirror and also have notes all over the house reminding myself. You should also leave a window open or heat on in the winter, and plenty of water and dry food, just in case the pet-sitter does forget.

Do not ever leave your pet tied up outside when you go away, do not leave an old dog out in the summer, and leave a cat a way to find shelter if he goes in or out. It is important that no person or other animal can bother your pet while you are away. The pet-sitter is only there twice a day, unless you decide to pay them to stay over, which is really ideal. I had a friend who only used kennels because of his fear of them being alone, but in my experience it is safe and much easier on the entire family to have someone come to the home. As always, this is just my opinion.

I used to have a pet-sitting business called Aunt Lucy's. I never met a dog who was any trouble. Now the cats...well I had one cat who would not let me into a room and attacked me. The fault was not with the cat, though; the owners should have warned me. Oh yes, one lady hired me to stay at the house for a week with her Springer Spaniel. He was a sweetheart, but just as the woman was leaving, she said, "Oh, my grandson's pet snake is loose." If it hadn't been for the dog, I would have booked it right out of there. So instead, I spent several uneasy nights, thinking the snake might just love to cuddle up with a warm human. I never did see him.

If you are considering pet-sitting yourself, you should be bonded. That is easy enough to get, you just call an insurance company and ask for information. It covers you if anything is missing in the house when the people come back. It tells them you have a clean police record too. Do not look around a client's home. Only go where they tell you, but be sure to ask if you should bring snacks while watching TV with the pet. They will probably tell you to help yourself to what's in the fridge.

Be sure to ask if the dog has any quirks, and ask about emergency numbers, where they will be, etc. Never let anyone pull as fast one on you, like the lady and the snake. Ask if there is anything you should know about that they might have forgotten to tell you. Always meet the pets before hand. Once I stupidly agreed to pet-sit two Bull Mastiffs. Have you seen them? Let me just put it this way; the people never locked their door. So I arrived at night, never having met them, and as I opened the door, I heard low rumbling growls coming from inside. I pulled the door shut, went to a deli and bought liverwurst and went back. This time, no problemo. They loved me.

* * *

This is an idea that I think is appropriate considering the many cruelty cases I have come across lately. It comes from The Animal Legal Defense Fund:

First Strike and You're Out: A Model Law

A Proposal for Mandatory Bans on Contact with Animals Following a Conviction for Animal Neglect or Cruelty

Currently, most states have no mandatory requirements keeping those who are convicted of animal abuse crimes away from animals following their convictions. This despite the fact that offenders have demonstrated, through their actions, their utter disregard for the welfare of animals, and that recidivism in some types of animal abuse cases can reach 100 percent.

Yet having an animal in one's life is a privilege, not a right — and with that privilege comes certain responsibilities, including the responsibility of providing adequate care and otherwise not abusing or neglecting the animal. The Animal Legal Defense Fund's First Strike and You're Out law provides another tool to help combat animal neglect and cruelty by mandating that those who are convicted of a violation of their state animal protection laws are prohibited from owning or having contact with animals for a set period of time, ranging from five years for a first misdemeanor offense up to the lifetime of the offender following a second felony offense.

First Strike and You're Out Law Highlights

• Separates offenders from potential new victims

• Will help to reduce future crimes against animals and save limited community resources

• Those who have been convicted of animal neglect or cruelty have demonstrated, through their actions, their irresponsibility with animals. This justifies having a set period of time where they are not allowed contact with them.

• Addresses high recidivism rates (near 100 percent) for certain offenders (i.e. animal hoarders) Please contact your state legislators today and ask them to support a First Strike and You're Out law for those who are convicted of animal neglect or cruelty.