Pet-sitting Pros

Petsitting Pros

From the Watauga Democrat: View the full article here.

Posted: Thursday, July 23, 2015 12:00 am
By Melissa Bahleda partnerscanines@yahoo.com

Q: Dear BooneDogs: We adopted a puppy in the spring. She’s the first dog we’ve ever had. So far this summer, we’ve taken her with us almost everywhere we’ve gone, but we have a trip coming up later this summer and can’t take her with us. We were wondering what you would suggest in terms of finding someone to care for her while we’re gone.

A: I am so glad you asked that question! Because of what I do (shelter dog rescue), I have had the good fortune of meeting many other awesome “animal people” from all over the High Country.

People who love animals and who are willing to work to help them or to care for them tend to be just good folk in general. One of the things I’m most grateful for in life are the “animal people” I know who I am also pleased to call friends.

For me, the benefits of having someone in my home who knows my animals and whom I can trust is an invaluable insurance policy when I’m traveling. I can focus on work when I’m transporting, and I can relax when I’m vacationing. But other than that, I hadn’t really thought about why I choose to hire a pet-sitter instead of, say, boarding my dogs or asking friends to watch them. So, I turned to one of my pet-sitting experts and friends for her take on the benefits.

Shivonne Quintero is owner-operator of Goodness Gracious Extraordinary Petsitting, which services Boone, Blowing Rock and parts of Avery County.

Quintero became a certified professional pet-sitter in 2014, earning her certification from Pet Sitters International. In addition to her certification, she is insured specifically for pet-sitting, bonded, background-checked and trained in Pet First Aid and CPR. She also builds on her skills and knowledge by volunteering with local rescue organizations, including PARTNERS! Canines and by taking continuing education courses…

View the full article here.