"Pet owners find new outlet for info" (March 14, 2007)

By Vickie Snow Staff writer

Mary Myers has her hands full with six dogs and a 2-acre property in Sauk Village.

When she does go on vacation every few years or so, she relies on word-of-mouth to find someone she can trust for her pets' care.

"You feel more confident getting people's thoughts rather than going to a service cold," Myers said.

That's the whole premise behind PetServicesReview.com, a new Internet-based business created by Oak Lawn resident Christine Hutman.

It provides an outlet for consumers to post and read reviews of independent pet-related businesses in the Chicago area. Users can search several dozen categories, including kennels, acupuncturists, breeders and pet insurance.

"It gives you a great idea of what's out there," said Myers, who learned about the site from one of its members, AAA Boarding Kennels in Steger. "The categories make it easy to search. And I really like how people are able to give feedback on the different services."

Pet owners can write and read anonymous reviews free of charge, and are encouraged to give suggestions on businesses to add.

"Who would you shop -- somebody out of the Yellow Pages or somebody with 12 reviews?" Hutman, a former doggie day-care owner, asked. "All I did was create a big public forum for people to brag about these businesses."

Ratings are based on customer service, cleanliness, cost, convenience and the pets' condition during and after treatment. In addition to customer reviews, company profiles on the site include business hours, services and contact information.

Area business owners say PetServicesReview.com offers another way to advertise.

"Finding new customers is a challenge," Teresa Kara, owner of Chew On This Dog Barkery in Frankfort, said. "Once we get people into the store, from PetServicesReview.com or word-of-mouth, then they're a customer for the long term."

Kara opened her pet bakery and boutique three years ago and became a member of PetServicesReview.com a year ago.

Now she sends birthday cards to 1,200 canine customers in her database.

PetServicesReview.com, she said, has helped to grow her business and connect her with other entrepreneurs.

"We use it as a tool to refer customers to other businesses, such as dog grooming and pet sitting," Kara said.

Michelle Lagestee, owner of Kisses & Cuddles Pet Care in Orland Park, agreed.

"PetServicesReview.com has been both an excellent way for businesses to advertise," she said, "and a great way for people that have just moved to the Chicagoland area to find thousands of different businesses."

In addition to company profiles and reviews, PetServicesReview.com offers a Lost & Found section to help spread the word about missing pets free of charge.

Shelter of the Month, another aspect of the Web site, provides support and advertising for area animal shelters. Hutman donates 5 percent of PetServicesReview.com's revenue to the featured shelter.

Hutman, 34, maintains the Web site herself and solicits businesses on the phone and in person, sometimes with her own dogs Pepper, a terrier mix, and Nikita, a miniature pinscher.

"All I knew when I started was I had five industries in mind: animal trainers, groomers, veterinarians, day care and boarding facilities," Hutman said. "Now there are 40 categories."

Hutman, a Richards High School graduate and member of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, previously owned a high-end doggie day care.

She opened Somethin' to Bark About in Alsip two years ago. Business was going well until the nearby Petsmart in Orland Hills opened its Pets Hotel seven months later.

The competition proved too much, and Hutman closed her facility.

Then she came up with the idea for PetServicesReview.com.

"The whole purpose (of PetServices.com) is to unify all the small businesses so that what happened to me doesn't happen to them," she said. "Independent businesses don't have the public relations like Petsmart."

An annual business membership costs $79 to $179, depending on the amount of advertising.

While Hutman focuses on small businesses, many larger companies have become members as well.

C-No Pet Fencing, for one, installs DogWatch Hidden Fencing in seven Chicago-area counties and has 8,000 customers with more than 13,000 dogs.

It has a 4-bone rating on PetServicesReview.com with five reviews posted.

"We want happy customers," C-No Pet Fencing owner Sue Thompson said. "The dogs are our customers. The owners are their bankers."