I'm now a fourth-year doctoral student at OU and have taught Engish for over a decade, both at the high school level and, for the last 6 years at the collegiate level. Outside of my professional writing life, I enjoy caring for animals in my free time. I have a high-anxiety dog, a cuddly cat, and an old retired horse with arthritis. I've had dogs my whole life; I grew up with Border Collies and currently have an Australian Kelpie mix, so I'm no stranger to high-energy, working dogs. I've pet-sat for a variety of breeds, though, from Jack Russel Terriers to Great Danes. I'm equally happy taking your active dog for a run or providing gentle care and meds to your senior dog. Prior to my current residence, I lived on a farm for several years, caring for chickens, goats, & horses. I've been an equestrian since I was 8, and I'm very comfortable caring for horses and other farm animals. Fun fact: when I lived in Colorado, I also had a part-time job working with and bathing birds. And of course, I love small animals: I've owned gerbils, guinea pigs, chinchillas, turtles, fish, and rabbits throughout my life.