“To Whom It May Concern: I’m writing this letter as a reference for Carol concerning her care of dogs. Carol has taken care of my dog Vernon at various times over the last year and a half. Vernon is a 1½ year old boxer who’s active and smart; he especially needed firm boundaries and consistency as we were training him in his first year. Carol has provided this and much more for him, and she’s known him his whole life. I’ve seen Carol interact with Vernon, with a friend’s dog that’s a lab/boxer mix, and with many youth/children. I have also led backpacking trips with Carol and know she can take groups of middle- and high-school students on multi-week backpacking trips safely through the mountains, keeping them fed, hydrated, warm and having fun. Across the board, Carol is calm, consistent and reliable. Carol really loves working and playing with dogs and I’ve both been impressed with and learned from her interactions with dogs. With Vernon, she’s been aware of his surroundings and how he might respond to them, aware of his energy levels and needs, and able to be clear with him about expectations. My partner uses Vernon as a therapy dog with clients, and Carol has been consistent in continuing our training when she’s watching him. Vernon has responded with a great love for Carol, and he also knows that she has the same expectations of behavior that we do for him. I have no hesitation trusting Carol with my dog, youth we work with or my house or other belongings. She’s experienced, consistent and responsible. Please let me know if you have any questions or if you’d like more information. (Attached is a photo of Vernon for your reference.) Sincerely, Holly B. ”