Lili Green was eight-and-a-half months pregnant when a German shepherd darted towards her, threatening one of the four dogs she was walking.

The dog walker’s training kicked in.

She put her hands under the belly of the German shepherd and flipped it over on its side, catching the animal off-guard.

“Thank God I knew,” she said. “I’ve seen people with marks all over their arms. You don’t break up dogs by their collar.”

The time she put in to be properly trained — four hours a day for a month — and not just a desire to make a quick buck, helped her out of a situation that could have turned ugly.

The issue of hiring a reliable person to take care of your pet came to the forefront this week after a video, showing a dog walker making a dog walk on his hind legs while three others ran unleased on a sidewalk, went viral.

The dog owner later defended the dog walker in a letter she wrote to the Star, but not before people on social media raised concerns about his actions.

The dog walking industry is lightly regulated, although in Toronto a permit is required to walk between four and six dogs at any one time in parks, green spaces and waterfront areas. You don’t need a permit to walk less than four dogs, and walking more than six dogs is never allowed.

To get a a commercial dog walker permit, a person must pay a $266 annual fee, provide evidence of $2 million liability coverage for property damage and personal injury liability, and ensure that the dogs are licensed.

Last year the City of Toronto issued permits for 344 dog walkers, said Matthew Cutler of the Parks, Forestry and Recreation department.

“All of our bylaw enforcement is reactive — enforcement is based entirely on the complaints we receive on an issue,” Cutler said.

Dog walkers found guilty of working without a permit are subject to fines, according to the city’s policy.

Having a licensed dog walker gives one the assurance of seriousness and reliability, said Aviva Chepurny, who established Barking Along in 1990.

“When you hire anyone to come into your home, to take care of your pets, you need to know that these people are committed to the business, knowledge and understanding of walking dogs and are taking it seriously,” she said.

“It’s not like ‘have leash, will travel,’ ” she added.

Pedro Barata, whose dog, a seven-year-old German shepherd named Sally is taken care of by SoulMutts, said it wasn’t the easiest thing to find a dog walker.

“Because you can’t just hire a teenager down the street to go walk a 75-pound dog who has some anxiety issues,” he said.

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In a dog walker, he said he looks for someone who has experience, understands that not every dog is the same, that it has different needs and personalities, and is also very transparent when something happens.

Too many people who claim to be dog walkers look at it as an easy way of making fast money, Chepurny said.

The average rate for a group walk for dogs is between $15 and $18 per visit. A good dog walker can make up to $60,000 a year, Chepurny said.

Is there a difference in rate between a licensed and a non-licensed dog walker?

“I don’t charge more because I’m licensed,” Chepurny says. “By law I have to be licensed . . . It indicates that you take (the business) seriously — not that ‘hey, I like dogs and I can walk them.’ ”

It’s no surprise that dog walkers become attached to some of their clients. Green’s favourite dog was a black Labrador, Cleo, who died of a heart attack when she was eight years old.

“She had a neat sort of screech when she barked and lifted her lip and smiled.”

Her eyes start to sparkle with tears as she talks about Cleo.

“I’m an emotional person,” she says, which is why Green says she can’t understand people who mistreat animals.

Dog walking, she says, is not a business but a calling.

Correction – March 24, 2017: This article was edited from a previous version to update a photo caption that misspelled Lili Green’s given name.