I am more than just an animal lover. I am trustworthy and will provide each pet the same level of loving care that they are accustomed to receiving from their own families. Having been a pet owner since the age of 7 to adult years, (mostly consisting of: dogs, cats, fish, a rabbit, and two ball pythons), I bring many levels of experience caring for various breeds and their unique personalities. My most recent dogs were: Lady (DOD: 09/10/11) and Baxter (Hurricane Katrina rescue); then Baxter (DOD: 04/04/16) and Ladybelle (DOD: 08/21/19). I always felt that "two dogs were better than one", particularly while our family was away during the day at work and school. I currently do not own any dogs however, I am enjoying the feral cats that visit my patio displaying their hunting skills and leaving me their trophies or finding the sunny spots to take their cat-naps. I have also assisted in fostering puppies and am actively trapping the unfortunate over-populated feral cats for spaying and medicating with TNR efforts. During one of my pet sitting bookings consisting of several overnights in the pet owners home, I had an unusual pet care experience. It is my best success story to date and one that I shall not forget. One of the dogs was suffering extreme separation anxiety issues that involved my need to allow him space until he felt comfortable with this new situation of not having his family home to care for him. He was very uncomfortable during the first day and a half of my stay while barking excessively and aggressively for the first 45 min. and attempting to push me backwards (jumped on me while I was standing with my back against the counter, leaving scratch marks on my arm), in addition to tapping my hand closely with his nose several times while barking (I could feel his breath on my face). I remained quiet and calm and eventually I very slowly walked away to enter the back bedroom. Thankfully on the second night he adjusted to me and became more relaxed and comfortable. We bonded!! He fell asleep happily resting his head on my lap as we sat on the floor. I should also mention that we had three (3) meet and greets and he did better with each one, as the barking became less. However, he had the comfort of his own family inside the home during these times. Once the family left the home and he realized I was still standing in the kitchen, this change in his routine caused him to stress. I also soothed his separation anxiety with the aid of a sound machine (as he was barking at any and all sounds I had made; a simple noise of paper moving would cause him to jump up and bark excessively). My personal experience with my dog Baxter (Hurricane Katrina rescue) as he entered our home was also new and stressful for him as he needed to adjust to new people. I wasn't able to touch him for the first three (3) months as he would always back up and turn quickly away. The best method was to allow them their space and eventually the barking will reduce and they will be ready to welcome you. I respected their issues and followed their lead on their terms. Other personal experiences involved issues with boarding facilities for my dogs: They would arrive home after spending a weekend/week exhausted and stressed after their stays at boarding facilities. My dog Lady would return home with diarrhea issues and literally had visible bags under her eyes. My other two dogs (kenneled together) did not have a good experience after their first stay. I am not certain as to what occurred but, my dog Ladybelle had refused to walk into the facility the second time and I needed to coax her and drag her by her leash to follow the caretakers inside. It was at that moment that I knew I would not bring my pets to boarding facilities again in the future. Unfortunately, finding pet care services through Rover was not an option available at that time otherwise I would have definitely sought pet sitters through this platform (as all caring pet owners are now doing). DROP-IN VISITS/PET DAYCARE IN YOUR RESIDENCE: 30 MINUTES - 45 MINUTES = $25 46 MINUTES - 4 HOURS = $50 ANYTIME SPENT OVER 4 HOURS WILL BE CONSIDERED THE EQUIVALENT OF A FULL DAY RATE/OVERNIGHT RATE = $75 **NO add-on rates for holidays or additional pets I am retired which leaves me a very flexible schedule and availability to provide quality service and care for your pet/s. I currently have repeat customers on Mon - Fri for dog walking. When requesting services, please provide a time range as to when services for your pet may be commenced (during our written or verbal communication) as there may be a possibility in delayed arrival time due to unforeseen circumstances. Thank you! Thank you for making the best choice for your pet with in home care boarding vs. boarding in a facility! I am available for pet-sitting services in your home providing a safe, stress-free, and loving environment for the comfort of your pet/s and for your convenience as well. I may also read books aloud to your dog/s (anytime I read a bedtime story to my sons, the dogs would hear me and enter the bedroom to sit beside us before returning back to the living room to their sleeping quarters). You will receive daily text messages with photos/videos and descriptions throughout the duration of our playtime and cuddle time together. In the event of separation anxiety, we will work together to ensure your pet is most comfortable. I will offer a lot of outdoor/indoor exercise and use the aid of a white noise machine to assist in keeping them calm. If there are any specific needs that you may require for your pet/s while in my care, we can discuss that in further detail in person. I AM RETIRED AND CAN OFFER SERVICES DURING WORK HOURS, WEEKENDS AND EXTENDED VACATIONS FOR YOUR PETS IN THE COMFORT OF THEIR OWN HOME STRESS FREE I WILL PROVIDE THE SAME SAFE, LOVING AND TRUSTING ENVIRONMENT THAT THEY ARE ACCUSTOMED TO WITH LITTLE TO NO CHANGE IN THEIR ROUTINE AND FOLLOW YOUR SCHEDULE.