Kelsie’s path into pet care
For as long as she can remember, Kelsie Bettencourt has been drawn to the animals who need the most patience. She started as a young volunteer in an animal shelter, which led to kennel work and eventually roles in both general practice and emergency veterinary medicine. Those experiences shaped not only her skills but also her heart. She often found herself advocating for the nervous dogs, the seniors, the medically fragile pets who struggled in traditional settings. They were the ones she was pulled to.
Throughout her career, she also took on small side jobs for co-workers and clients at the hospital. If If a dog needed help outside of kennel care, or if a client felt unsure about leaving behind their anxious pet, they often turned to her. It was a quiet sign that her ability to connect deeply with animals was something people trusted.
How Buddy Sitting was born
The official beginning of Buddy Sitting happened because of her own dog, Buddy. When Buddy tore his ACL and needed cruciate repair surgery, Kelsie needed to find a way to cover the unexpected expense. She started walking dogs, selling clothes, and taking any small job she could. What began as a temporary solution quickly revealed itself as something more.
As word spread, families continued asking for her support, particularly for dogs who struggled in busy or unpredictable environments. Over time, her side work blended naturally with her veterinary experience. She became the person people called when their pets needed a calmer, more personalized kind of care.
When the pandemic hit, emergency veterinary medicine became overwhelming. Kelsie realized she needed a change and made the decision to step away from the hospital and pour her energy fully into Buddy Sitting. It was a leap into the unknown, but one that immediately felt right. As she put it, “That was one of the best decisions.”
Finding the all-in-one platform that became the foundation of her business
Because of her clinical background, Kelsie understood from the beginning that she needed strong systems to run her business well. She was used to structured workflows in veterinary settings and knew that juggling spreadsheets and text threads would eventually hold her back so she wanted everything organized from day one.
During her search, she discovered PetPocketbook and felt an instant alignment with the platform and the people behind it. She signed up right at the start of her business, and it became the foundation she had been looking for.
Her favorite part is how everything she needs lives in one place. As she explained, “That is what I value most about PetPocketbook. It is a one-stop shop. I can go right there for conversations, profiles, vaccines. Everything is just right there.” For someone who works with anxious or medically complex pets, this level of clarity matters tremendously. It helps her stay prepared and ensures she has the information she needs without digging through multiple tools.
But pet care isn’t just about logistics. It’s also about people. The families she supports can be just as anxious as their pets, especially when it comes to communication. PetPocketbook helps ease that worry, too. Instead of long text threads, pet parents submit their requests directly through the platform, keeping communication consistent and details from slipping through the cracks. The report cards, photos, and visit notes help everyone stay on the same page and quickly became a favorite among her clients, and Kelsie appreciates how naturally they fit into her workflow.
When questions come up, for her or her clients, having a kind, capable, and responsive support team behind the scenes brings peace of mind. “The support team is really helpful,” she noted. “They have helped my clients with questions and helped me if I forgot to complete a report card. That is super appreciated.” Instead of feeling alone in the administrative side of her business, she feels supported, not just by a tool but by real humans who care about her success.
The biggest surprise was how much billing changed for her. Kelsie is open about her discomfort with numbers, so the shift to automated invoicing brought more than just convenience. It brought relief. She shared, “My full trust is in the system. I go through and everything looks great. It has made my life a whole lot easier.”
Billing that once created anxiety now takes roughly an hour a week. She reviews, confirms, and moves on. Not only does it save time, it clears mental space she can devote entirely to the animals in her care.
Embracing the freedom to focus on quality care
The impact of having strong systems beneath her can be seen most clearly in the quality of her work. With logistics running smoothly behind the scenes, she can focus on what she loves: helping dogs build confidence and supporting the families who love them.
One of her favorite success stories involves Beans, a dog who originally came to her for enrichment and socialization. As she worked with him, she recognized the importance of building reliable recall, impulse control, and stronger boundaries. When his family welcomed their first baby, all of that preparation paid off. Beans adjusted beautifully to the new routine and remained calm and steady during a major life transition. For Kelsie, it was one of the proudest moments in her career because she could see how her work had shaped real life for both the dog and his family.
As her business grew, she also learned the importance of her own boundaries. She no longer accepts every client who comes her way. Instead, she chooses families who respect her time, value her expertise, and want to partner in their pet’s progress. She now schedules real breaks, including simple things like a lunch window, that allow her to sustain her energy and show up fully for her clients.
In her words, “Success to me is loving what you do and still having time for yourself.”
What’s next for Kelsie
Looking ahead, she dreams of purchasing land and creating a peaceful space where dogs can experience enrichment, rest, and nature in a thoughtful and intentional environment. She imagines a place that feels like a doggy oasis, designed with the needs of nervous and sensitive dogs in mind.
She also hopes to strengthen communication between behaviorists, veterinarians, and shelters. In her experience, when these groups work together, pets receive more complete care. She believes that bridging these worlds could significantly improve the wellbeing of dogs who are often misunderstood or overlooked.
Her advice for other pet care professionals
Kelsie encourages anyone entering the pet care world to invest in systems early. Strong foundations, she believes, create sustainable businesses. She recommends setting up the proper business structure, choosing a schedule that supports both your work and your wellbeing, and using software that aligns with the service you want to provide.
She also encourages new professionals to think about the type of clients they want to serve and to create boundaries that protect their energy. Her own evolution from saying yes to everyone to selecting clients intentionally has been one of the most important parts of building a career she loves.
Most of all, she encourages pet care professionals to take care of themselves with the same tenderness they bring to the pets they serve. When your systems are strong, your communication is clear, and your time is protected, the work becomes not just manageable but deeply rewarding.
