For over seven years, I was the go-to sitter for a family’s well-loved cat, Toonsie. When I moved away from home and headed to the west coast for a relatively brief period, I could no longer watched Toonsie but instead served as the full-time dog sitter of a family pet, Fiona. I lived with Fiona’s family for two months, and during that period I walked her at least twice a day, carefully prepared her food (as she was an older dog and needed special nourishment) and kept her company during down time. It always delighted and entertained me when I got her excited to play! In addition to Toonsie and Fiona, I’ve spent most of my life with a dog. For the past 13 years, my family has had the pleasure of having Maggie - our sweet Australian Shepherd (featured in my profile photo). Maggie has been one of the loves of my life. From seeing her as a puppy and helping to potty train her to taking slower paced walks in her now ripe older age, she has been a special piece of my life for a long time. Maggie lives with my parents out of state, so I don’t get to see her as much as I’d like, which is partly why I’m here — dogs have an enormous amount of love to give and I easily reciprocate that love. I work remotely — my job is based in NYC, but I live and work in Maine. I have flexibility in my schedule, and have plenty of experience juggling my remote work schedule with dog sitting. I live across the street from a park with a backyard as well, so there are plenty of options when it comes to outdoor space and walks.