As my mom's favorite, Italian eatery once said: "When you're here, you're family." This is an ongoing joke that my roommate of 10+ years, Gabby, and I repeat every time a new animal comes into our home. It's funny to us, but only because it's true. Two hobbies Gabby and I have developed over the years are rescuing stray/loose pets in our neighborhood (that's a hobby, right?), and pet sitting. We know it's not financially sustainable for us to adopt every rescued animal that comes our way, so we've found that pet sitting (especially boarding in our home) is a great fit for us. I'm the primary caretaker and point of contact in our home, but I feel that it's important to mention Gabby in this blurb, because we really work as a team to care for and give affection to the four-legged guests in our home. I'm a social worker by training, and primarily work with teens and young adults during the day. I'm fortunate to have a job near my home that provides me flexibility to regularly check in on my pets and any visitors. Gabby is a student, so our animals never have to be home alone for long stretches of time. I've been fortunate to have dogs and cats of all types and sizes, as well as smaller pets. If I had to pick a team, though, it'd be team big-dogs. Gabby loves small dogs, and especially loves snarky/senior chihuahuas. I didn't understand this for the longest time, but now see the error of my ways. I personally have 2 dogs (one Great Pyrenees mix, one pug) and 1 dog-like cat, who are all rescues. While the pug is more people-oriented, the other two love company and playing with others. I do need to make sure that any pets brought into our home will not put my own pets at risk. I prefer boarding animals in our home, but can also stay for short periods of time in others' homes. Either way, I automatically assume I'll be walking your pets during the stay (included in charge). I'm a non-smoker, vegan, and very tidy. And even though Gabby and the animals aren't vegan, I've decided I'll keep them.