Zoe M.
Union Hill, VA
Trainer & Health Pro Dog/Cat/Parrot
Pet care experience
Woof! My name is Zoe and I'd love to be your new petsitter! As an endurance runner, experienced rescue animal trainer, and health professional student with medical training, I'm here to provide stress-free care for your whole family of dogs, cats, birds, small animals. DOGS & CATS Hire me as your solution for your high-energy and high-needs dogs and cats! Having lived with challenging dogs and cats my entire life, I know the struggle of finding quality care you can trust. I've rescued exercise-demanding dog breeds (including Dalmatians, German Shorthaired Pointers, and Vizslas), potty-trained puppies, bottle-fed kittens, and fostered elderly and special needs (blind, hearing impaired, and medically-intensive) dogs and cats for the SPCA. I subscribe to positive reinforcement (R+) training and am available to set up your training schedule, especially as we all reintegrate our pandemic pets back into society after the COVID-19 pandemic. I love to incorporate training and socialization into everyday play and have extensive behavioral and agility training experience, having worked with police and service dogs. I've even trained my rescue bengal cat to walk on a leash and do tricks! Ask about free training resources, advanced training services, full- and half-day hikes, bathing and nail trimming services, and preparing nutritionally complete, food-grade, homemade pet food. BIRDS & SMALL ANIMALS With my 10 years' experience and over 100 hours' of dedicated training working with flighted and clipped parrots including parakeets, cockatiels, conures, macaws, and African Greys, rest assured that I will take very attentive care of your feathered friend. I offer supervised foraging play, behavior-, talk-, and trick-training, fresh water and showers, and daily weigh-ins to monitor subtle changes in health. I am happy to prepare a homemade, nutritionally balanced diet of fresh fruit and vegetables with pressure-cooked whole grains and legumes. I also offer outdoor leashed walks and supervised free flights for trained birds who want to soak in a bit more sunshine! Growing up, I practically had a zoo of animals large and small, beyond dogs, cats, and parrots, including fish, frogs, turtles, tortoises, lizards, snakes, mice, rats, hamsters, rabbits, chickens, ducks, turkeys, goats, pigs, horses, and even a ma'kech! I have amazing memories of my Dalmatian following my tortoise through every room of the house, day after day. When we share our lives with animals, they're all family.
Reviews
This was our first time leaving our new cat home alone, and Zoe was amazing–professional, kind, and so communicative! Definitely recommend her for all your pet sitting needs!
Zoe was very sweet with mu puppy Pearl. She communicated well and spent quality time with Pearl in the park and at hone. Highly recommend.
Zoes is the best! We felt confident our little guy was in expert hands. We can't wait to work with her again!
Zoe was really informative with ways to help my new puppy and us acclimate to one another. Thank you for adding tools to our toolbox :)
About Zoe M.
Communication
Skills
Safety, trust & environment
♡ TRAINING ♡ Like us, dogs love to have a purpose! Positive reinforcement (R+) training is a great opportunity for you and your dog to find that purpose and strengthen your bond. Young puppies are especially excited by the attention training gives. Proactive training before undesirable habits arise is always more fun and effective than reactive training after those behaviors develop and become entrenched, and problem behaviors almost always get worse until we change the dynamic. However, all dogs can be trained! I provide free online training resources and one-time or repeat training services, as well as specialized training for the AKC Canine Good Citizen achievement and bathing and nail-trimming services. For our first training consultation, please book a 60-minute drop-in visit when you will be home for us to complete a training assessment, set up a plan, and start basic training! ♡ DROP-INS ♡ Drop-in visits include play and training indoors, and are also appropriate for food and medication delivery and optional bathing, grooming, and toothbrushing. The rest of our time will be filled with a lot of love and snuggles! ♡ WALKS ♡ We will always work on loose-leash and leash-reactivity training. Please ask about options for more advanced training or a longer run with a 60-minute session. If available, it is very helpful to have the day's allotment of kibble or other treats to motivate learning. ♡ HOMESTAYS ♡ Homestays include the perks of walks and drop-ins. My partner, Keiji, often joins me on homestays and is available for a meet & greet if requested. We are often happy to go above and beyond the expectations of Rover to accommodate multiple walks per day, training, and play, however, please share with us any additional expectations you have beyond the Rover standard in advance. (For reference, Rover expects only one walk per day of homestay. We will always be available for at least two walks per day for adult dogs and three or four potty breaks for young puppies.) ♡ GRATUITIES ♡ Rover is a great platform for connecting me to you. To support its services, Rover charges a 5-10% booking fee and also withholds 20% of all earnings. My rates are set to minimum wage for my services given my average travel time, so I am always very appreciative for tips! Most clients have given a 25% gratuity per service, either after each service or after multiple services. Tipping is never required, however, and if finances are tight, I always appreciate re-bookings, referrals, and positive reviews! — A QUICK LEGAL NOTE Please disclose any cameras and audio-recording devices. For my safety and comfort, I will refuse homestay service to households with cameras located in the bedroom or in a studio apartment with a view of the bed. Thank you in advance for minding the law to ensure the best possible care for your pet.
Information Zoe M. would like to know about your pet
ANYTHING & EVERYTHING Please share your preferred local veterinary clinic for emergencies if you have an established relationship plus anything else you think might be relevant, including: ✓ Does your pet get along with unfamiliar people and animals, and has your pet ever bitten anyone hard enough to break the skin? ✓ Does your pet has any special needs (e.g. potty training, medications, special diet)? ✓ Do you have any special requests (e.g. play at the dog park, obedience training, crating for sleepovers)? ✓ Would you like to be linked to additional training resources?
A typical day
NEW YORK In NYC, my apartment is located in the UWS between Central Park and Riverside, near the 105th St dog run. On a typical walk or run, we might head to one of these parks or reinforce training and good manners on the busy city streets. For homestays, we might be able to drive outside of the city for fun trip in the Appalachian mountains! VIRGINIA In Richmond, VA, my house is located directly across the street from Jefferson Park in Union Hill, but we aren't limited to the neighborhood! For 60-minute walks, we might jog around the James River System, or ask to specially book trips to Pocahontas State Park, Shenandoah National Park or the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests.
Services
Zoe can watch in your home
Availability
DAILY ROUTINES & PERSONALIZED TRAINING I do my best to bring your pets into my daily life. With your permission, that might include driving to the rock climbing crag on the weekends or taking your dog out to grab a bite to eat. I will always do my best to keep to your pet's normal routine, or, I may recommend additional sitters for more demanding care. I'd love to know what behaviors and tricks are highest on your priority list after socialization. Socialization training is often one of the most important behaviors to teach for both your and your pet's comfort in the long-term, and something I work on with all dogs, cats, and parrots. 🐾 FUTURE BOOKINGS I am currently booked for homestays through August 2021. Please book ahead for weekend and holiday services starting September 2021.
About Zoe M.
Communication
Skills
Safety, trust & environment
♡ TRAINING ♡ Like us, dogs love to have a purpose! Positive reinforcement (R+) training is a great opportunity for you and your dog to find that purpose and strengthen your bond. Young puppies are especially excited by the attention training gives. Proactive training before undesirable habits arise is always more fun and effective than reactive training after those behaviors develop and become entrenched, and problem behaviors almost always get worse until we change the dynamic. However, all dogs can be trained! I provide free online training resources and one-time or repeat training services, as well as specialized training for the AKC Canine Good Citizen achievement and bathing and nail-trimming services. For our first training consultation, please book a 60-minute drop-in visit when you will be home for us to complete a training assessment, set up a plan, and start basic training! ♡ DROP-INS ♡ Drop-in visits include play and training indoors, and are also appropriate for food and medication delivery and optional bathing, grooming, and toothbrushing. The rest of our time will be filled with a lot of love and snuggles! ♡ WALKS ♡ We will always work on loose-leash and leash-reactivity training. Please ask about options for more advanced training or a longer run with a 60-minute session. If available, it is very helpful to have the day's allotment of kibble or other treats to motivate learning. ♡ HOMESTAYS ♡ Homestays include the perks of walks and drop-ins. My partner, Keiji, often joins me on homestays and is available for a meet & greet if requested. We are often happy to go above and beyond the expectations of Rover to accommodate multiple walks per day, training, and play, however, please share with us any additional expectations you have beyond the Rover standard in advance. (For reference, Rover expects only one walk per day of homestay. We will always be available for at least two walks per day for adult dogs and three or four potty breaks for young puppies.) ♡ GRATUITIES ♡ Rover is a great platform for connecting me to you. To support its services, Rover charges a 5-10% booking fee and also withholds 20% of all earnings. My rates are set to minimum wage for my services given my average travel time, so I am always very appreciative for tips! Most clients have given a 25% gratuity per service, either after each service or after multiple services. Tipping is never required, however, and if finances are tight, I always appreciate re-bookings, referrals, and positive reviews! — A QUICK LEGAL NOTE Please disclose any cameras and audio-recording devices. For my safety and comfort, I will refuse homestay service to households with cameras located in the bedroom or in a studio apartment with a view of the bed. Thank you in advance for minding the law to ensure the best possible care for your pet.
Information Zoe M. would like to know about your pet
ANYTHING & EVERYTHING Please share your preferred local veterinary clinic for emergencies if you have an established relationship plus anything else you think might be relevant, including: ✓ Does your pet get along with unfamiliar people and animals, and has your pet ever bitten anyone hard enough to break the skin? ✓ Does your pet has any special needs (e.g. potty training, medications, special diet)? ✓ Do you have any special requests (e.g. play at the dog park, obedience training, crating for sleepovers)? ✓ Would you like to be linked to additional training resources?
A typical day
NEW YORK In NYC, my apartment is located in the UWS between Central Park and Riverside, near the 105th St dog run. On a typical walk or run, we might head to one of these parks or reinforce training and good manners on the busy city streets. For homestays, we might be able to drive outside of the city for fun trip in the Appalachian mountains! VIRGINIA In Richmond, VA, my house is located directly across the street from Jefferson Park in Union Hill, but we aren't limited to the neighborhood! For 60-minute walks, we might jog around the James River System, or ask to specially book trips to Pocahontas State Park, Shenandoah National Park or the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests.
Location
Richmond, VA
Pets
Zoe M.
Union Hill, VA