Hi, I'm Jess, a lifelong animal advocate, former shelter director, ordained interspecies animal chaplain, and experienced caretaker based in Prospect, Kentucky. I've spent years working hands-on with animals of all sizes, species, temperaments, and health needs. As Operations Director at the Terre Haute Humane Society, I worked directly alongside veterinarians to implement shelter medicine protocols and quality of life standards, giving me informal vet tech experience that most pet sitters simply don't have. I'm comfortable medicating dogs and cats, administering treatments, bathing, trimming nails, and supporting animals through illness and recovery. I bring a broad working knowledge of both pharmaceutical and natural health interventions, and I'm deeply familiar with navigating complex health needs, from post-surgical recovery to chronic illness management. For over five years, I fostered dogs through the Terre Haute Humane Society, including puppies and adults with serious behavioral challenges, dogs who were facing euthanasia due to behavioral issues, and severely ill animals, including parvo puppies, which requires intensive, around-the-clock care and a steady nervous system. I also fostered adult dogs through For Paws Sake Canine Rescue and Indianapolis Animal Care and Control, and I've been an active exotic animal foster with the Exotic Animal Rescue and Pet Sanctuary since 2014, caring for rabbits and ferrets. I understand difficult dogs. Not in theory, but from real experience. I know how to read body language, set boundaries with compassion, and create safety for animals who don't trust easily. Every size, every temperament, every need. I've been there. I also bring a depth of care that goes beyond the physical. As an ordained interspecies animal chaplain, I hold deep reverence for the lives of animals and the people who love them, showing up from the joy of a new puppy to the grief of a final goodbye in a way that is interfaith, inclusive, and grounded in genuine care for the whole of a life. I am also a Level II Animal Reiki practitioner trained in the Let Animals Lead method, which means I offer animals choice, consent, and energetic support in a way that honors their autonomy and meets them exactly where they are. At home, I share my life with two dogs, Merlin, a GSD mix who is sensitive and intense and absolutely my heart, and Arthur, a small scrappy mixed breed who recently had a femoral head ostectomy and reminded me all over again what it means to care for an animal through something hard. They are my people. I am active, fit, and genuinely love a long walk or a full play session. Your dog will come home tired and happy. I promise. Your pet isn't a task on my list. They're the whole point.