Our German Shepherd loves Melissa, so much so that we try to time our vacation so that Melissa will be available to take care of her. There usually are a handful of people you can trust to walk, feed and even spend quality play time with your dog but rarely is there someone you would totally trust your dog with in the event of an emergency. Melissa is one of those people. The comfort we have knowing that our dog will have fun and be safe with Melissa is invaluable. Not only does she have a natural rapport with dogs, she also has a level-headedness and maturity you want in a caretaker. And due to her varied work history, she has years of experience with adults and children too. This all contributes to her ability to handle less than ideal situations at a dog park or on a walk in a densely populated city like ours that is full of distracting stimuli and at times other anxious and/or unsocialized dogs. Once word gets out about Melissa, because it will, we hope she'll still be able to fit us in.