I have known Marissa for 24 years. We have grown up together, and during that time, her family has always had dogs. As soon as she was out on her own, one of the first things she did was adopt her dog Theo, despite being busy with medical school, travel, and a relationship. Wherever Marissa and her husband go, Theo, who is undoubtedly a member of the family, gets to tag along. Marissa’s pursuit of walking dogs for Rover is a natural extension of her knack for ensuring dogs have the highest quality of life. Entrusting one’s beloved dog to someone else is not an easy decision; however, Marissa is by nature a very trustworthy person. As mentioned earlier, I have known her almost her whole life. We have remained close partly because I know I can count on her for anything, even something as important as keeping my dogs happy and healthy in my absence. Marissa is my first choice for dog care when we go on extended vacations. Her consistent walking routines, regular treats, and ability to look after my dogs like they are her own make me feel at ease while I’m away. Marissa has always amazed me with her ability to balance multiple priorities without allowing a single one to slip. For example, she somehow planned a wedding and honeymoon during COVID while in medical school with an impending move across the country and still prioritized training and walking Theo on a regular basis. As someone whose own dogs drag me along on every walk, I am very impressed that Theo received the loose leash training that he did while his owner was so busy! Simply put, Marissa is a dog person. Anyone who visits her home leaves knowing without a doubt that Theo is a part of the family. On the day of her wedding, Marissa ensured that someone had access to her apartment so that Theo could still get his daily walk despite his owners having a monumental event to get to! Later that day, Theo shared the spotlight by starring in the wedding photos alongside his parents. Marissa was thinking about him, even on her big day. Now, Theo enjoys traveling with Marissa whenever possible so that he is always with his people. He even influenced the house hunting process when they moved. Marissa found a home with a dog door and an enclosed backyard so that her fur baby could let himself out throughout the day while she was at work. Rest assured, if your dogs are walking with Marissa, they are in the company of a true dog person! Marissa takes care of others’ dogs as if they are her own. I once asked Marissa at the very last minute if I could bring my dog to her apartment since I was visiting out of town. Not only did she say yes, but she had a dog bed and toys set aside for him when we arrived! She even planned our Saturday activities so that we could bring our dogs to a brewery to play and exercise. When I stay at Marissa’s home, my dogs are guests of hers just as much as I am. In short, Marissa will become an important part of your dogs' wellbeing by ensuring their safety and exercise while you are busy. She’ll walk them until they are happy, tired dogs while caring for them as if they are her own.