Hello All: Why dogs? I enjoy being active and am fond of waking and jogging with dogs. I especially love the fact that—like people—dogs are individually unique and have their own personalities and quirks. Simply put, they put a smile on my face. Experience? Besides caring for my own animals over the years, I’ve had the pleasure of walking/jogging with small breeds, a special needs dog named Hopper (my dad’s sweet, 3-legged pit bull), and large, highly energetic breeds such as Afghans and Labs. Professionally- I am a special education teacher with 18 years of experience. Why dog walking/jogging and overnight care? For the first 14 or 15 years or so, I taught summer school, which I have enjoyed. Since then, though, I’ve passed on teaching assignments over the summer months to spend as much time as possible with my wife and daughters, which I’ve enjoyed even more than teaching. :) Having said that, being that my kids are busy with their activities, etc., I have a lot of time on my hands and I cannot think of a better way to spend it because dog walking/jogging fits me and my lifestyle/schedule perfectly; plus, not only do I get to do something that I thoroughly find joy in but I get paid to do it, too. I feel very, very fortunate! Own pets? My girls and I recently adopted what we believe is a Cocker Spaniel mix...maybe a Cockapoo. Whatever she is, she is absolutely adorable! In addition, my eldest, won a goldfish at a Halloween church festival in 2009. Well, originally, we placed Fishy in a 1.5 gallon tank followed by 3, 5, and 10, and she/he is currently in a 20 gallon one. The next step is 37 or 40 gallons. Seriously, the key is Brita. Even though cleaning the tank and filling it w/Brita pitchers is tedious, Fishy will be 10-yrs-old this coming October! Hahaha! As for previous pets, my Dalmation passed at the age of 13. Even though it was expected, it was heart-breaking. Other than that, we had a couple of mice a few years back. And...as silly as it sounds, we took one of them to a vet and had to put her down because she was suffering for at least 3 or 4 days, and my wife and I didn't have it in us to let her suffer anymore.