Ezra S.
Rockford, IL
Disabled Pets are Beautiful!
Pet care experience
UPDATED NOTE 6/28: Because I've had such a beautiful time in Rockford, instead of only a respite trip, I'm going to stay in Rockford for as long as I'm happy! Yes, this means I will be establishing myself as a petsitter in Rockford for the foreseeable future. I can now say I'll be a petsitter you can have an ongoing cat & dog petsitting/dog walking relationship with. My service areas remain the same within 7-8 miles of where I live: Rockford, Loves Park, & Machesney Park. I look forward to meeting many more of you! Hello, I’m Ezra (He/They)! I am an animal lover who grew up with dogs and my first pet sitting experiences have been with cats. I am now a pet sitter for cats and dogs & would love to shower your pet with loving attention & care! I’m the kind of person who tells your pets how proud I am of them for eating their food, doing both outside, coping with loud noises, & just being their adorable selves. My biggest bonds have been with cats & dogs with disabilities, both physical & mental. I have experience with handling medications mixed into wet food & feeding prescription diet food & have just learned oral medication admin through a pill popper syringe. I would be honored to be chosen for your fur-baby’s care!
Cat care experience
Ezra also cares for cats. Learn about their cat-specific care experience.
Reviews
Ezra is great with our pets, a very scared dog even allows him to pet her so that is huge! He meets her where she is at and so patient with her!
Ezra was great with the dogs and our requests, even getting the pups through the 4th of July when we had to be away. We were very nervous to leave them for an extended period, but it seems like he knows how to let them lead while also making sure to address any input from us. We also appreciated his frequent updates and pictures!
Ezra was phenomenal! We got regular updates on Lucy and felt so comfortable leaving her in Ezra’s hands. Highly recommended.
Ezra was great! Arrived on time and was a great walker for my dog. Would gladly hire again!
About Ezra S.
Communication
Skills
Safety, trust & environment
Your pet’s trust in me is of utmost importance! I always lock the doors and make sure your pet has fresh food & water. If your cat struggles to trust new people, I slowly reach out to say hello and let your cat determine the first steps of our interaction. If your dog is reactive towards other dogs to the point where just seeing them makes them react: I watch for other dogs walking by; when another dog passes, I pause our walk & place my body in front of your dog to help them avoid getting activated and wait for the other dog to pass by before we resume our walk. If your dog has the tendency to run across the street, I work with them on "sit," "stay," and "cross" at all crosswalks so they learn to associate waiting before crossing the street with safety & treats. COVID Safety: If you’re a household that requires visitors to wear masks inside, I’ll wear my N95 mask at all times. Outside of the home, I wear an N95 mask in all public spaces when I’m not performing. My freelance performing job doesn’t allow me to mask when performing, so I’m unable to mask 100% of the time on performance days (typically 2-3 days a month).
Information Ezra S. would like to know about your pet
I require all clients to meet me w/ their pet/s in person beforehand and write care instructions for me in either a Google Doc or an email. You need to tell me *BEFORE* the meet & greet if your pet is reactive to new people/reactive to new people in front of their owners & how to best prepare in advance. If a pet bites me as a reaction & I’m not told beforehand it reacts in that way to new people, that is never your pet’s fault; my trust in the owner’s communication is what’s impacted, not my trust in your pet. I view reactivity as an aspect of a disability that impacts how your pet navigates the world. It is your responsibility as a pet owner to communicate your pets’ disabilities to the fullest extent. When you do this, you effectively establish trust between me & you. I like to know about your pet: their names, feeding schedule, if they have any physical & mental disabilities & any meds they require, how much they like being cuddled & touched, their favorite treats & toys, any training/behaviors you want me to encourage & any behaviors they’re not allowed to do, any triggers (other animals, sounds, people’s clothing), how reactive your pet is to new people & other dogs & other cats, any techniques that help your pet eat their food if they don’t like it, litter box care, and for dog walking how long your dog needs to be walked & if you want your dog to do both outside in extremely hot weather or rain. I like to know about you: how to enter your home, your contact info, emergency contacts & vet info, and if you need any house-care while you’re away (watering plants, taking out trash & recycling, wiping counters)
A typical day
I give your pet/s time full of tender loving care! I always keep up a steady stream of conversation with your pet/s so they become comfortable with the sound of my voice. When doing drop-in visits or house-sitting, I feed them first thing on the morning visit & if a cat, then clean their litter box second. For the evening visit, I feed them first thing & if a cat check their litter box. The rest of the time I cuddle with your pet on the couch, play with their toys, & take photos & videos of them being their adorable selves to send to you. For dog walking, I greet your dog with a belly rub & encourage their excitement about going outside. I then walk your dog for a minimum of 30 minutes on a good weather day & make sure they do both pee & poop outside. After we go inside I refresh their water bowl and then cuddle, play, & take photos & videos to send to you.
Services
Ezra can watch in your home
Availability
All of my work is freelance work, performing & petsitting, with a flexible schedule where I determine my own hours, so I'm able to spend plenty of time with your pets!
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About Ezra S.
Communication
Skills
Safety, trust & environment
Your pet’s trust in me is of utmost importance! I always lock the doors and make sure your pet has fresh food & water. If your cat struggles to trust new people, I slowly reach out to say hello and let your cat determine the first steps of our interaction. If your dog is reactive towards other dogs to the point where just seeing them makes them react: I watch for other dogs walking by; when another dog passes, I pause our walk & place my body in front of your dog to help them avoid getting activated and wait for the other dog to pass by before we resume our walk. If your dog has the tendency to run across the street, I work with them on "sit," "stay," and "cross" at all crosswalks so they learn to associate waiting before crossing the street with safety & treats. COVID Safety: If you’re a household that requires visitors to wear masks inside, I’ll wear my N95 mask at all times. Outside of the home, I wear an N95 mask in all public spaces when I’m not performing. My freelance performing job doesn’t allow me to mask when performing, so I’m unable to mask 100% of the time on performance days (typically 2-3 days a month).
Information Ezra S. would like to know about your pet
I require all clients to meet me w/ their pet/s in person beforehand and write care instructions for me in either a Google Doc or an email. You need to tell me *BEFORE* the meet & greet if your pet is reactive to new people/reactive to new people in front of their owners & how to best prepare in advance. If a pet bites me as a reaction & I’m not told beforehand it reacts in that way to new people, that is never your pet’s fault; my trust in the owner’s communication is what’s impacted, not my trust in your pet. I view reactivity as an aspect of a disability that impacts how your pet navigates the world. It is your responsibility as a pet owner to communicate your pets’ disabilities to the fullest extent. When you do this, you effectively establish trust between me & you. I like to know about your pet: their names, feeding schedule, if they have any physical & mental disabilities & any meds they require, how much they like being cuddled & touched, their favorite treats & toys, any training/behaviors you want me to encourage & any behaviors they’re not allowed to do, any triggers (other animals, sounds, people’s clothing), how reactive your pet is to new people & other dogs & other cats, any techniques that help your pet eat their food if they don’t like it, litter box care, and for dog walking how long your dog needs to be walked & if you want your dog to do both outside in extremely hot weather or rain. I like to know about you: how to enter your home, your contact info, emergency contacts & vet info, and if you need any house-care while you’re away (watering plants, taking out trash & recycling, wiping counters)
A typical day
I give your pet/s time full of tender loving care! I always keep up a steady stream of conversation with your pet/s so they become comfortable with the sound of my voice. When doing drop-in visits or house-sitting, I feed them first thing on the morning visit & if a cat, then clean their litter box second. For the evening visit, I feed them first thing & if a cat check their litter box. The rest of the time I cuddle with your pet on the couch, play with their toys, & take photos & videos of them being their adorable selves to send to you. For dog walking, I greet your dog with a belly rub & encourage their excitement about going outside. I then walk your dog for a minimum of 30 minutes on a good weather day & make sure they do both pee & poop outside. After we go inside I refresh their water bowl and then cuddle, play, & take photos & videos to send to you.
Location
Rockford, IL
Ezra S.
Rockford, IL