9-Year-Old Turns Fear of Dog-Chores Into $8K Pet Empire, Still No Pup

KEY POINTS

•Ben started his pet-sitting business 'Ruff With Me' in 2014, supported by his family during mom's layoff.
•He managed dogs and cats in their suburban neighborhood, performing extra tasks like retrieving mail and hiding garbage bins.
•Now 20 and in college, Ben has earned about $8,000 and continues pet-sitting alongside a summer job.

Back in 2014, when the author got laid off and her husband kept working their expensive full-time jobs, young Ben finally got the green light to chase his dream—without bringing a pet home, of course. He launched 'Ruff With Me,' a pet-sitting business ambitiously confined within suburban mailbox-range, because apparently, 'Ruff With Me' was too cool for the internet. With help from his older brother and parental chaperones hauling mail and garbage cans, Ben tackled everything from Shih Tzus to black labs to accident-prone cats knocking over toxic bouquets. Over a decade, he raked in $8,000, managing fierce financial decisions like opening a bank account and splurging on golf gear. Now 20 and in college, Ben's still pet-sitting, living proof you can have all the responsibility without a single lousy, messy furball ruining your furniture.