I started my business in 2001 by offering pet-sitting and dog walking services to friends when they went out of town. From there my business grew -mostly by word of mouth. Now I have a couple of small dog packs that I walk during the week and have many regular pet-sitting clients for whom I care for their pets when they go out of town.

Most of my colleagues only offer boarding services for overnight stays -meaning a client needs to drop off their pet (usually cat or dog) at their cramped home at a certain time and retrieve them, too. In contrast, I come to where you and your pet lives and stay with them where they are most comfortable, or simply visit them there. And I offer small pack dog walks, which makes it easier to walk the dogs around the neighborhood to get to the local dog park. I also offer solo walks around the neighborhood for those dogs that need that.

I've trained with other dog walkers and pet care professionals and even stepped as their substitute for their clients when they went out of town or were unable to provide service. In addition, I completed a pet (dog & cat) CPR class that was offered by the American Red Cross.

I get to spend time with wonderful dogs and cats throughout my day who enjoy my company and the individual care that I give them almost as much as I love them and caring for them. Plus, I get to be in the outdoors for most of the day.