Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read. -- Groucho Marx I've fostered dogs and cats for over ten years, volunteered at a local animal clinic for three, and provided pet-care and dog walking in my neighborhood for four years. My dogs (and I) attend lessons from positive reinforcement instructors (with a tTouch slant) and I have experience with complicated canines (but I am not a specialist nor a trainer). One of the highlights of volunteering was providing pet monitoring services during a hurricane evacuation at a local shelter. The cutest APBT and tiny tabby kitten kept each other calm, and their young human companions visited often and crawled in the cage with them to share their love. I'll also monitor and water/care for plants as part of my services if requested. Scritches and cuddles are always offered. We recently said goodbye to our geriatric rescued Chow mix and beautiful Aussie mix, but we were lucky enough to adopt an incredibly enthusiastic adolescent Aussie rescue and welcome a red heeler puppy into our home. We also share our porch with a couple of street cats and yard with three hens and a guinea fowl.