AS OF SEPTEMBER : Thank you to all of my clients in Northern California. I so enjoyed helping your animals while I was in town for an extended period of time. I am now based back where I live in JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA. AVAILABLE FOR LAST-MINUTE REQUESTS. Happy to work with seniors, those needing special meds, dogs with seizures, IVDD dogs, CHF, hospice animals, surgery recovery, etc. Been there, done it all. I am a Rover provider and a Rover client. ME AND ANIMALS ~ Animals think I'm just one of them. Constantly told, 'I can't believe my animal let you touch them' or 'came to you like that'. Recently I recalled an experience when my dad and I were at the junk yard when I was 9 or 11. They had a dog who I was interacting with. At some point, we were talking with the owner who noticed his 'guard dog' leaning against my leg and asked my dad what I did to his dog. Dad and I were both perplexed by his comment until the owner shared that he had spent a lot of money to have his dog trained to guard the yard, and wasn't supposed to be acting the way he is. My dad just laughed and explained that's the way I was with animals. I've been watching animals since I was 12, which is a few decades ago. My first was named 'Stewball' and she was the Basset Hound of the neighbors behind us. Sometimes I'd watch the kids and Stewball. She and I always 'talked' over the fence as well. I regularly housesat for various family friends. I was trusted so much that as a teenager I was even in the will of close family friends to take their 'Freddy' (photo of black dog with me in the hat) if something happened to them. WHAT, WHERE, AND WHEN ~ I will consider providing a bath for your pet, in your home. Would like to know any issues in advance. There will be an extra charge for this. WHY ROVER ~ I am now offering services where I live in Jacksonville, Florida. I spent 13 out of 15 months in Northern California dealing with family matters (my mom has Dementia) and was missing my own dogs and friends' dogs. I got the idea to offer my services when my sister's sister-in-law was going to cancel a trip they planned as she forgot to book animal care. I immediately offered to watch her Chloe, an 85-pound Basset Hound. In Northern California, I had many repeat customers. I could easily be busy every day if I wanted to. EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING ~ I've taken multiple animal-handling classes including week-long dog-handling courses at Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab. Taken a 'Stop, Drop, Roll' course formally offered by American Humane. The photo of me in the Best Friends truck is tied to the time I volunteered months of my time related to the animal welfare response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, starting in 2005 and through 2007. I've fostered Dachshunds for a long time and often helped socialize the ones most needing it. This included two brothers we wanted to be adopted together and one wasn't comfortable walking on a leash. He had one week to learn, so he could move with his brother. I happily 'wrangled' both of them when their parents married in Chicago a few years later. My own cats lived mostly very long lives as old as 17 and 18. I've given fluids due to kidney disease. My Dachshunds have lived as old as 18 1/2, 17 1/2, 17, and on down. With my own animals, I've dealt with animals with 3 cases of Dementia, stomach cancer, IVDD, seizure disorder, CHF, kidney disease, recovering from various surgeries, going through heartworm treatment as well as other health issues. ME AND ANIMALS ~ Active in animal welfare for decades, mostly on the logistics and supply side. When in the town I live in, I am regularly interacting with horses and pigs. I really just love animals. People always thought I'd be a vet. I'm the one at a party on the floor playing with the animals. While staying with my sister in San Francisco, she's started to become accustomed to my version of our daily walks as I have to stop and pet whichever dogs are interested, and I 'talk' to the crows and ravens. LOL, I love taking photos of animals. I'll create an album specifically for your pets and send you the link. I do this for friends and family all the time. You'll end up with an album of every photo I took of your pet(s). Photos of the pets I've watched over are near the top of my gallery here on Rover.