I can’t wait to meet your pet family! With nearly a decade of experience working in veterinary medicine and more than three decades of pet caretaking/ownership, I offer worry-free skilled and routine pet caretaking services in your home. I have a background in fear-free techniques that help me to understand and work with fearful and high-anxiety pets. I have been employed at clinics, mixed practices, and a veterinary referral/emergency hospital. *I carry a pet first aid kit at all times.* My clinical background as a veterinary assistant/receptionist includes animal handling and restraint, administering medications and injections (such as insulin and fluids), caring for hospitalized patients and providing treatments, assisting doctors with diagnostics, and educating/communicating with clients. This experience in both traditional and exotic veterinary medicine translates to exceptional care for all species of companion animals. I am comfortable managing a wide range of medical conditions and administering medications, so you can feel confident about leaving your pet in compassionate, skillful hands. I earned the title “chihuahua whisperer” at work—a true badge of honor! As a dog-mom, I truly enjoy caring for animals. My pet family includes a special-needs tripod Boxer, Raegan, for whom I had a prosthetic leg designed; a long-coated Chihuahua, Joie; and a merle chihuahua, Cookie. My affinity for companion animals began early on. As a child, I would bring home stray dogs and cats, and I kept exotic pets including rabbits, hermit crabs, hamsters, mice, lizards, frogs, and fish. During high school, I received academic credit for interning at a veterinary clinic. As a Yooper (Upper Michigan native), I had the opportunity to work with multiple sled dog teams, which proved to be very enlightening experiences! The most interesting animal-caretaking experience I have had is providing critical care to a newborn alpaca named Mittens and helping the farm owner tube-feed this special-needs baby while she was out of town (he was eventually able to stand on his own and nurse!). A major component of pet caretaking is communication. With a bachelor’s degree in scientific and technical communication from Michigan Tech, I have studied the art and science of communication.