I've gravitated towards dogs since I could move my feet. My mom says I was fearless: crawling to pet dogs four times my size and curling up next to them to nap. Through pet-sitting, I convinced my parents I was capable of the responsibility of a dog, and for my 10th birthday, I was surprised with a yellow Labrador. Although still a "puppy" myself, I trained and cared for Homer completely on my own. Through this experience, I learned how to read dog behavior and understand dog mentality. Unfortunately, at just 6 years old, Homer went blind, but this new journey in his life allowed me to gain valuable experience in caring for dogs with a disability. After losing Homer and throughout college, I was able to get my “dog-fix” by pet-sitting through Rover. I was lucky enough to have repeat clients who trusted me to take their dogs hiking, camping, and to local dog-friendly events. Due to allergies of my housemates in college, I was unable to adopt a dog, and so I brought home a ‘barn cat’ from the Tacoma Humane Society who had no hair from her ribs to her tail, and a history of house soiling. After countless vet appointments and tests, I learned she had no physiological reason for these issues. With some love, her hair re-grew and her urine was only found in the litter box. As my first cat, she has taught me all about the secret feline language, cat-specific medical needs and conditions, and shown me why people love these little creatures so darn much! After graduating from college, I made the decision to add to my pack and adopted a 4-mo mutt from Tijuana, Mexico. Snoopy came with trauma and fear, something I recognized from my work with horses. Carefully, we unpacked and retrained his fears so his natural curiosity and kindness could shine through. Now, at three years old, he is a park favorite with more friends, both human and four-legged, than myself! He has taught me how to work with a new population of canines, and how rewarding that work can be. For the past 17 years, I've gained invaluable experience through pet-sitting, and also as an owner myself. While I wont ever be able to love your pet like you do, I will try my best to make them feel equally at ease. I’d love the opportunity to care for your ‘fur baby,’ and feel I have the expertise to do it well! PSA for boarding: Snoopy and Nettie live with me, I can only accept boarding dogs who are dog and cat friendly.