Ezra S.
Rockford, IL
Services
Ezra can care for
Availability
All of my work is a part-time job and freelance work. I have a part time job in downtown Rockford that is on Wednesdays 9am-12pm and Fridays 1pm-4pm. My work schedule in that part-time job always lasts 3-4 hours and doesn't go over that. With pet-sitting & performing, I have 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
Disabled Pets are Beautiful!
Pet care experience
UPDATED NOTE 12/12: My Monday morning time slot has opened up for drop-in visits or dog walks! On Wednesdays 9am-12pm & Fridays 1pm-4pm, I’m working a part time flexible legal Secretary job in downtown Rockford. If you want Wednesday drop-in visits or dog walks, it needs to be anytime after 12pm. If you want Friday drop-in visits or dog walks, it needs to be anytime before 12:30pm & after 4pm. *For House-Sits Only*: I’m expanding to include more places in Winnebago & Boone Counties! The towns I’m doing house-sits for now are Rockford, Loves Park, Machesney Park, Roscoe, Rockton, Belvidere, Cherry Valley, Pecatonica, Winnebago, Byron, Caledonia, Poplar Grove, & South Beloit. If you live in those areas, my house-sit bookings are open! My full service range of house-sits, dog walks, & drop-in visits remains only available to Rockford, Loves Park, & Machesney Park b/c it’s more sustainable for my capacity to keep dog walks & drop-in visits in those 3 areas. House-sit service expansion to more towns in Winnebago & Boone counties IS sustainable for me to do, so that’s why my service range expansion is only applied to house-sits. 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 very patient and kind with my little shy Izzie. They take their time to let animals get to know them and are consistent and timely and send lots of pictures! Not to mention incredibly flexible with my crazy schedule. 10/10 highly recommend.
Ezra was exceptional with out VERY shy dog. Over 2 days, she went from barking at him constantly to asking for pets and giving him kisses when he left! What more can you say?! He was great with all of our pets and respectful of our home. We'll use him again if the need arises.
Ezra did great with all of the dogs but especially well with our very timid girl.
Ezra was great! They had great communication and sent amazing updates! Even our shy dog warmed up to them super quick and they handled our reactive dog really well! We will be working with them again soon!
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.
Ezra S.
Rockford, IL