Maid agencies in Singapore see slow and steady rise in demand for helpers who can provide pet care
A rise in pet ownership during COVID-19 and fewer people working from home have led some people to look for help with their furry friends.
SINGAPORE — As the COVID-19 pandemic's work-from-home norm shifts back to the office in Singapore, more pet owners are on the hunt for domestic helpers who can care for their pets, aside from the usual traditional household duties.
According to maid agencies Yahoo Southeast Asia spoke to, the demand for domestic helpers who can provide pet care has seen a slow and steady increase over the past year.
Under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), employers are allowed to hire migrant domestic workers to perform household and domestic duties, such as taking care of their employers’ pets.
"Employers who hire migrant domestic worker (MDWs) to take care of their pets should make such requirements known during the hiring process to avoid future disputes. If training is required, employers should also ensure that their MDWs are adequately trained to handle such tasks," said an MOM spokesperson who told Yahoo.
So, why has demand for this previously niche segment been "distinct and growing"?
Increased cost of part-time help
According to one agency, We Are Caring, the rise in demand is due to increased cost of hiring part-time help in the last few years. This makes the option to hire a full-time live-in helper more "relevant and affordable".
Each week, the agency typically receives three to five requests for a live-in helper to take care of a pet, up from one or two before COVID.
"I think employers value the convenience of having one dog-taker only, to create a special relationship instead of having multiple part-time helpers. It is also a cost-effective solution," said the agency's managing director, David Bensadon.
He also noted that employers want helpers who genuinely love pets.
One recent case is Mai Cherry Win, 45, whose current job is to care for two dogs. She spends most of her work hours making homemade dog food supplies, taking both English bulldogs for walks, and cleaning them. She only does minimal house chores like mopping and vacuuming.
Win, who is from Myanmar, got the job in February after posting photos of her with pets on the agency's mobile app.
The animal lover then started attracted inquiries from employers who are pet lovers. This is the first time she has landed a job primarily focused on pet care after 16 years in Singapore.
Pet care as supplementary duty
For Universal Employment Agency, enquiries for pet-friendly helpers have increased from three to four in previous years, to five to six currently each week.
Half of their requests come from potential clients on the lookout for helpers who are able to care for fish, cats or dogs as additional duty.
"We have definitely seen an uptick in such demand perhaps due to COVID, because new pet owners are having to return to work since fewer do work from home. As a result, they have to hire a helper to care for their pets at home, on top of other household duties."
Regent Maid Agency has also seen a five to 10 per cent increase year on year, for helpers who can take care of both pets and children or parents, said its co-founder, Stephanie Chew.
The need for pet care has also affected part-time helpers. One such agency @bsolute Cleaning, which provides part-time helpers for chores, said it saw a 15 per cent increase in requests for pet care-focused helpers this year.
“The rise could be attributed to the evolving dynamic where pets are considered integral family members. The shift towards pet-centric lifestyles, and a deeper appreciation of pets as essential family members, are key drivers of this demand,” said founder, Elvin Yeo.
Dog behaviour specialist and trainer, Fraser Noble, believes rising numbers are due to Singapore's busy lifestyle and more pet owners. As such, domestic helpers are hired to care for pets, who are seen as "family members".
More domestic helpers attending training courses
Over the past two years, Noble has seen a 50 per cent increase in employers and domestic helpers attending training courses together at dog training school, Noble Canine.
He has also seen more requests for training sessions with domestic helpers at home, when employers are away on vacation or overseas.
A client had returned to Ireland during COVID-19 and left their dog solely to their domestic helper's care. With no other responsibilities, the domestic helper could fully rehabilitate the dog, which had initially been nervous and reactive on walks, through proper and focused care.
Some other positive effects of this trend is also seeing more domestic helpers being comfortable asking questions in training sessions.
However, leaving primary pet care to the helper "may not be ideal" in most cases.
Noble has noticed that some domestic helpers "begrudgingly" care for pets, as they did not sign up for pet care as part of their job. There is also added stress and responsibility.
In some cases, pets may form a deep emotional bond with the domestic helper, leading to jealousy from its owner.
When the domestic helper leaves, dogs may also develop separation anxiety and reactivity, something Noble has witnessed a couple of times.
"The dog is basically attaching itself to the person of the highest value. It does not understand the dynamics of employer and employee. In its mind, it has been abandoned by its primary caregiver."
Still a niche segment
Despite the uptick in those looking towards domestic helpers with the purpose of taking care of the pets, it's unlikely to takeover the main duties people have in mind when they hire a full-time maid.
Win's employer shared that she only knew one other friend who hired a helper to care for her two dogs.
Meanwhile, Eelit Agency's requests for pet-focused helpers usually come from singles or couples without children in pet-centric households, said co-founder, Patrick Ee.
According to its placement consultants, such requests are" relatively rare".
In the past year, the agency received approximately one request for helpers with pet care experience for every thousand customers.
While it has seen a slight increase in demand in recent years, such requests remain a niche requirement within the industry, where overall growth numbers are still "relatively insignificant", said Ee.
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