Obion County, TN, United States (AHN) – Firefighters and officials in rural Tennessee let a house burn to the ground along with the owners’ belongings and pets – all because the owner forgot to pay a service fee. Gene and Paulette Cranick, residents of Obion County lost everything they owned along with their three cats and a dog last week in an incident that has sparked the ire of many who learned of the local community’s fire policy.

“They could have been saved if they had put water on it, but they didn’t do it,” Gene Cranick told MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann when speaking about his home and beloved pets.

Cranick’s grandson was burning trash near the family home when the blaze grew out of control. The Cranicks called 911 but were told that firefighters from nearby South Fulton wouldn’t respond because of an annual service fee of $75 wasn’t paid.

Cranick says he told the operator he would pay whatever necessary costs had to paid but his offer wasn’t accepted. Firefighters did eventually show up but only to put out the fire on the neighboring property as sparks caused a small fire in the field next to the Cranicks. That owner apparently paid the fee.

“They put water out on the fence line out here. They never said nothing to me. Never acknowledged. They stood out here and watched it burn,” Cranick said.

Reportedly the fire fee policy is close to 20 years old.

The Cranicks are now living in a trailer on their property’s charred remains and says their insurance policy will help cover some of the lost home.

“It’s not enough to rebuild but it’s better than nothing at all,” said Paulette Cranick.

The family has coverage with Farm Bureau Insurance through local agent, Josh Simmons. He raced to the scene as soon as he learned of the fire. According to Simmons the insurance company would not refuse or reduce payouts on the fire loss just because the service wasn’t paid.

The Cranicks lived on their farm for 40 years, 21 of them in a modular home.

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Put on your thinking cap and let’s start a pet sitting business!

Pet Sitting Business: Basic Guidelines

Consider the following before opening a pet sitting business.

1. Training – just because you’ve taken care of a friend’s Chihuahua or Bichon Fris as a teen, it doesn’t make you a dog care expert. With the numerous dog breeds out there, you may want to familiarize yourself with the different personalities of dogs; some are friendlier than others; some require more exercise than others. Be a voracious reader; keep a collection of books or encyclopedias that you can consult when the need arises.

2. Decide if you want your pet sitting business to be full time or part time. Pets need tender, loving care round the clock. If you can invest the time and effort and make it a labor of love, success comes more easily. Don’t run a pet sitting business for the purpose of making extra money on the side. There is no price tag for commitment and care.

3. If you’re planning on taking more than one pet at a time, check with your municipality if you’re allowed to do this. You may have a large piece of land but your city’s zoning laws prohibit a pet sitting business in your particular area. Your neighbours could complain and you might be endangering the health of others.

4. Do your homework. There must be other pet sitting business owners in your area. Find out discreetly how much they charge and what their fee structure is. You don’t want to price yourself out of the competition. Speak to pet sitters about problems they’ve encountered and how they solved those problems.

5. Because certain dogs need regular exercise, visit the dog parks in your community and take note of their opening hours.

6. Have the right equipment! If you’re taking in dogs only, you’ll need to give some thought as to dog collars and leashes, food bowls, toys and treats. You may need a dog cage if you plan on taking them to the country.

7. When you advertise your pet sitting business, you may want to specify what pets you’ll take, which breeds, and your price for each. You could charge an hourly fee or a fixed fee for the day. This is important because you wouldn’t like to take on a pet of which you know nothing about. How many would take in say, a boa constrictor?

8. Learn how to spot a sick pet. This is for safety, health and personal liability issues. You may not want the pet owner to accuse you of neglect. This is why you may want to screen both pet and owner. Ask owners about the eccentricities of their pets and what you need to watch out for.

9. Some pet owners would rather have you come to their homes instead of dropping their pets off at your place. Decide if this is something you might consider doing during certain days of the week. Going to the pet owner’s house might save you the trouble of fitting out your place. The only downside is it limits you as to the number of pets you’d like to care for in any given day.

10. Don’t stop marketing your business. Even if you have enough pets on your hands, pet owners can be fickle or economic conditions may force them to forego pet sitting. Ask your customers to refer you to other customers. Leave your business cards in vets’ offices.

Author: Lisa Paredes
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Mobile device news