06:25 PM CST on Thursday, March 2, 2006

By Mike Zientek / 11 News

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When you think of growing businesses your thoughts may turn high tech. But pet sitting?

It turns out that business is booming across the country.

Some people can’t leave their pets behind, even when they are exercising.

But they can’t take them to the office, and that’s where Katie Crossland comes in.

She’s a professional pet sitter, and walks Angle every day during lunch hour.

“I have the outdoors, and I think it’s helping me stay healthy,” Crossland said. “I get to be outside walking, and I don’t know if I’d be doing that if I wasn’t outside walking dogs.”

An Internet search showed that dog walks like that are becoming more common in Houston and across the country. Department of Labor analysts said pet sitting is one of the fastest-growing small businesses in the country.

“Really, when I started I wanted to make enough money for to pay for my kids to go to private school,” D’Ann Gummelt said.

That was 16 years ago.

Her pet sitting business takes up an entire room of her home, where she calls clients and sets schedules. At one point, she was the lone worker.

Now she employs four people, including Crossland.

Dogs make up most of her business, and Gummelt said she knows why more people are soliciting her services.

“Their pets are much happier at home,” she said. “Some of them have had bad kennel experiences, so they don’t ever want to kennel their pets again.”

Toni Listengard said she carries no kennel scars but has used Gummelt’s company for years when she and her husband travel.

Call it pet peace of mind.

“When we leave, we like to know that they’re at home, they’re safe,” Listengart said. “We trust them; we can call them at any time.”

Gummelt keeps a scrapbook of well wishes from satisfied customers – those with two legs … and four.