My love for dogs and cats has been for my entire life. I helped my mother as she ran her own petsitting business called Patriot Petsitting in upstate New York. I've worked with many breeds of cats and dogs when I worked at PetsMart. I have learned the needs and wants of both depending upon personalities. My first pet was affectionately named Bird, a parakeet. In fact, bird was my first word! Melissa was a wonderful American Bobtail cat who I had for almost 19 years. Then came Pilgrim, Myles, T-Bird the cat, Vann the cat, two hamsters named Benjamin and Franklin and our family dog now, Boris the Weimaraner. Each pet holds a special place in my heart for what they taught me about love and responsibility.