My Story

Hi, my name is Rachel and welcome to my dog sitting blog. After graduating from Penn State Altoona in 2018, I’ve taken on various jobs and positions. None of those have been as fulfilling as dog sitting for the Altoona area. As long as I can remember, dogs have been a huge part of why I am the person that I am. My first memorable interaction with a dog was with my mom’s shih tzu, Zoey, a present to her from my dad. Even though I felt there was some resentment from Zoey, me being the new baby and stealing all the attention from her, I knew that we were going to be buddies for life. As I grew up, I knew she had boundaries and I had to respect them but when you’re a kid, boundaries aren’t necessarily a thing. A quick nip to my nose, I knew not to get in her face.

We moved and with that came adjustments for all of us, including Zoey. She was roughly eight years old at the time and was still a sassy queen. But this queen had to move aside for another. We got our beagle, Snickerdoodle, November of 2003. She was a sweet, docile, little girl, who just wanted love and to shed a few hairs here and there. The two of them got along as best as they could and sometimes, Snickers tested Zoey’s boundaries like I had. Sadly, January of 2007, she passed away and that was one of the first times I had ever seen my mom cry. I understand, now that I’m older and I’ve lost dogs of my own, that they quickly become a part of the family and are a member in such unique ways.

The following November, I was surprised after getting off the school bus to a new furry friend, another shih tzu that we named Koda Bear, from the Disney movie, “Brother Bear,” because he did, in fact, look like a little bear. I don’t think I’d ever seen something so small and so fragile. He grew fast and became the head of the household, especially when it came to where he took his seat. Snickers might have challenged him a bit, but he was the king of his own castle. and she was the queen of hers. The two of them were growing older and for some reason, our home just wasn’t complete.

September of 2016 brought us yet another fuzzy friend. After my mom had taken a very long trip to Petco, it was safe to say that she had found something, or someone, she liked. At the time, Mending Hearts Animal Rescue in Hollidaysburg was having a meet-and-greet at the store. One of the dogs, in particular, caught my mom’s eye. A little black and brown terrier mix named Blackie, gave my mom literal heart eyes. A mutt by nature, he didn’t truly know where he belonged until he came home with us. With my father’s blessing, he was renamed Remington and became part of our furry clan. He was a challenge to Koda, especially, whenever he first arrived but he eventually became used to being around him. Snickers had become quite the old woman at this point and Remi loved on her like she was his mother. Ear licks and cuddles on their chair, it was true love.

We all know that with old age, comes hardships and set backs. After coming home from a quick errand, my mom and I heard a yelp from the living room as we walked in the door. I quickly walked in the room to find Snickers seizing next to the recliner. A quick, nervous trip to the vet revealed something that would change Snickers’ life forever. An exam showed that she had suffered from glaucoma, sending her immediately into the dark. This made for multiple medical problems that followed. We found out that there was pressure built up in her eyes that was potentially causing her pain and what amount, the vet was unsure. We were prescribed regulating eye drops for her two eyes. We did this for years and whether or not it was helping, we weren’t sure. If you had to pay for a life-saving medication for a parent or a sibling, you wouldn’t think twice because they’re family. That’s just what family does. Well, Snickers was part of our family so she was going to get the drops no matter the cost. She’s our family. This went on for a couple of years until the one eye was not improving. She ended up getting surgery to have it removed, a procedure that we hoped would elevate some of her pain. She healed well and we saw her temperament get a very obvious boost. But this didn’t last long. She was getting older and many of her physical problems were getting worse. She had begun to forget to eat and drink, her back legs were become weaker and she would relieve herself in the house over again. This is where becoming a dog owner really hits hard, deciding when to put down a beloved pet. I would soon experience what my mom had gone through with Zoey. That pain that swells up inside because all you want to do is give your dog everything they deserve, even a life without ongoing pain. One afternoon, I went through the drive thru at Wendy’s and get a plain cheeseburger and a vanilla frosty, knowing that it would be Snickers’ last supper. Whenever we put her down, I can remember coming home to silence and the fact that our house would be one member short forever.

Having two dogs in the house for once in years was different and calm for a change. There wasn’t the responsibility of doing drops, taking extra bathroom breaks, making vet appointments, there was just day to day life with two dogs. Remi took Snickers’ passing the hardest because of how close the two had them had become. He would go to the door when someone was coming home, thinking that his sister was going to come walking through. And when she didn’t, it was almost like I could see the disappointment in his puppy dog eyes. Where had his sister gone and why wasn’t she going to come back? The two boys became closer, Remi decided to take more to Koda, much to Koda’s dislike. He was now the old man of the house and Remi knew that very well. But that was just the beginning, and none of us could be prepared for what was coming in July of 2019.

Fourth of July came around and my mom had made a big mistake showing me a Facebook ad for an available English Springer Spaniel puppy in the area. A few weeks prior, I had fallen in love with a little shih tzu named Oakley and after hearing about his story at home, I was heart broken. I felt that I had lost, yet another, dog and needed a new one to fill this space. So the morning of July 4th, I only had one thing on my mind, going and getting this English Springer Spaniel puppy. Sneaking passed my dad and driving off, my mom, brother and myself truly didn’t know what we were getting into. We brought home what we thought was a small, docile, sweetheart of a dog. What we ended up with was a very active, curious, crazy little piranha puppy that we eventually named Bandit. Since we brought him home, our lives have changed but for the better. With less sleep, little bites here and there, and lots of love, this little pup has truly stolen my heart.

So, why did I start my dog sitting business? With my dog sitting services, I provide owners personalized care for their furry family members. I send them updates, photo and video, of how their pets are doing, I check in with what their dogs are up to and what their routines are like. Constant contact is so important for owners when they are away. So for the peace of mind of my clients, I provide them with services that cater to the needs of them and their dogs. They choose the number of times I visit, they choose whether they want me to stay in their home or not, they choose everything that I provide and I reasonably price all of that to fit their budget. I truly believe that my services are one of the kind in the Altoona area and that I’m giving more for my client’s money. If you want someone who treats your dogs like they’re part of their family, choose me. This is something I have been passionate about for this the last 5 years and it’s only getting stronger with the more dogs I meet and the more clients that come on board. Long story short, once a dog lover, always a dog lover.

Remi, being the majestic beast that he is.