Today we’d like to introduce you to Sloan Risolio.
Hi Sloan, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Sit. Stay. Sloan. was created from two perspectives that deeply shape how I view pet care: being both a dedicated dog mom and someone who has spent nearly a decade working in the pet care industry.
Through my professional experience, I’ve had the opportunity to work closely with animals and see firsthand how complex and individualized their care can be. Over the years, I’ve learned how much trust is involved when someone asks you to care for their pet. It’s never just about feeding a dog or letting them outside — it’s about understanding behavior, maintaining routines, recognizing stress signals, and treating every animal like the family member they are.
At the same time, as a dog owner myself, I’ve also been on the other side of that trust. I know the feeling of handing over your keys and hoping the person caring for your pet truly understands what that responsibility means.
What really pushed me to create Sit. Stay. Sloan., though, was realizing just how unregulated the pet care industry can be. Pet sitting and dog walking services are incredibly easy to start, but there are very few standards in place to ensure experience, education, or accountability. Over the years I’ve heard countless horror stories from friends, clients, and fellow pet parents — stories about pets left alone for far too long, important care instructions ignored, or sitters who simply didn’t have the knowledge needed to handle certain situations.
Those experiences made it clear that pet parents deserve better. They deserve someone who not only loves animals, but who also understands the responsibility, education, and professionalism that should come with caring for them.
Sit. Stay. Sloan. was built from that belief — that pet care should be treated like the serious profession it is, and that every pet deserves thoughtful, knowledgeable, and trustworthy care.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t been a completely smooth road. In many ways, the challenges I’ve faced are the same issues that inspired me to start Sit. Stay. Sloan. in the first place.
One of the biggest struggles is operating in an oversaturated industry where pet care is often viewed as a casual side job rather than a professional service. Many pet parents understandably focus on the cost of services without always realizing the difference that experience, education, and professional standards can make in the quality of care their pets receive. Pet sitting and dog walking are often offered by college students, teenagers, or people who simply love animals but may not have formal knowledge of animal behavior, safety protocols, or emergency handling.
Because the industry is so unregulated, there are very few barriers to entry. Pet sitting apps have also contributed to this in some ways. While they can be convenient, many of these platforms only require minimal background checks and do not verify real professional experience or credentials. Unfortunately, I’ve heard far too many horror stories from friends, colleagues, and clients who trusted someone with their pets and ended up with situations that were stressful, unsafe, or even traumatic.
Ironically, those experiences have also been what bring many clients to Sit. Stay. Sloan. They come to us after realizing how important professional, knowledgeable care really is.
Another challenge has been building a team that aligns with the standards I believe pets deserve. I’m incredibly selective about who represents Sit. Stay. Sloan. Because this industry is so unregulated, I spend a significant amount of time reviewing applications from people who genuinely love animals but don’t have professional pet care experience. Loving animals is essential, but it’s only the starting point. Proper handling, behavioral awareness, safety training, and professional accountability are just as important. Because of that, anyone who has joined the Sit. Stay. Sloan. team has done so because they are, in my opinion, truly among the best at what they do. Finding professionals who meet those standards takes time, but it’s a challenge I’m willing to take on because the quality of care always comes first.
On a more personal level, starting Sit. Stay. Sloan. came at a pivotal moment in my career. I had spent many years working at a local dog services business before ultimately leaving due to a severe misalignment of values under new ownership. That transition was difficult, but it also became the catalyst for building something that truly reflected my beliefs about ethical, professional pet care.
Since then, the journey of being a business owner has been anything but linear. Some days I feel incredibly grateful to be doing work that makes a real difference for pets and their families. Other days come with the very real doubts and pressures that many entrepreneurs experience. But moments of reflection always bring me back to the same realization: this work matters, and there is a real need for businesses that advocate for higher standards in pet care. Being part of that change is something I’m incredibly proud of.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
At Sit. Stay. Sloan., my work revolves around building relationships — not just with pets, but with the people who love them. Pet care is deeply personal, and every household has its own rhythms, routines, and expectations. A big part of what we do is learning those details so that when someone travels or has a long workday, their pet’s life continues to feel familiar, comfortable, and secure.
Our work extends beyond traditional pet sitting. We also support clients through services like dog walking, daycare, boarding, routine care visits, and personalized support for pets with specific needs. No matter the service, the goal is always the same: maintaining stability and comfort for pets while giving their people genuine peace of mind.
Something that means a lot to me personally is the number of clients who have followed both myself and members of our crew from previous roles within the pet industry. Many of them seek us out because they trust the level of care they experienced before and want to continue working with people they already know and trust with their pets. That kind of loyalty says more about the impact of our work than anything else ever could.
Over time, Sit. Stay. Sloan. has grown into a team of dedicated pet professionals who share the same mindset about what responsible pet care should look like. Every crew member brings their own strengths and experience, but they all share the same respect for the animals we care for and the responsibility that comes with being welcomed into someone’s home.
What I’m most proud of is the trust that comes with that responsibility. Being invited into someone’s home and entrusted with a member of their family is never something I take lightly, and that respect shapes the culture of everything we do.
At the end of the day, our philosophy is simple: loving animals is the baseline, but caring for them well is a profession. Because your pets deserve more than the person next door.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
What makes me happy about this work are the small moments that remind me why caring for animals matters so much.
Of course, the pets themselves are at the center of it. There’s something incredibly rewarding about seeing a dog light up when their crew member arrives or watching a shy daycare pup finally feel confident enough to join in and play for the first time. Those little milestones mean a lot, because they show that an animal feels safe and comfortable.
I also love helping dogs experience the world a little more. Taking them out to explore new environments, letting them sniff new trails, or simply giving them the chance to broaden their routine can make such a difference in their confidence and happiness. Even simple joys like stopping for a pup cup or settling in on the couch to read while a dog or cat curls up next to you can make a day feel pretty perfect.
Another part of the work that means a lot to me is rebuilding trust with pet parents who have had difficult experiences with caregivers in the past. When someone tells us they finally feel comfortable leaving their pet again, or that the guidance we’ve given them has helped them better understand their animal, that’s incredibly meaningful. Seeing an anxious dog work through a trigger in real time or hearing a client say the skills we’ve shared have helped strengthen their relationship with their pet is the kind of impact that stays with you.
And then there are the moments that just make you smile — like when a cat you haven’t seen in months runs to greet you the second you walk through the door.
Those are the moments that remind me this work is about much more than pet care. It’s about trust, connection, and helping animals and their people live better lives together.
Pricing:
- Boarding/House Sitting starts at $90 /night
- Drop-ins/Walks starting at $30
- Daycare starting at $55
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sitstaysloan.my.canva.site
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sitstaysloan
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61582731392207
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sloan-risolio-35982b272/
- Other: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdoWSNJjP0-qx2LLWsz7sQ7GXL8rg9UJnhD9TUWArUVvMTJAw/viewform
