Hi! I’m Crystal, a special-needs mum, current dog “owner” (55lbs & 40lbs), & lover of all pets. I am an experienced sitter who’s cared for those belonging to family and friends on many occasions and whom you can trust to take amazing care of your pet. I’ve been around animals my entire life having grown up in rural Ohio participating in 4H & FFA, as well as having the usual domestic family pets (dogs, cats, fish, birds, hamsters, guinea pigs, etc.). When I moved to Brooklyn 2005, I surprised my husband by showing up in the moving van with a cat I rescued along the way. That started a period of volunteer work with a local TNR organization that led to numerous fosters and four cats of our own that we had for 17 years until they eventually passed. During that time, I learned my heart handled pet sitting for friends much better than it did being a foster for homeless pets. After moving to Patchogue, we started a family & few years later it grew when we adopted a Bernese/ Mountain Cur in 2015. Last year, after we no longer had any cats, we adopted another rescue puppy who loves to keep me at the local dog parks. Not only have I had extensive experience with farm animals, domestic pets, & service dogs, but also decades of traveling the world interacting with other working/exotic animals (monkeys, snakes, sledding teams, camels, donkeys, mules…really anything you can ride), so if you are looking for someone who is comfortable with atypical pets, pets with special needs, need medication administered, or a demanding command/care schedule, *I GET IT.* I am compassionate, but also incredibly disciplined with training while having strong stomach and high fear tolerance. For me, it’s their stay, their way- regardless of whether the pet is a potty-training puppy, an abused rescue needing comforted while the foster is at work, or a retired K9 whose handler needs to go out of town. Any and all instructions you leave for me will be followed with the utmost of care and I’m happy to accommodate specific requests. I look forward to meeting your fur-baby and seeing if we are a good fit.