All For Cobalt In Home Pet Services really is All for Cobalt

I first met Marla Caldwell at the home of one of her long-term daily clients. I was immediately impressed with her ability to not only remember the names of each of the nine cats and four dogs that she was there to look after, but that she knew their individual quirks and personalities as if they were her own.

And even though I was there interviewing to become the newest member of the All For Cobalt In Home Pet Services team, because of Marla's honest and open nature I'm certain that I learned as much about her and her business that day as she did about me. Flipping through her white binder, which was spread open before us, she proudly explained each of her various bonds, licenses and group affiliations that not only allow her to run her business safely, but that set her apart from other pet sitters.

"A lot of pet sitters are stay-at-home moms that are simply trying to make some extra money," explains Marla, "and there's nothing wrong with that. But for me, it's my business and not my husband that pays for our household, so I'm a real stickler about who I bring on to my team."

There are six of us now on the All For Cobalt team and we are each strong, confident, responsible women whom, just like Marla, have a passion for the well being of each and every animal in our care.

Her business is set up to provide two basic services: in-home daily visits (up to 3 per day) and overnight stays. Both services allow pets the opportunity to maintain their regular eating, sleeping and exercise habits in the comfort of their own home, which greatly reduces the stress felt by all animals while their owners are away. Mid-day visits are also a great option for pet owners who work long shifts, two jobs, or have elderly or sick animals that need frequent potty breaks or daily medicine.

Because of the animal-loving nature of Marla and her team, all visits include copious amounts of TLC. "Every time I get a new client, those animals become a part of my family," says Marla, whose immediate family includes a husband, a 29-year-old son, a daughter-in-law and grandchild, five rescue Chihuahuas, two rescue cats, and one rescue horse— named Cobalt.

"Cobalt really was a fluke, she just fell into my lap," recounts Marla of the day she fell in love with the ailing horse. "I met her at a boarding facility while I was there visiting another horse that belonged to my neighbor. I didn't know anything about them, but I knew this one was in really bad shape. Her hooves were curled up and she was less than 500 lbs, half of what a healthy horse should be. Eventually I found out that her owner had abused and abandoned her. Not even the boarding facility was providing her food," explains Marla angrily.

With Marla's birthday fast approaching her husband Wayne offered to buy Cobalt. One hundred dollars, one vet visit, and a few weeks later she officially joined the family. Without land of her own Marla has had to rely on boarding facilities to house Cobalt, but her goal is to one day have five acres of her own so that she and her horse can live together.

Before Marla opened her pet-sitting business in August of 2007 she worked as a bookkeeper and hairdresser. Her 60-70 hour workweeks were leaving her with frequent migraines and stomach aches. "Nothing would take them away," she says, "until I rescued Cobalt." Now, whether it's a migraine or a mood, visiting, grooming, or working with Cobalt always makes her feel better. "When I go to see her she follows me all around the pasture," says Marla. "She's like my thousand pound dog."

After being laid off from her bookkeeping job, Marla decided it was time for a lifestyle change. From this, All For Cobalt In Home Pet Services, LLC, was born. Within 6 months she was working full-time and making enough to keep up with her mortgage. "It was just me and I was going everywhere," says Marla, "from Dinwiddie to Powhatan I never turned down a client."

Today the majority of her clients are within Richmond and Chesterfield counties and most of her growth is from referrals. "I haven't advertised in months and look how busy we are," she said to me that first day I met her while we flipped past the calendar in her white binder. "I just hate saying 'no' to people, because the bottom line is that I'll do anything for an animal."

To book All For Cobalt In Home Pet Services visit her website at www.allforcobalt.com or call her at (804) 447-5777.