I have been raised with a variety of animals my entire life; my family has had animals around as long as I can remember, from dogs and cats to small rodents and fish to horses and dairy cows. My history of pets began when I was younger and my family adopted two stray kittens, which are now 17 years old!! A number of years later, my parents finally gave into my persistence and we adopted Ellie, our mini aussie. I showed her in obedience, showmanship, agility, and rally-o for 5 years at local dog shows. She has a history of dog reactivity, so I know how to handle dogs that need a little more time to warm up to others or just need a bigger space bubble than others. Ellie was mostly my dog in the family; we attended training classes every week over years we showed together and she learned over 30 tricks and attained 5 AKC titles for our hard work. Shortly after, I found another stray black kitten in our barn. After many long days of trying to capture him, I succeeded and nursed him back to health after fighting off a number of parasites, respiratory infections, and Cuterebra worms. Our most recent pet addition was when we adopted three barn kittens from a friend, in which I was involved with their care since two days old. Over the years, I have also been active in caring for the pets of my neighbors, friends, and family members while they are out of town for a day or extended period of time. During high school, I worked at a vet clinic to care for overnight patients and those recovering from surgery, so I am confident in working with all types of treatments and medications, including insulin shots. Now, I volunteer with PAWS in Rome to take their shelter pups on hikes and long walks. I really try to take my time to get to know every animal and learn what works best for them to keep them most comfortable during their time in my care!