Kate D.
Independence, MO
Services
Kate can care for
Availability
I currently work as a Behavioral Interventionist for a district that participates in four-day weeks. For the summer, I have open availability. The school year will begin again 8/11/25 for me which will leave me with full availability for Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays and availability from 5 am to 8 am and after 5 pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays until the end of May, holiday breaks being the exception. When you request a time for a visit, I will care for your pets within one hour before or one hour after the requested time unless there is a special circumstance such as medication administration needed at exact times. For example, if you request a drop-in visit at 12pm, the visit may start anywhere from 11am to 1pm in order to accommodate unexpected situations where I need to spend more time with an animal.
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About Kate D.
Communication
Skills
Safety, trust & environment
An animal's safety is my highest priority. I am trained in safe dog introductions and reading animal body language. Additionally, I am trained to safely intervene if an interaction between animals becomes aggressive to minimize injury to the animals and myself. I am well versed in identifying potential emergency medical situations and will respond quickly to reduce stress on your beloved pet. I would like to know immediately if something is wrong with one of my babies, and it is essential to show you the same respect.
Information Kate D. would like to know about your pet
The biggest things I would like to know about your pets are: -Medical history -Medications -If they are reactive and, if so, what their triggers are -Bite history -If you are unavailable, who is authorized to make medical decisions in your place -Your pet's favorite activities
A typical day
Initially, I will do a slow introduction with your animal, enabling me to take as much time as your pet needs to develop trust. I will follow your expectations and complete gentle redirects if needed. I use positive reinforcement to encourage expected behavior (i.e., no yelling, no squirt bottles, nothing that will stress even the most sensitive animals), which looks like using training treats or kibble (if pre-approved by you), and my voice at an average volume. I will squat down and stay on your animal's level to build on trust unless I notice a change in body language that tells me to give more space. I will spend time with your animal doing their favorite activities and engage them in appropriately aligned activities for their sensory needs. I enjoy active play with your pet but also am happy to keep it mellow for them.
Location
Independence, MO
Pets
Kate D. has Star Sitter status
The Star Sitter program highlights responsive sitters who deliver highly rated care and have a history of listing accurate availability and preferences, making it easier for pet parents to find the best care for their pets.
Trained Vet Tech Who Loves Animals
Pet care experience
**NOTE: If you are outside of my normal service preferences, please still request, particularly if you have a pet that has medical or behavioral concerns. I am extremely comfortable with unique behavioral/medical needs and I find great joy in working with these animals. I have always loved animals. This was amplified when I completed an internship at an exotic animal sanctuary on their animal care team. After this, I trained as a veterinary technician at a senior dog sanctuary specializing in hospice care. When I moved to KC, I worked as a vet tech under a renowned veterinary orthopedic surgeon. I was the lead vet tech for a high-volume clinic where I was the lead surgery and dental tech, emergency tech, and euthanasia tech, and I oversaw the vet tech schedule and controlled substance logs. I am comfortable administering injections (insulin, for example), administering subcutaneous fluids, delivering triage care in an emergency with your animal, and monitoring heart rates, respiratory rates, and capillary refill times. On a personal level, I am the proud mom of a one-eyed French Bulldog, a senior Chihuahua, a ball python, a milk snake, and an eyelash-crested gecko. In the past, I have been a parent to hamsters, rats, a guinea pig, a corn snake, and multiple fish species.
Cat care experience
Kate also cares for cats. Learn about their cat-specific care experience.
Reviews
Kate is amazing! We have used her numerous times for house sitting and caring for our dogs, and she has always been reliable, trustworthy, and attentive. She provides updates while we’re away, which gives us great peace of mind, and our dog is always happy and well cared for when we return. We highly recommend Kate to anyone looking for a dependable and caring pet sitter!
Kate always goes above and beyond!
Kate is so great with our old German shepherd. He’s picky about who he interacts with and at this point she’s a part of his family. She’s gracious with our last min requests and treats are pup so well. We love her!
Thanks so much!!
About Kate D.
Communication
Skills
Safety, trust & environment
An animal's safety is my highest priority. I am trained in safe dog introductions and reading animal body language. Additionally, I am trained to safely intervene if an interaction between animals becomes aggressive to minimize injury to the animals and myself. I am well versed in identifying potential emergency medical situations and will respond quickly to reduce stress on your beloved pet. I would like to know immediately if something is wrong with one of my babies, and it is essential to show you the same respect.
Information Kate D. would like to know about your pet
The biggest things I would like to know about your pets are: -Medical history -Medications -If they are reactive and, if so, what their triggers are -Bite history -If you are unavailable, who is authorized to make medical decisions in your place -Your pet's favorite activities
A typical day
Initially, I will do a slow introduction with your animal, enabling me to take as much time as your pet needs to develop trust. I will follow your expectations and complete gentle redirects if needed. I use positive reinforcement to encourage expected behavior (i.e., no yelling, no squirt bottles, nothing that will stress even the most sensitive animals), which looks like using training treats or kibble (if pre-approved by you), and my voice at an average volume. I will squat down and stay on your animal's level to build on trust unless I notice a change in body language that tells me to give more space. I will spend time with your animal doing their favorite activities and engage them in appropriately aligned activities for their sensory needs. I enjoy active play with your pet but also am happy to keep it mellow for them.
Kate D.
Independence, MO