Hello and thank you for considering me to provide care to your beloved furbaby while you're away! If it is your first time to Rover, welcome! I started on Rover myself as a pet owner seeking a pet sitter and loved my sitters and the experience so much that I decided to become a sitter myself. My name is Mel and I live in Olalla, Washington on 2.5 wooded acres. I’ve lived in Western Washington for over 20 years and specifically in the Gig Harbor area now for one year after my first home purchase. I absolutely love this area of Western Washington and the beautiful community that comes along with it! I’ve worked in veterinary medicine for the past 5 years and as a specialty Rover sitter for the last 10 years. My experience includes everything from rescue, volunteer spay & neuter services, TNR, feral cat colonies, emergency, general practice and specialty, including companion animal (cats and dogs), farm animals, wildlife and exotics. I am CPR, fear-free and feline friendly certified. My volunteer work includes a once-a-year Caribbean Spay Neuter clinic, working with a team of medical professional volunteers to spay and neuter approximately 100–150 cats and dogs everyday for our 4 days while visiting the Dominican Republic. I also run a small local volunteer-based feline feral colony support network, including spay and neuter resources. Whether you're looking for a 5-star sitter for your hamster, lizard, cat, dog, goats, chickens - you name it - they'll be in the best of care and treated like family while you're away! If you need someone to spoil your beloved little one while you're gone, I'm your gal. I've been around all kinds of animals my entire life, so I'm familiar with many shapes, sizes, special needs and personalities. I'm comfortable with administering sub-q fluids, medications, handling special diets and routines, as well as elderly, disabled, anxious or stressed pets. We have a special needs furbaby ourselves named Bubbles; an orange kitty diagnosed with the most severe level of cerebellar hypoplasia. I'm an active person who loves to go on hikes and get outside but if your pet is a bit of a couch potato, I'm happy to snuggle up with a blanket and a good movie as well. I will always send you pics throughout the stay so you know that your pet is healthy and happy. If your furbaby has any special needs, please let me know! I'm happy to accommodate. Your pet will always have someone with them to keep them company, take them for regular walks and potty breaks and to spoil them in every way possible. Please be aware that my schedule will always be updated for the upcoming 2 weeks (if not longer). I typically try to only take 1 client at a time (but this can include multiple pets from one household). I look forward to hearing from you! Please contact me with any questions and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. *************************************************** ***PLEASE NOTE: (1) For any multi-day/night stays, “per day” or “per night” price starts and ends at noon each day. For example, if you want to book a Monday-Friday stay at your home, I can be there anytime after 12pm on Monday and the stay will end by 12pm on Friday. If you need additional time added to the stay, just let me know and we can add it onto the base price! (2) If your pet has extreme and/or aggressive behavioral issues, there may be an extra charge on a case-by-case basis. (3) I DO NOT ACCEPT ANY PETS WHO CURRENTLY HAVE OR HAVE HAD GIARDIA WITHIN THE PAST 30 DAYS. FAILURE TO NOTIFY ME MAY RESULT IN A LAST MINUTE CANCELLATION. THANK YOU FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING! :)