The pet care industry's impact on corporate bottom lines

...you may not have thought there was one. I certainly didn't.

That is, until I read this article about FETCH! Pet Care, a franchise that promises to resolve employee absenteeism and inefficiences by dog-walking and pet-sitting.. as part of your company's employee benefits package.

Having not lived under a rock for the last ten years, I'm aware that many professionals hire dog walkers and the like to care for their cuddly companions while they work an extra hour or two to pay for them.

The twist here is that FETCH! aims for employers to front the cost as a perk for employees. According to FETCH!, its clients include Fox/Newscorp, PeopleSoft and Pixar.

Someone has to be biting, because Entrepreneur.com reports that FETCH! has 80 franchises as of this year. There are even FETCH! franchises in Bethesda and Silver Spring.

As employers, would you provide (and subsidize) this service for your workers?

As pet owners, would you sign up if your company offered it?

-JACKIE SAUTER, Multimedia Editor