I have been an animal lover since I was 4 years old when my parents got our first dog. When I was 8 an Uncle and Aunt introduced me to their pair of Rhodesian Ridgebacks they brought back from their stay in South Africa, and then the two had 8 puppies, and I still remember how comfortable I felt being amongst 10 Ridgebacks all my height or taller in a huge back yard! They were all gentle giants. I grew up in the tropics, so being around animals was something that was always around me and prepared me to encounter all kinds of wild animals on a daily basis. In college I’missed being around animals, so I pet sat for my professors and volunteered at the local humane societies to dog walk, bathe and clean cages. After that I became a zookeeper for a year, and it was an enlightening experience to say the least. I’ve walked dogs and cat sat on and off for folks on Craigslist and for friends and neighbors for over 20 years in Brooklyn. I walked my neighbor’s 95 lb yellow Labrador for 5 years since the pandemic until they sadly moved upstate. I teach college courses on human-animal relationships and ecology, but still manage to keep my schedule available during the academic school year for my fellow furry companions.