I grew up with fish, a hampster, and a tiny dog with a brave heart. She was a rescue from the SPCA with an abusive past and first came with a cautious, timid behavior when she arrived at her forever home. As I grew up, I saw her grow comfortable and confident in our home. She felt safe to bark, play, and eat freely around her family. As an SPCA volunteer and pet-sitter, I now get to give back to the community that gave me my first pet. There is nothing more satisfying than knowing that I can help along the process of giving dogs their potential forever home. Part of that is making sure their stay at the PSPCA is a good one. I first volunteered with my mother when I was just 13. This past half year, I returned to volunteering at the PSCPA. I gained experience in training basic commands, socializing with dogs of different breeds and temperaments, and reading dog body language. Nothing is like the sense of community at the PSPCA, all volunteers and workers in tandem for the care of pets who just need to be loved. In my experience of over five years of pet-sitting, I’ve seen cats blossom from their initial under-the-bed habits of apprehension, to greeting me every day with a headbutt to my hand. I see previously apprehensive dogs greet me every time with an excited tail and spin, rather than their natural bark at the unknown. Connecting with animals and giving them the care they deserve is invaluable to me. And as my headline says, they will always be our one and only true companions. As someone who’s tiny dog was lost for five days during a cold front due to gardener’s forgetting to close the fence gate, I understand completely the kind of worries an owner can have and the trust involved with having someone care for your pet. My puppy was only a month old when I needed someone to sit him during the times of day I was away and that was very difficult. However, being a pet-sitter and owner gave me the experience to interview possible sitters and express my puppy’s and I’s needs as a client. It’s important to me that I have that same transparency as a pet-sitter that I would as a client. In that, communication is essential. I know the worry that is leaving your pets in the care of a sitter for far trips away, just as I do for short ones. One way that I ensure you get the care you deserve is by having a set routine of pictures every day. Most often, I’ll send a few pictures every morning and evening. Having photo proof of both their care and their cute, happy faces makes a difference. I’m very quick to respond to any texts and will always ask questions if I feel there is anything of concern. I keep aware of the care of your home’s environment and ensure you come back to both a happy pet and a happy home. You should never come back to a mess to clean up after a long trip, or to a sitter who has been irresponsible with house care. Your home is your space and I respect that. I’m attentive to detail and have notified clients of if their watering system for plants is down or has had issues (leakage) in the past. Luckily, this has saved them from far too hot heat and flooding. Let me know how I can help make your time away less stressful, and your pet’s time at home just as joyful.