Holidays boost demand for pet accommodation in Ribeirão Preto, SP Fátima Guimarães has been a pet sitter since 2018 and, whenever school holidays approach, she prepares for extra work. Her job involves taking care of the animals at their owners' homes while they are out of town. Currently, Fátima has five dogs and says that the period in which she is responsible for their care can be up to 21 days. "Sometimes, I stay ten, 15, I've stayed 21 days with the same pet and, during the July holidays, this demand for longer accommodation increases." ?Click here to follow the g1 Ribeirão e Franca channel on WhatsApp The pet sitter explains that the work goes beyond feeding, it also involves maintaining each dog's routine. "There's a 'dog' that uses medicine, he has to pick up poop, clean up pee, take him for a walk, I take him too, there are some that don't want us to take him, I don't take him, but it's a very rewarding routine because that's it. They always want to be held, they love us unconditionally." Dogs being cared for at a pet hotel in Ribeirão Preto (SP) Reproduction/EPTV In July, the demand for pet hotels and pet sitting services tends to increase, due to school holidays. According to data from the Brazilian Association of the Pet Products Industry (Abinpet), demand for these services grows by around 60% in the period compared to the other months of the year. Hotel for dogs In a hotel for animals in Ribeirão Preto (SP), around 20 dogs are cared for per day during this period. According to caregiver Maria Eduarda Rocha, many owners seek the service to travel with more peace of mind, knowing that the animals will remain in a safe environment. "The demand has actually become increasingly greater, mainly looking for the well-being of the dogs, peace of mind when traveling, knowing that it is in a nice place, a safe place and that the dogs are always being supervised and monitored at all times." The Abinpet survey also shows that the opening of small businesses linked to the sector grew 22% between 2023 and 2025, with more than 41 thousand new ventures across the country. Among the services that accompany this growth is pet sitting. Dog being looked after by a pet sitter in Ribeirão Preto (SP) Reproduction/EPTV Care before hiring the service Before leaving the animal in the care of someone else, it is important to consider the pet's behavior. According to veterinarian Bianca Shimizu, cats, for example, tend to suffer more from changes in the environment. "Cats get a lot of stress about leaving the house, especially for short periods, so it's much better if you hire a pet sitter to come to their environment. It's also important to interact with the cat, enter the environment first, to understand the animal's routine, understand the care it needs and for it not to be too strange if a different person enters and, even more so, with the absence of the owner." In addition to the animal's profile, the veterinarian highlights that it is essential to check whether the pet's health is up to date before hosting or hiring the service. "You certainly have to be vaccinated, you have to be dewormed and you have to be on tick medication. There are animals that get very stressed and come back with diarrhea, come back with vomiting or, if you don't take the appropriate medication, come back decompensated." Animals in a pet sitter's house Reproduction/EPTV See more news from the region on g1 Ribeirão Preto and Franca VIDEOS: Everything about Ribeirão Preto, Franca and the region