I love animals. I grew up with dogs and I’ve always enjoyed helping others care for their pets. 12 years ago, my wife and I adopted a 5-year-old Bullmastiff named Ethel. She had been rescued from a puppy mill along with 27 other dogs. She was overweight, sluggish, runny-eyed, and had sores on her feet. We nursed Ethel back to health and gave her the care and attention she needed. Ethel became a beloved member of our family and lived for another 8 years until she died of old age at 13. I once volunteered with the Seattle Humane Society in their run-dog-run program. It is designed to give dogs living in kennels a chance to exercise. This gives the volunteers a chance to train them and reinforce desirable behaviors, while helping the dogs expend restless energy. I've been a dog walker for 7 years and have long term clients since the start of my dog walking business. My references attest to my reliability and skill in handling all ages, sizes and breeds of dogs. Domesticated animals are dependent upon us for survival. We therefore have a responsibility towards them to make their lives better. It is this responsibility that motivates me to make this difference in an animal’s life.