A Spokane woman with professional animal training has created a business that helps pet owners.

Former veterinarian office assistant and accredited obedience trainer Jenifer Wirz started Spokane Pet Sitting and Pet Taxi Service last fall. After much research, she said she wanted to take her animal experiences and knowledge to a more personal level and provide her services to caring pet owners.

“I really love working with animals,” she says. “I wanted to find a niche that was really needed.”

Wirz has a growing list of clients across the Spokane area who rely on her to care for their animals during vacations, business trips and even when caught working overtime and unable to get home.

Regular pet-sitting hours are from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and include two visits per day for $35 and three visits for $50. She charges an extra mileage fee for outlying areas.

Wirz is willing to care for most any pet and her 30-minute visits include providing fresh water and food, potty breaks, litter box cleaning, personal pet interaction indoors or out, and administering medications if needed.

Wirz says she provides an alternative for those who prefer to keep their animals at home while away rather than at kennels. Plus, she says she offers the professionalism and reliability of a business, including an in-home consultation, a contract, and pet information and medical release forms. She also is licensed and insured.

While caring for other people’s pets, Wirz says she is always on the lookout for potential safety issues to animals and that she has the capability to key in on an illness that may occur while owners are gone.

“I have a level of professionalism that you need when you have someone in your home,” she says. “We want that reassurance for our pets.”

Wirz experiences include working as an assistant in a small-veterinarian office on Vashon Island and for a national retailer of specialty pet supplies and services in Seattle and Spokane.

The taxi aspect of her business includes pet transportation in a well-equipped vehicle that includes a ramp for senior animals. She takes animals to vet and grooming appointments, and says the service is ideal for those with scheduling conflicts, limited mobility or lack of transportation. Cost for a two-hour, 20-mile round-trip service is $50.

Her taxi also is available for late-night emergencies, to and from doggie day care, and even for relocation services.