Susan wearing Pet Sitter
of Year Crown

Van and Susan with
J.J., Nick, Cagney, and Bubbles

Susan Baker, owner and president of Pet’s Best Friend, Inc. grew up in Rocky Mount and graduated with honors from NC Wesleyan College.  A life long animal lover and pet owner, Susan left the corporate world in 1993 and purchased the pet sitting business from a neighbor.  With very little operating capital, Susan took out a small ad in the local newspaper and business exploded.  Averaging more than 100 pet visits per day during hectic holiday periods, Susan soon added a staff of sitters to help her. 

In-home pet sitting was a relatively new concept and pet owners were ecstatic that they could now travel guilt and worry free with the services Pet’s Best Friend provided. They were so impressed with the unique service in fact, that Susan won the 1998 Pet Sitter of the Year Award.  Sponsored by Pet Sitters International (PSI), the award is based on nominations by clients and colleagues, and is the most coveted award in the pet sitting industry. Susan won the Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business Woman of the Year Award in 1998, and the Chamber's Entrepreneurial Success of the Year Award in 2006. She was a finalist for the NEER Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 1999.  She has appeared on radio and TV shows, and has been featured in Southern Living, Woman’s World and Cat Fancy magazines. In addition to being a member of PSI, Susan is also a member of the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters, and the National Dog Groomers Association of America.


In 2003, Susan diversified into the grooming industry by purchasing the salon on Zebulon Road and enrolling in pet grooming school.  She is now the head groomer at the newly renovated state of the art facility, which is home to both the pet sitting offices and the grooming salon. In 2005, the Boutique was added inside the salon to complement the pet care solutions already offered by Pet’s Best Friend. 

Susan and her husband Van are proudly owned by four admittedly spoiled children:  J.J. a 3 year old black Lab mix, Nick a 2 year old Pitt Bull mix, and Cagney and Bubbles, 2 year old kitties.  All of the Baker kids are rescues.  In 2007, Van left the corporate world after 30 years and joined Susan at the salon.  

Susan and her staff are active in community service activities, supporting Friends of Rocky Mount Animals, Merlin’s Song, the NC State Veterinary Teaching Hospital, the American Lung Association, and the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life fundraisers.