January 5, 2010

PET SITTERS INTERNATIONAL TO EMBRACE
WORLD'S MOST FAMOUS FAT CAT

Garfield, Odie and friends will promote importance of professional in-home pet care

King, NC (Vocus) January 5, 2010 -- Pet Sitters International (PSI), the world’s largest educational association for professional pet sitters, announced today that it will play a prominent caregiving role for the world’s most famous fat cat, Garfield.

PSI views the partnership with Paws Inc., the company that founded Garfield, as a perfect union to take awareness of professional in-home pet care to the next level.

Garfield was a natural choice for PSI, whose membership of independent pet-sitting businesses numbers nearly 8,000. In addition to his charm, humor and cynicism, PSI was attracted to the cat’s pampered and deserving attitude.

“PSI is all about educating our members and our members are all about pampering their clients’ pets,” said Terry Chance, PSI marketing director. “Garfield is definitely an intellectual cat who wants the best treatment possible. We are delighted about the opportunity to work with the Garfield characters. They are fun, loveable and extremely well known among pet owners.”

PSI will immediately begin using Garfield, Odie and friends in its member programs, products, campaigns and events to help members market their services. The characters are expected to play a prominent role in telling pet owners about the many pet-care services offered by PSI’s professional pet sitters.

As part of its member benefit offerings, PSI seeks out programs and partners that bring the greatest value to its members, to the association and to the industry. Paws Inc. looks for partners who will strengthen Garfield’s presence in the marketplace and partners who artfully combine professionalism with a dose of fun.

Garfield is one of the most beloved and enduring animal icons in the world, and the “Garfield” comic strips have been syndicated globally. PSI plans to use the cat’s persona to convey that you’ve got to be a really good pet sitter to please Garfield who is known as a demanding, finicky cat.

To learn more about PSI or to locate a pet sitter in your area, visit www.petsit.com

About Pet Sitters International
Established in 1994, Pet Sitters International (PSI) is the world’s largest educational association for professional pet sitters, representing nearly 8,000 independent professional pet-sitting businesses in the United States, Canada and abroad. PSI provides members with access to affordable bonding and liability insurance and educational resources including a comprehensive Accreditation Program, The Pet Sitter’s WORLD magazine and PSI’s annual Quest convention. PSI also publishes the The Pet Owner’s WORLD magazine and thepetsitblog.com. For more information, visit petsit.com, home of the Official Pet Sitter Locator™ or visit the PSIStoreOnline, the largest specialty retailer of products for pet sitters and pet-sitter business owners.

About Paws, Inc.
Paws, Incorporated was founded in 1981 by cartoonist Jim Davis as a creative house to support GARFIELD licensing. Today, the company, located in rural Indiana, handles not only the creative angle, but also the business concerns of the corpulent kitty worldwide. Paws boasts a staff of more than 50 artists, writers, and licensing professionals. Paws, Inc. is a privately held company and the sole owner of the copyrights and trademarks for GARFIELD and GARFIELD Characters.

Contacts:
Courtney Klein
(336) 983-9222 ext. 318
courtneyklein(at)petsit(dot)com

Terry Chance
(336) 983-9222 ext. 314
terrychance(at)petsit(dot)com

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Pet Sitters International
Courtney Klein
336-983-9222
E-mail Information

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