Hi There,

Wow, I didn't know anyone was still reading these.

The last time I posted anything was 7 years ago! A lot has happened since then! My business has grown and I now have 32 employees and need a few more.

-Julie

I'm Back

Hi There,

It's been awhile since I've blogged. It's not for lack of material to write about, that's for sure! The truth is that I've just been busy. While there is usually a lag in pet sitting after Christmas, this was not the case this year. I'm thankful to have great, active clients who don't let a little snow and cold slow them down. In fact, it seemed to motivate them even more to either get out and enjoy it or get out of Dodge...into tropical climates! Ah, yes, I do live vicariously through my pet sitting clients. Some day I will start checking off the items on my bucket list....inspired by reports you all have given me of great places to see or experience!

Back to pet sitting....I'm sorry to say I experienced the first pet dieing on my watch. Yep, that's right...besides a few baby African frogs and a beta fish, a real mammal died on me. Chantal the kitty. She was very old...blind, deaf, thin. She lived for two things...breakfast and dinner! I admired her great attitude...she just kept going and did not think about her body breaking down. So, I did not think too much about Chantal looking a bit droopy the Friday that I went to care for her and her kitty siblings. I noticed that she had gotten even thinner since I saw her a few weeks prior. I put her wet food down in front of her, and she ate it all up, so I figured she was fine. Before I left, I put her into her little bed, as I always did, because she can't see. Well, the next morning, she was dead in her bed. She had passed away in the night. I called her owners to let them know. They were not surprised. We were all thankful that she died in her sleep, apparently peacefully. So, I hope that's the only pet the dies while in my care.

Back to pet sitting. I could fill this blog with the stories that happen daily, and I will try to do that this summer. For now, I'll just say I'm back....stay tuned!

My new foster dog, Spy, has really captured my heart. And I don't exactly know why! I think it is because he is happy and he makes me laugh. He is just a busy boy....always moving. He's alert and smart.

Update on Spy...he was adopted by a wonderful gal in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It took a series of planes, trains, and automobiles (Well, OK, there was not a train involved!) and some awesome volunteers to get him from Boise to OK City, but he made it and a love fest between his new mom and Canine sister has ensued. See photo of Spy and sister Timber resting together.

Good Bye Sampson

The hardest thing about being a pet sitter is saying good bye to my pet friends. I had to do that this weekend. I had Sampson, the big 11 year old pain in the butt Golden Retriever that I've been caring for for the past few years. Sampson weighs 110#. He is an old guy that thinks he is still a puppy. His owner, Randy, inherited him when a relative died. He was actually second in line. The first relative had him for a short time before realizing how big, in both personality and size, Sampson really is!

Sammy kind of reminds me of the golden lab in the movie, Marly. He is kind of naughty. He loves to bark, and every chance he got, he would go run to the fence and bark at the dogs on the other side. He had to get his barking in! But, as he got older, the barking became less, and his long days of sleeping on my cool tile bathroom floor, with a fan blowing on him, increased.

Last weekend, Randy brought him over for the weekend. Sammy's left eye socket was drooping...a condition that is common in old goldens. He looked a bit sad, but, thankfully, the condition is not painful. I did notice that Sammy slept almost all weekend though....maybe to help heal the eye, or maybe just being an old guy.

I knew Randy would be moving to Seattle soon, but I didn't realize how soon. When he picked Sammy up, he mentioned having to get a crate big enought for Sammy's plane ride to Seattle for the move. I asked Randy, "Is this the last time I will see Sammy?" He said it was. Neither one of us realized this until that minute. It made me sad because I knew it was true.

So, good bye my friend....have a good life and don't stop barking. Love ya bunches.

Last Weekend

Last night I finally finished everything I needed to do at 11:40 pm. I dropped into bed and immediately fell into a beautiful deep sleep...the kind you get when you are totally and completely spent and exhausted! It's a good feeling in a way, and finally laying down and closing your eyes feels like a luxury...and it is!

As I've mentioned in earlier blog posts, summer pet sitting is very busy and this weekend was no exception. Along with the pre-scheduled pet sitting appointments I had 3 new client consultations and rented the Rug Doctor.

As crazy and exhausting as this sounds, I had a smile on my face all weekend. I love pet sitting.

My Great Pet Sitters

This blog is all about my adventures in pet sitting. I've talked about myself and the pets I care for. I need to mention my pet sitters. They are awesome. I'm really lucky to have a team of experienced, dedicated, honest pet sitters. They have great attitudes and always put the pet's needs first.

So, I just want to say thanks to Torrie, Cathy, Jeff, Fay, Suzanne, Pam, June, and Dru for the great work you do! My business could not grow without you!

My Sister's New Dog

If you follow my blog, you read about my sister's missing dog. Bonnie ran away on May 18, and despite tons of effort put in to find her, they came up empty handed.

A week ago I sent my sister a found dog listing from a shelter in Dallas, near where they live. The dog was very shaggy, but my sister thought it might be Bonnie. She jumped in the car and went down to the shelter to see. She was heart broken when she got there and it was not Bonnie. But, through a series of jumping through hoops, she was able to adopt the dog, now named Zoe Chloe.

I am happy to report that Zoe is adapting to the busy household. They figure she was owned by a senior person in a quiet home, because she is still quite nervous when things get active. But, she is doing well overall.

Zoe Chloe loves chasing water from the hose. Hopefully, some day she will learn to play with toys and fetch balls too!

Welcome home Zoe Chloe!

The first picture is of ZC riding home from the shelter. The other one is ZC meeting her brother, Fritz for the first time.