Weemie and Elaine Baskins with some of their animal friends When Weemie and Elaine Baskin told friends and neighbors about their new pet sitting business in 1991, they were met with laughter, confusion, or both.

“The economy was in shambles in 1991, and we decided to go into the pet sitting business,” said Weemie. “The first few years, we had to explain exactly what that was. Nobody had ever heard of such a thing. People just laughed, and said ‘Really, what are you doing?’”

At first, Elaine said there was no destination too far in the Midlands area for the Pet Sitter to service.

“I just wanted the experience so we would go anywhere,” she said. “Spring Valley, West Columbia, any place.”

Fast forward 19 years later, and the Baskins are still walking dogs, feeding cats, and taking care of a plethora of animals including rabbits, lizards, and bearded dragons. They no longer go hither and yon, instead focusing their pet sitting territory to “within five miles of the State House.”

“We do the Woodruff area, Forest Acres, Forest Hills, Shandon, downtown and a little part of West Columbia,” Elaine said. “We just go to people’s houses and do what ever they want us to do.”

That can include feeding, walking and medicating animals, cleaning up messes, taking in mail, or turning on and off lights. The fee structure is casual with rates ranging from $15 to $18 per visit depending on the level of service needed. The Baskin team may spend 45 minutes or more during a typical house call.

“Every pet is different,” said Elaine. “We get to know them and then it’s easy to love them.”

The pair have never lost an animal, technically. They recall one incident when a pair of boxers climbed a six–foot fence and escaped while the owners were on vacation.

“I mean, a six–foot fence?” said Elaine. “We looked everywhere for those dogs and couldn’t find them. We had the whole area plastered with signs, but we could not find them.”

On the day that the family returned, the two took down every notice they had posted.

“We didn’t want them to come home and drive by and see a sign ‘two boxers missing,’” and panic,” Elaine said. “That would have been traumatic.”

Turns out that the dogs had been picked up by teenagers who tried, unsuccessfully, to turn them into fighters. But since both dogs had been neutered, their plan was thwarted. The Baskins recall that one dog was returned six months later, and the other turned up at the owners’ door a year later.

The Baskins have also had situations where they had to think on their feet.

“On New Year’s Eve, some fireworks spooked some dogs we were taking care of,” said Weemie. “They chewed right through the door. We had to get some plywood so we could secure the house.”

Despite sometimes heartbreaking situations, the Baskins say they love their jobs.

“Most of the people we work with think of these pets as their children, and we feel the same way,” Elaine said. “We will start watching them as tiny little puppies and then see them all the way to the end. It’s hard sometimes because you love them as much as their owners.”

Columbia resident Jay Grimsley, who has used the Pet Sitter for more than 10 years, said the Baskins have gone above and beyond to take care of his animals. He currently owns three Labradors, Libby, Maggie and Bailey, and said that he believes that there are no better caretakers than Elaine and Weemie.

“We had a situation with an elderly dachshund named Misty who had a series of strokes and was in a great amount of pain,” Grimsley said. “Elaine went above and beyond in taking care of her. Her loving care helped us through a very difficult situation.

“I wouldn’t leave my pets with anyone else.”

Contact The Pet Sitter at 256-2776.