If she’s not the original West Seattle pet walker/day-care provider, she’s gotta be close. But now, “Lady Di, Pet Chaperone” is looking for a successor, somebody to take over her business. (She’s been a WSB sponsor for a while, but we’ve been familiar with her work for years longer — “Lady Di” took care of our cats during more than a few vacations we took pre-WSB.) She’s dealing with some health challenges, and, after 15 years, is ready to sell the business to the right person. Read on for more:
Since she moved from the Admiral District five years ago, Diane “Lady Di” Durand‘s business has spanned two houses on 42nd SW in The Junction between Genesee and Oregon (top photo); the big back parking lot is shared by the Junction post office. Note that the houses aren’t for sale – they’re owned by a local construction company from whom Lady Di leases them, and she says they fully support having another pet-care proprietor there. Someday the site may be redeveloped, but not any time soon. The one on the north side is overnight quarters for pet boarding; Lady Di has been living in the south one but doesn’t expect to continue that much longer. We visited one recent sunny day, and met some lively dogs in both yards, which are set up with multiple-closure security.
“You have to be energetic,” smiled Lady Di – and she’s found that tough, battling arthritis. She’s gotten some help from a few of her five kids. But that’s not enough to do the bustling business justice. Their client list includes more than 100 weekly regulars – and hundreds of others (note the snapshots above). “You might not hear from somebody for four years -” and suddenly, they’ll call again, looking for someone to tend to their pet(s).
Lady Di’s son, Jerry Good, says they’ve got a great web address – seattlepetcare.com – with high search-engine ranking if you search for “Seattle pet sitters”; they’ve got an online inquiry system that yields several inquiries a day. There also are employees who hope to stay with the business, which the family describes as “turnkey.” In addition to dog day care, boarding, walking, and cat/fish/etc. outcall, they’ve been doing grooming, too.
They’re seeking a buyer with as much care as a client would put into choosing a pet-care provider – “It’s got to be somebody who really cares about the pets … somebody who’s dedicated to the business.” If that might be you – or someone you know – you can contact them through the site.
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