Pet Sitters International enters post-founder transition
CURRENT BRIEF VERSION: Pet Sitters International is entering a leadership transition as founder and CEO Patti J. Moran retires and ownership officially passes to Adam and Rachel Foster, according to Pet Age. The change marks the end of Moran’s formal leadership of the organization she founded in 1994 after helping establish professional pet sitting as a recognized business category. Pet Age reported that Adam Foster will serve as incoming CEO and said PSI will continue operating under its current name with no interruption to services or memberships. PSI says it now serves nearly 4,000 member pet-sitting and dog-walking businesses across the U.S., Canada, and more than 15 other countries, and in recent years it has continued to expand its role in education, certification, conferences, and industry standards. Public PSI materials reviewed during reporting still list Moran as founder and CEO and Beth Stultz-Hairston as president, while highlighting the group’s release of the first publicly available Global Standards for Professional Pet-Sitting and Dog-Walking Businesses in October 2025. (petsit.com)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the retirement is notable less because PSI is a veterinary body and more because it sits upstream of day-to-day companion-animal care. Pet sitters and dog walkers are often the people who see pets between wellness visits, notice subtle changes in appetite, mobility, elimination, or behavior, and communicate those observations to pet parents. A leadership handoff at the largest educational association in the category could influence how non-veterinary caregivers are trained, what standards they follow, and how consistently they’re taught to escalate concerns, document observations, and work alongside veterinary teams. Pet Age said the new ownership plans to maintain PSI’s existing mission and member-first approach while exploring growth and innovation, and Moran said positioning the group for long-term success through a smooth transition was a priority. PSI’s recent emphasis on public standards suggests continuity around professionalization will be a key issue to watch. (petsit.com)
What to watch: Watch for a formal PSI announcement clarifying the new leadership structure on PSI’s own channels, but Pet Age reported that ownership has transferred to Adam and Rachel Foster, with Adam as CEO, and that the organization will keep its current name and continue services without interruption. The key question now is whether the new team keeps investing in standards, education, certification, and referral-facing tools for pet parents and veterinary partners while following through on its stated plans to strengthen relationships and expand member opportunities. (petsit.com)