5.0

I currently only have cats at home, but I have had dogs- personally a beautiful husky and a black lab. I would love to have another dog- but living alone does make it a challenge when you must be there 3x/day to at least give them potty breaks. Until a few years ago I spent my summers at a family home that routinely had 3+ dogs in residence. I also gained a lot of experience working with animals as a Board member and long-time volunteer of a local animal shelter.  This included a lot of direct care and fostering- as well as being involved in all of the other various day to day tasks that go into the daily running of a shelter.  In addition, I also have experience working in a veterinary hospital. Currently, I have my own pet-sitting and dog walking business- and my priority has always been the wellbeing of the animals. In one case, clients put one of their pets in the hospital when they went away for a week. I only needed to go to their house to feed their other pet. Unfortunately, the one in the hospital was in the final stages of cancer, and half its lower jaw was gone (yes, it should have been humanely put down well before that- especially before spending a week alone in the hospital- and its owner WAS a doctor). I'm sure it was scared and confused- so I went every day, got him out of the cage and spent an hour sitting on the floor with him in one of the exam rooms- so he saw someone familiar and got some attention.  (I never even mentioned it to the clients- I did it because I felt so bad for that animal.) Because I live in a condo- I do not offer boarding at my home. I am available for overnight stays in my client's home. PLEASE NOTE: An "overnight" and/or house-sitting stay is approx 12-14 hours (ie: 7pm-9am +/-). It includes feeding, evening walk(s) and morning walk. I then need to leave for the day to service my other clients and my own pets. (Much like your schedule of: home in the evening and off to work in the morning.) If a mid-day walk/return to your home is needed- that is billed separately as a drop in/dog walk visit (as if you were at work & needed a mid day pet care appointment).  Most of my client's have a key made for me to keep on file and/or have doors that can be unlocked via pass code. If a separate trip is needed to either pick up your keys before you leave or drop them off upon your return- there will be a separate charge for those extra visits. (Of course you also have the option of dropping the keys off to me.)"