What Makes Funky Bunch Pet Care Different From Hobby Sitters in Nixa, MO
Collin & Meghan attending PSI’s 2025 Pet Sitter Conference
When you’re looking for a dog walker or pet sitter around Nixa, MO, there are plenty of folks who love animals and want to help. But loving pets is one thing — operating with professional standards, safety, insurance, and ongoing education is another. At Funky Bunch Pet Care, our goal is to give you peace of mind that your pet is being cared for by a team of professionals — not a hobbyist.
Below, we walk you through the PSI Recommended Quality Standards for Excellence in Pet Sitting (a benchmark in our industry) and how we align with — and frequently surpass — each point. You’ll see exactly why choosing us is an investment in reliability, safety, and professionalism.
PSI’s standards are publicly available here: PSI Recommended Quality Standards for Excellence in Pet Sitting (PDF)
1. Animal Care & Stewardship
PSI standard example:
“The sitter learns as much as possible about the routines, behaviours and needs of animals in their care and documents specific care instructions provided by the pet owners.”
How Funky Bunch nails it:
We conduct a detailed meet & greet prior to service start, covering feeding, meds, comfort items, favourite toys, weird habits and safe zones.
Each visit includes photo updates, short video clips and a written note so you know your pet’s routine was followed.
We invest in Fear Free® training so our team is attuned to stress signals, subtle body language and proper enrichment methods (not just a walk + treat).
We cover multiple species (dogs, cats, exotics) and use tailored protocols. Hobby sitters often treat “walk + feed” as enough — we go further.
2. Ethical Conduct & Professional Behavior
PSI standard example:
“The sitter exhibits courtesy and professionalism in all dealings with customers, staff and industry colleagues… and conducts business with honesty and integrity.”
Our commitment:
Every team member at Funky Bunch is background-checked, trained, and wears a uniform + badge (so you know who’s at your door).
Written contracts and service descriptions: we don’t rely on verbal promises. Hobby sitters may skip contracts or their terms are vague.
Communication clear and prompt: you’ll always know when we arrive, what happened, and how your pet is doing.
Insurance, bonding, liability coverage: we carry all standard protections. Hobby operations may operate “under the radar”.
3. Business Operations & Safety
PSI standard example:
“The sitter understands and upholds local ordinances and laws applicable to animals in their service areas, including policies regarding animal abuse and neglect.”
And from other commentary: professional pet sitters should carry proper liability insurance, have disaster planning, have contracts, and treat pet-sitting as a business.
What that means with Funky Bunch:
We’re fully licensed and insured for in-home pet care in Springfield/Nixa and surrounding areas.
We abide by city/county pet service laws: owning a business is not a hobby for us.
We run formal training and onboarding for every walker/sitter: shadowing, ride-along, supervised solo visits, and annual refreshers.
We have emergency protocols: vet transport, weather/disaster response, backup staff, and electronically tracked scheduled visits (so someone knows where you are).
Because many hobby sitters don’t have or enforce these protocols, there’s higher risk of missed visits, unclear reporting, or untrained response to emergencies.
4. Continuing Education & Specialization
One key differentiator: PSI offers the CPPS-Certified Professional Pet Sitter® exam, showing a commitment to knowledge, not just experience.
Also, blogs note that certification and ongoing education are strong differentiators for professional vs hobby services.
How Funky Bunch stands out:
All our staff complete Fear Free® or equivalent behavior/enrichment training as part of onboarding.
We support continuing education: pet first aid & CPR certifications, refreshers on exotic species care, and internal training updates.
We specialize in in-home care (not mass walks) for dogs, cats, exotics, and also tailored walks for senior dogs, mobility-impaired pets, medical visits — most hobby sitters don’t have that depth.
We track and document training completion, ensuring you get someone who knows more than “I like dogs”.
5. Enrichment, Exercise, Exploration – Beyond Just a Walk
While PSI’s standard is broader and focused on overall care, at Funky Bunch we lean into the mindset that enrichment matters.
For walks in Nixa, we use “sniff-walk” segments, change routes, and tailor pace to the dog’s energy level.
For in-home care: we monitor behavior changes, stress signs, litter box performance or house-soiling cues, and provide feedback.
We don’t treat cats, exotic pets or medically-challenged pets like a “one-size-fits-all” visit; we adjust accordingly.
Fewer hobby sitters have this ethically-driven, behavior-informed mindset.
6. Transparent Pricing, Clear Scope & Client Communication
The PSI standard expects documentation: contracts, clear service descriptions, fees, etc.
At Funky Bunch:
We provide clients a detailed service sheet: what a visit includes, what’s excluded, how emergency vet care is handled, how photos/updates work.
Weekend, holiday or medical-care add-ons are clearly priced. No surprise “extra” fees.
We send a visit start alert from our software when our walker/sitter arrives — you’re notified in real-time (important for transparency and safety). Hobby sitters may rely on texts or no formal check-in system.
We log mileage, track time-on-site, and reimburse appropriately — our systems are business-grade.
Why This Matters for Nixa Pet Owners
Reliability: You’re entrusting someone with your home and your pet — choose the team who treats it like a job, not a side gig.
Safety & Peace of Mind: You want someone who knows what a stressed dog looks like, when it’s time to stop the walk or call the vet, and has the insurance/backup in place to act.
Tailored Care vs Generic: In a market like Nixa, where many services may be hobby-based, you’ll notice the difference when you get real reporting, real behavior understanding, and pro communication.
Value: Paying slightly more for a professional means fewer surprises, better care, and fewer risks.
If you’re a pet owner in the Nixa, MO area and you’re comparing options, ask yourself:
Do they have a written contract and liability insurance?
Do they update me with photos, comments, and behavior observations?
Are their walkers/sitters formally trained (behavior, enrichment, first aid)?
Do they follow professional standards like those published by PSI?
At Funky Bunch Pet Care, we answer yes to all of those — because we’re not hobby sitters. We’re professionals who love what we do, and we show up with structure, training, and service you can count on.
👉 Ready to schedule a meet & greet and see the difference for yourself?
Let us show your pet the care that goes beyond — right here in Nixa.
