Business of the Week: Green Dog, Pleasantville
Working for a financial firm on Wall Street was once Cynthia Flood’s career of choice. But when she reached 30 years old the market crashed and Flood turned to a pet sitting business she had been running part-time for her full-time work.
“I always worked in banking while pursuing my degree at FIT and pet sitting in the evenings and on the weekends,” said Flood, who graduated with a marketing degree. “I loved meeting new pets, spending time with them and having my own great clients.”
Fast forward eight years and Flood now has a growing pet sitting service, Green Dog. What makes the business different from all other animal-inspired operations, is that Flood, a Pleasantville native, specializes in taking care of anxious pets, particularly those that have been abused or neglected from a young age.
Flood said her easygoing personality has a calming effect on the dogs and cats in her care. For many of her clients, having their pets looked after at home provides peace of mind that a pet care facility may be unable to provide.
“I take a very holistic approach with the animals,” said Flood, who has been an animal lover all her life, having grown up with cats, dogs, fish and birds. She recalled that her childhood pet was a golden retriever called Missy.
“Pet Sitting with Love” is Green Dog’s tagline, and something that Flood takes seriously. It’s not simply about walking a dog or playfully interacting with a cat. Flood is more concerned about their welfare and happiness.
“My clients prefer not to have their pets in kennels or boarding facilities,” Flood said. “They know that I love their pets and like that I provide one-on-one private pet care with love in the comfort of the pet’s own home environment.”
Flood spends time educating her clients on pet nutrition. Many owners, she believes, refrain from purchasing quality pet food, not knowing how important it is to provide cats and dogs with plenty of protein, vitamins and other nutrients that are crucial to good health.
Among the brands she most frequently recommends for dogs and cats include Merrick, Fromm Family Pet Food and Blue Buffalo products, among others.
Flood also relies on the advice she receives from local veterinarians, including Stacey Joy Herschman, a vet who runs a homeopathic practice in Hastings-on-Hudson. In addition, Flood refers clients to animal healers in the area.
Flood also administers medications to the pets in her care, whether those are insulin shots, pills or liquid.
While franchises serve the needs of some customers, Flood said her personal touch has made the difference to pet owners who want the additional attention that Green Dog offers.
“I really love pets,” said Flood. “I provide my clients’ pets with a lot of love and care and they love that.”
Green Dog provides pet sitting services to clients throughout Westchester, New York City and Greenwich, Conn. For more information, call Flood at 203-918-5539.
Colette Connolly is a copywriter and p.r. expert. She owns Connolly Communications, which is based in Bronxville, New York. Colette specializes in providing content-rich, SEO-optimized press releases, articles, newsletters, brochures, and customer success stories.