Dog Experience: I've taken care of dogs of every kind since I was 10. When I was growing up, I owned and trained a black Labrador, and later our family adopted a Golden Retriever Labrador mix. My favorite doggy adventures were running on the beach with our sweet Honey, and then bathing her before coming in the door. She passed away last summer due to cancer, and I miss her very much. I currently volunteer at the East Bay SPCA. I am an active member of the Jog-A-Dog program, and exercise shelter dogs by taking them on short 3-mile jogs around parks and neighborhoods. I have experience working with a variety of breeds and temperaments, from adults to puppies, including both anxious, reactive, confident, and laid-back animals. Cat Experience: I also grew up with a stray American shorthair cat who adopted our family when I was in kindergarten. When I would play in my neighborhood, the cat took notice of me, and our bond grew from there. We developed our own sign language, where I would hold out my hand to her, and she would come up to me and lick it, then follow me everywhere. Slowly, she started hanging around our house until my dad finally invited her inside. My mom walked into the living room one afternoon and caught my dad sitting on the couch with the cat purring on his lap. It was then that we all realized that this cat had made its way into our hearts and become a permanent member of our family. I think I'm more of a cat person than a dog person, just because cats always seem to be drawn to me. However, I have a big heart for all types of animals, reptiles, and insects. Other pet experience: In college I adopted a turtle from our neighbor because the owner could no longer care for it. I would take the turtle with me a few times to the park on the weekends, where it could graze on fresh green grass and bask in the sunshine. I also had a few betta fish at the time, and taught them how to leap into the air for a few seconds (with the promise of food, of course). Insect Experience: I love butterflies!! I have always loved butterflies -- my first word was "butterfly". When I was in first grade I was wandering around our neighborhood, waiting for my friend to get home so we could play together. I cam across a Monarch butterfly caught in a spiderweb that was plasterd against the outside windowsill of my neighbor's house. After staring at it for a little while, I noticed the butterfly's wings start to move. I reached my hand into the spiderweb and set the butterfly free. The butterfly crawled onto my hand and it was then that I realized the wings were damaged. My friend came out of her house soon after, and we created a little home for the butterfly to receive plant nectar and water (in a lid). Then my parents arranged to visit my great-grandmother in a nursing home, so I took the butterfly to show her. We traveled by airplane to Ohio. My mom said that my great-grandmother had lived in Pacific Grove, CA, before she was sent to Ohio, and would watch the Monarch butterfly migration take place in her backyard. When my great-grandmother saw the Monarch butterfly I had brought her, she lit up! She still remembered the butterflies from her hometown and was very grateful to see the butterfly alive and well through its journey to Cleveland, OH. Throughout my life I've had multiple experiences with various types of butterflies landing on me while hiking or lounging by the pool with my family. It's always a magical and awe-inspiring experience.