About Us
Providing Safe, Convenient Care and Exercise for Your Bestie Professionally since 1993
Who are we and how did this all begin?
About Us
Our services began in 1993 to provide pet sitting in the comfort of their own home and dog walking for clients who worked downtown, taking the trip home to let the pups out or walk them during lunch, was just too far to be effective during the day with the amount of increasing traffic, so we answered the call for dog walking as well.
While planning a trip to the Holy Land (Israel), we had a couple of options for the care of our 2 rambunctious puppies (Parker and Sadie – Below). We could ask the neighbors whom we often swapped weekend care with or find a boarding kennel. However, I felt 2+ Weeks was far too much to ask my neighbors to deal with these two pups twice a day or more, so we chose a local boarding kennel that also did doggy daycare, so they could socialize.
After 2+ weeks at the boarding kennel, we were greeted by 2 pups who were very surprised to see us, they were exhausted, they were horse from barking and they were exhausted for 2 days after we brought them home, but not in a good way but it was a stress response. All the training we had been working on with our pups for months was out the window and I felt so guilty because they were stressed and that sent me on a mission to find another solution. Little did I realize that I would become the solution for hundreds of pet parents and thousands of fur babies in our community.
As time went on, we helped Pet Sitters International (1 of 2 current professional associations for Professional Pet Sitters) create its standards for the industry. I got further training and experience from phenomenal dog trainers such as Celebrity dog trainer Mark Stover and his protégées to learn animal behavior, doggy daycare professionals who were setting the standard for their industry in the early days such as Mare Shay, kennel professionals from all over the country, and many holistic veterinarians in the region who taught me all the dirty secrets about the animal industry.
I volunteered at several local shelters and also pet-sat for a couple of local boarding kennels so the owners could go on vacation knowing that they had competent backup in charge in the early days. I got certifications wherever they were offered, and helped set the standard for the professional pet-sitting industry that is now worldwide. In 1993, pet sitting was a very new concept, no one knew what a pet sitter did. Even today, it is still a bit misunderstood. When Rover started, they also reached out to us to help them build their brand. In 2007 we briefly expanded into home boarding and daycare until the crash of 2008, so we have extensive knowledge in home boarding and doggie daycare as well.
In 2010, we decided, after seeing the stress the pups were displaying and experiencing staying at our home, out of their own element, and having to adjust to a new routine, new smells, and noises vs. remaining in their own environment (which most of our boarding clients were previous pet sitting clients) and having a sitter come to them, that we would return to our roots of pet sitting in your home, while you’re away. While it was easier for us for the pups to come to stay with us however, at the end of the day, it was definitely better for them, to be in their own environment with their own routines even though we weren’t with them 24 hours a day.
Over the past 30+ years, we have learned the many signs when one of our fur baby friends is not doing well, regardless if it’s a fish in a bowl in the kid’s room or kitties that had sudden blockages, dogs who got sick out of nowhere or our larger horse friends not behaving normally. We are very in tune with the animals and sometimes the very subtle signs of illness or distress.
We have experience with:
- Kitties and Cats
- Puppies to senior dogs
- Bunnies
- Tortoise
- Birds
- Goats, Sheep & Llamas
- Shetland Ponies & Horses
- Fish (goldfish, saltwater tanks to Koi ponds)
- We also have extensive care with aging pets and end-of-life care.
We also have experience with administering:
- Medications
- Insulin
- Sub-Q fluids
- Pet First-aid
Kirsten-Marie
Pack Leader | Animal Companion
Originally from the Seattle area, Kirsten’s career working with animals began during college where she was born and raised and spent the first 47 years of her life. In high school, she attended cosmetology school half of the day to get a jump start on a career. After 6 years in the industry, she recognized she wasn’t fulfilled in the industry for several reasons and was looking to change her career. Pet Sitting was such a perfect fit that she never pursued Graphic Design or Web Design as a career and left the beauty industry after 6 years. While in College, for Graphic Arts and Web Design, she started pet-sitting and has spent the past 3 decades caring for other people’s fur babies, while also building a phenomenal business, and creating work for others in the community.
She holds a Cosmetology License, a Degree in Graphic and Web Design, is a Certified Advanced Crystal Master, Holistic Life, Health, and Business Coach, and has 30+ years of Business Experience and countless course certifications.
While she was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, the lack of sunshine, and the drastically changing business and political climate in the area over the decade prior, in 2016 she started looking for a business-friendly, sunny place to relocate, and what better than the Sun Shine State, Florida! It kept hitting the mark for what she was looking for.
She has homeschooled her daughter who is nearly 18, with the exception of 1 year in the 3rd grade in a public school. Her daughter is now working in her own business, as well as part-time for Pet Sitters Unlimited. Kirsten currently operates another business offering Holistic Life, Health, and Business Coaching, where she currently runs online workshops with small groups as well as private 1:1 transformational coaching for individuals who are interested in balancing out their lives with the whole person in mind so their lives are more manageable, especially those families that have children on the Autism spectrum or are those going through Cancer.
She has spent the last 25 years living holistically, working with Naturopaths, Chiropractors, Energy Healers, Holistic Veterinarians, and Biological Dentists, and has also been an advocate for Organic Farmers. Many of her pet sitting clients are unable to stay at kennels because of the restrictions they have when it comes to vaccinations, so pet sitting is a great fit for them. She doesn’t require pets to be vaccinated and always has great tips for alternatives to pharmaceuticals. She jokes and says that her dog was the reason she got involved in holistic living because of her Boxer pup, Parker, and what his Holistic Veterinarian taught her.
In her downtime, she is semi-politically active, researches local, State, and federal law. She has a small art studio, keeps physically active with Yoga and exercise, and enjoys walks in the evening at the beach to ground her energy while snapping a few gorgeous photographs. When you meet her, ask her if she has any on her phone! Currently, going into 2024, she is enrolled in naturopathic college to begin a lifelong path into Holistic health and wellness so she can open a wellness retreat center here in SWFL.
She is a warm, kind, very friendly, confident woman who has a great energy about her and she also has an infectious laugh. Both you and your pets will likely take to her right away.
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