Is Claudette Sandoval-Green related to Ames’ Deputy Fire Chief Paul Sandoval?
I have no family relation to Paul that I am aware of. However, I hear good things about Paul, he sounds like a good man and I’m sure it’s a product of his last name!


So you’re from Mexico?
I wish we were, it's one of our favorite places - beautiful country and culture. But, David and I moved here from New Mexico (also beautiful) which is a state in the United States of America. My family lineage goes back eight generations in the New Mexico territory, before it was a state, and yet I call Pensacola, Florida my hometown. Pensacola is where I was raised due to my father’s service in the USMC. I love P'cola as much as I love the whole state of New Mexico - big love. David, my husband is a local boy of Iowa's. His hometown is Fairfield, Iowa where his Mama, Debby Nothaft and Daddy, Alex Green still live.

It's a very common geographical mistake: Mexico vs. New Mexico. I imagine it feels much like Iowa's "Idaho, Ohio, Iowa" problem. ;-)


Are we a franchise? No, we are one of a kind. We are 100% independently grown and owned, and 100% created and inspired by Claudette Sandoval-Green --- myself.

Are your rates “per day” or “per visit?” The majority of our rates are per visit. We pay the full range of business taxes, and business expenses [insurance] like any other legally functioning business and these are all taken into consideration when we price our services out to the public.

In addition, mileage rates, skills, qualifications, reliability, security, personal attention, and the time required to service your pets and home are all important pricing factors; giving the full benefits of our service to you at a very reasonable rate.

Sticker Shock Prevention: Do some homework on the Internet and see what other pet sitting businesses are charging in Iowa and around the country.  Keep in mind that we are not a “one-man show.” We have a professional support staff to cover your pet care at all times and 'we do not charge per animal.' Yes, you read that right - we use a flat rate. We do not charge per animal. Animal World Pet Sitting Inc. does not run with the herd!


Is the interview at my house?
Yes, the initial in-home interview is at your home. This gives us all an opportunity to meet [pets and owner] within the environment that we’ll be caring for your pet.

Expect the interview to last about 1 hour. Before we can contract with the pet owner, we must ensure that your home environment and pets are safe for our staff and conducive to our business policies. Upon acceptance, we will record and learn your daily pet routine, complete the service contract, and collect payment and your keys.


Are we listed with the Ames Police Department? To be completely candid, pet sitting does not work if there is no trust between both parties, and when we get calls like this; red flags go up on all sides.

We called the Ames Police Department to see if such a list existed; where we could post our information. After being passed through several people we finally reached the Police Chief’s personal secretary [El Hefe] she assured me that there is no such list that they collect.

If you have the slightest reservation about letting a pet sitter into your home, it is probably best for you to call a kennel - for everyone’s sake.

It should be obvious on our web site that myself, David and our staff, are all very dedicated and professional working  people – if we had provided anything less to our clients in the past, we would have been out of business 9 years ago. We only contract with clients that maintain a respectful, peaceful and harmonious relationship with our staff - no trust + no respect = no pet sitting.


What if I cannot get home on time? Will you continue caring for my pet? Yes, we have a continuous care policy. If we do not get a check-in call from you as scheduled, we will continue caring for your pet until we hear otherwise from you or your emergency person.


Do you train dogs?
We leave the dog training to the seasoned professionals, and by that I mean Local Certified Private Trainers! Support your local small businesses.

My line is, "I only screw-up my own dogs!" Joking aside, I know dog training, I'm not a professional trainer. Training begins at the other end of the leash - with the pet owner. The hardest part for your trainer!

We will reinforce all of your pets commands, and if the pup is a "challenged one" with bad manners and the job is for an extended time...we will put some basic commands in his or her tool box.

And on this note if you have had a great experience with a local dog trainer, email your testimonial so that I can refer them out. I believe that at the very least, every single dog should go to puppy school - even the old kids.

Who designed your web site?
It is 100% designed by myself, Claudette. I have built a successful life around the things that I enjoy doing, and web designing is just one of those 'things.' Learn more at: www.byclaudette.com

Important Note
Always remember it is illegal to plagiarize (copy code which includes text) on the Internet.
We have had several literary and design thefts in the past. We have no problem going after these unscrupulous individuals in a court.

No Copy Code Cat


Have you really had that many hits on your web site counter? Yes, we really have had that many unique hits on our web site. Our web site has been posted on the Internet since 1999. We were one of the first pet sitting businesses to utilize the Internet as our place of business or our storefront, and using the reservation online feature.

Today, there are thousands of pet sitting web sites. Not all are what they claim to be, so remember to always “Triangulate” when doing an Internet search. Triangulate means to find at least 3 reputable web sites that link back to your web site of interest.


Do you need to visit our home for an interview every time we schedule? No, our service contract rolls over to every new reservation scheduled.  Once you have signed the service contract we are ready to work for you at anytime. However, at your request, you may need for us to revisit if you have acquired a new pet, new address, new plant care, or new home security.


Do you pet sit for other animals besides dogs and cats?
As long as you have a permit to possess it, we'll come to your home and care for it! Our staff's animal care knowledge encompasses a range of different species. My background includes an emphasis in wildlife and exotic husbandry & management.


Do you have pets of your own?
We do indeed - four dogs, all rescue kids, 2 cats they forced their way in and now they own the place, two cockatiels, both handraised...I think that's it? Does David count? He's expensive too. [He said to tell you that I'm the expensive one.]


Do you have references? Yes we do, but the best reference is "our reputation speaks for itself." You are welcome to read our Guestbook where you will find numerous comments that support our claim. You are also welcome to add to our Guestbook. However, we do not give out our clientele's personal information - never ever.


Do you have some good pet sitting stories? Nine years worth...you meet the best people in this job.




If you have a question about pet sitting, please feel free to email it to me. If I don’t have an answer immediately – I will research the question and find an answer for you.