ATLANTA, GEORGIA (Atlanta Business Chronicle, February 11, 1994) — At her last job, Valerie Swanson had to get used to her customers barking at her. These days, they bite.

It's one of the hazards of the job, admits the owner of Atlanta Pet Sitting service. But it's a part you learn to cope with.

Take Perkins, the feisty terrier who recently mistook Swanson for an oversized Milkbone. While a small-mouthed 18-pound dog may not exactly strike fear into many hearts, it's still something you can't completely ignore.

"I came in with big boots and gloves on and let him bite all he wanted to," she says.

Up until last August, Swanson spent her days working safely behind a desk in the marketing department of a software company. When her department was eliminated in a downsizing, she decided to brave the business world on her own.

"I had to find something to do and fast," Swanson says, "so I thought I'd do something I like."

Two mutts of her own and a lifelong love of animals led her to pet-sitting. A longtime user of such services, Swanson says she understands the desire for pet care within the home.

"Anything that you do that will save people time is going to be the growth industry within the next decade" she says. "Everybody has a premium on their time."

Getting the word out about her business hasn't been easy, though. Most of Swanson's advertising has been done through posters and brochures she puts up at veterinarians and pet shops.

"It's not like you set up a store and you have a big sign out front," she says.

Swanson estimates that 80 percent of her jobs deal with cats, although she has also found herself working with dogs, fish and parrots.

"I'll come over and scoop out the litter box," she says. "It's hard to find somebody to do that for free, like a friend."