My background:

• Grew up with several pets (dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, fishes, hamsters) since 4 years old, a handful were entrusted to me in the recent 25 years by previous clients who either gave up or relocate to another country. My own cats lived up to 19 and rabbits up to 14 years old. Clients' pets' passing away bring me much grief and heartaches, let alone my own pets. So I have decided - no more pets.
• Have medical background as my dad was a medical doctor, I also had pre Veterinary Medicine and Music studies in the USA, thus I am familiar with humans'/pets' health issues and I can handle feeding of medications, eye/ear solutions, injections, subcuts (cooperative pets preferred). Hired by doctors, vets, NUH staff, NUS professors, wedding couples, relocating families (I help to crate train), etc.
• Husband is a Science, Math, Physical Education teacher and my right hand man who works out the dogs and surprisingly attracts skittish cats.
• Travel widely to national parks and safaris in the USA, Canada, Africa, Australia for photography and wildlife studies. Often self drive, gotten stares by the locals there (esp in Africa) due to rare appearances of Asians at rural areas
• Full time permanent pet sitter for over 25 years in the USA and Singapore, handled SEVERAL hundreds of pets, well-versed in a variety of different pet behaviors including skittish cats and dogs. I walk dogs daily and do cat visits daily.
• Several condo guards know me very well through years of familiarity and my consistency, labelled me as the resident pet sitter, sought help and knowledge from me for their own pets
• Strong network with animal rescuers and fosterers, I have helped with hoarding cases, transportation and food donation delivery
• Strong support and network with dog trainers and full time pet sitters/boarders, we cover for one another during emergency, we often communicate, share ideas and work closely together thus we often have the latest news updates,
• Mentor and consultant for new pet sitters, dog walkers/boaders, accompanied dog owners to animal shelters for adoption, helped screen for potential adopters
• Been the longest standing Pawshake sitter since 2014 when they first started

About me and our style: I am very meticulous and cautious (for the sake of the pets' safety and neighborhood's peace), thus I will ask you questions first to see if we are a good fit. If we are not, I will respond quickly and advise you to look for a more suitable pet sitter. I am also very consistent and committed, always on standby for any last minute, and a beck and call for my clients who do not need to worry about finding a second pet sitter. Thus the very strong base of loyal clients after many gave up their previous pet sitters. We are very much cat people but I am a firm handler towards dogs, whereas my husband is on the softer side. You will get the 2 of us to care for your pets togerther occasionally. We are educators, we believe in discipline and reinforcement, not overly positive because it's not universally effective on some dogs who don't respond to positive reinforcement after hiring many trainers since it only redirects but does not stop bad behavior completely. Some dogs are so dependent on treats (reward based) till they wouldn't do anything without treats and thus their separation anxiety and barking issues still persist. Many dogs take balanced reinforcements better. We received well rounded education, we excel in sports, we love wildlife - naturally we want the pets to follow our lifestyle in staying fit, healthy, independent, versatile, agile and quick in their reflexes as these are survival skills in the wild. We believe in dog socialization and small groups of pack walking (at most 3 dogs) because dogs learn and gain confidence with buddies around. 

CAUTION:

1. HIRE ME AT YOUR OWN RISK! Dogs owned by passerbys or clients pull hard to my house or van and stubbornly refuse to leave! Some stood firmly on the ground or came running back to me, refusing to go home after spending time at my home.

2. Pet owners have revealed in forums that their pets ended up traumatized, handicapped, dead or lost after hiring cheap services. They thought "it would never happen to me". A dog owner believed a dog boarder who claimed to be a dog trainer with medical background but turned out to be otherwise - the dog mysteriously went permanently blind under the dog boarder's care and she was "too poor" to contribute in the medical fees. Don't just ask questions - you need to TEST the pet sitter. I have many clients who personally interviewed up to 10 pet sitters (including licensed) before they settled on me, and revealed that the others are not genuinely knowledgeable nor passionate. All profiles should NOT be taken at face value. You can consult me if you have any queries.

Skittish/reactive pets: animals don't choose pet sitters based on scent or looks but through humans' body languages and energy. When animals sense humans' fear, they go "ooh lala, play time!", switch to hunting mode, target and chase after the fearful human. Many local pet sitters got injured, resulting fear in entering the pets' homes. Animals look up to those who exhibit calm confident energy with strong leadership (of the pack or pride). 

PRIORITY, and the importance of sticking to one FULL TIME pet sitter:

• condo security guards have shared that they prefer familiar consistent faces (easier on their jobs), some are nasty and have refused entry to several unfamiliar pet sitters during Covid. I have had clients cancelled their pet sitters and hired me on the spot. My face is an access pass to about 30 condos due to my excellent PR. I have forged strong friendships with cleaners and security guards - some greet me in pet languages, some lunch with me.
• many pet sitters quit or "cancel at the last minute" during Christmas and CNY, and I get up to 20 new requests (I redirect many unsuitable ones to other pet sitters) each season. Don't hire me only when your pet sitter fails to be there for you. I have heard too many "I didn't think it would happen to me, the pet sitter has many good reviews" and encountered too many fickle and indecisive pet owners so I reserve festive periods only for genuine and loyal clients.
• pets settle down immediately due to familarity with my voice, tone, no-nonsense style and protocols. I study them, build strong, long term bonds with them (and their owners, we share a lot about travels and food). They are VERY attached to me, sometimes fixated on me. I have several of the same clients for up to 20 years (for their subsequent pets) or until their pets' last days, and have witnessed their final hours.
• contact me only if you value my very RARE unique kind of experience, long term commitment and consistency. I am not comfortable with fickle pet owners who contact multiple pet sitters or choose other pet sitters over me and later reconnect with me after being screwed up by those pet sitters. Consistent pet owners would only choose consistent pet sitters. I choose only full time, permanent, committed and consistent pet sitters with medical background for my own pets.

Timings/Distance/Requirements (managed only by me and my hubby, we are not super humans):

• cat/rabbit/bird visits, dog walking - strictly from 10am onwards and only flexible timings. For dog walking, I can bring 1 or 2 other dogs along - many clients found it benefitting for their dogs in learning respect, boundaries and being focused
• house sitting for dogs - no seperation anxiety dogs as I have to step out for errands. Your friendly dog may get to join in small group (up to 3) of pack walks or dog runs
• transport for dogs - there's additional fee and from only 10am onwards
• only nearby homes as I have errands to run everyday
• I would usually recommend other pet sitters to clients who stay far away from me, unless they really really couldn't find suitable ones around them

NOTE: I am a full time pet sitter, i.e. I don't have a second job, I am 100% committed to pets. However, a few inexperienced clients with anxiety issues expect my 24 hour presence in their pets' life. I NEED A LIFE TOO! I need to maintain my driving skills and familarity around Singapore, be in touch with other humans, have nice meals, do sports/fitness, get updated on technology etc. Pets need to be independent, get use to silence and noises (like thunder, lightning, traffic noises, construction noises, loud mouthed neighbors/construction workers), to be discouraged from having separation anxiety! This is an important survival skill if pet owners ever lose their pets.

Dog Walking/cat, rabbit or bird visits - only at very nearby homes, from 10am onwards and only flexible timings accepted as it gives me the freedom to bond with, spend time to chill with the pets, that's why many clients stick to me for over 15 years, and counting. During non peak periods, I do spend a few hours at clients' place with their pets.

*Important* - at most 30 mins between late mornings to late afternoons for dog walking. A few clients informed me that their friends' dogs died of heatstroke after being in the sun for over an hour, be it at the beach or being walked.

I do disciplined walks (focusing during walks, ignoring distractions, reinforcing of commands) for the young and active, leisure walks for the elderly. I do not accept dogs that constantly pull because you should have hired a dog trainer to address this issue. I have intercepted fights between dogs whose helpers and dog walkers are helpless. I have warded off reactive dogs who attempted to charge towards my clients' dogs. I have helped stubborn dogs and shy puppies gain confidence. Dog owners and delivery men often feedback that they meet helpers and dog walkers who are glued to the phones or couldn't handle the dogs. Thus it's not just about walking dogs but also possessing GENUINE passion, leadership quality and skills set.

I am OK if clients don't mind me walking the dogs in the rain. I own a van so I am resourceful enough to know where to bring the dogs to walk to avoid getting wet. I don't want dogs to skip their walking exercise.

I have owned more cats/rabbits than dogs and easily tackled shy/skittish cats. Some cat owners feedback that their cats hide away from their friends, relatives and other cat sitters, except from me. Such cats will not be bribed. They look for certain cat sitters' personality. I studied big cats and their hunting skills/instincts from lion rehabilitation camps, and have (unexpectedly) turned some local cats, Bengals, Turkish Vans, Maine Coons, Persians, Ragdolls, Siberians etc into ninjas!

Birds, like skittish dogs and cats, do not trust any pet sitter just because "the pet sitter loves animals". Such pets look deeper - they look through the eyes and heart of the pet sitter for passion and genuinity.

Doggy daycare:

At a simple landed home with a big garden for a dog's several good runs. I have earned a very strong reputation in my neighborhood for high standards of discipline and cleanliness. Neighbors often MISTOOK me for a dog trainer. They occasionally pop their heads, watch me play ball with the dogs from their balconies, come forward to appreciate my selective screening of the dogs and constant discipline reinforcing. My rate comes with 8 outstanding features highlighted by neighbors and loyal clients:

1. Free roaming space - some dogs need space to run, some need space from others. Grass, not tiles or cemented floors, MOTIVATES dogs to run. The garden also provides several quick relief for continual rainy days. My place is divided into play, rest, feeding areas to maintain boundary training and safety. Many clients have described it as every dog's haven.

2. Discipline - hundreds have commended on the quiet, obedient, well behaved, well trained dogs which they don't see at other private and commercial (including licensed) facilities. "How did you do it?" they often ask. I spend time exercising them, doing behavioral correction, reinforcing discipline and commands (during meals, entering/exiting the house/van), and introducing new vocabulary. They catch the spirit of learning from us, anticipate and thirst for more, thus they don't bother to bark unnecessarily. Many clients have observed how I used fences to ensure discipline and feedback that they have never seen this in other doggy care. Dogs are not allowed on furniture.

3. "So breezy and cooling", "eyes pop out" and "drop jaw" are clients' first reactions upon seeing the several huge commercial/industrial fans. It goes down to 23 degrees C on heavy/continual rainy days. We alternate between fans and aircon.

4. Cleanliness - The bigger the home, the more there is to clean and it is VERY exhausting. My home is cleaned daily, my garden maintained daily, dogs' feet are cleaned daily. I am a clean freak, which explains why I have hand eczema.

5. Permanent, long term commitment and high quality services - I have about 20 clients in the recent years move closer to me in order to engage my long term services. Clients who moved far away still continue to engage my servcies. We enjoy close relationships that even clients who relocate back to their home countries still update me on their pets every year until their pets' last moments. I also travel to their countries to visit them.

6. Soothing music - I am a musician afterall. Sometimes I will have the dogs play and dance to the music

7. No extra charge - if your dog stays for a few extra hours. I have clients' dogs who go home as late as 11pm and clients who faced emergencies

8. A portion of fruits and/or veggies for the dogs daily

I have cared for a number of senior dogs/cats approaching end of life due to health issues. Both vets and their owners warned me that these pets will very likely pass away under my care while the owners are away and have given me instructions on how to store their bodies at their homes. Miraculously, all pets survived till their owners returned, some surpassed the vets' given dateline by up to a year. Clients asked me what I did, I seriously don't know. Maybe it's my dedicated medical care and emotional support, maybe it's my home environment that's filled with peaceful greeneries which the dogs appreciate.

Clients' open homes

Occasionally doggy care will be held at very very kind clients' who open their homes for playdates to accompany their lonely dogs. However, I still need to be consistent in reinforcing discipline and cleanliness. If you would like to open your home too after engaging my services, let me know.

REMINDER: If you have shortlisted me, met up with me but chose another dog sitter ultimately, I would highly likely reject you should you reconnect with me again. There were dogs who brought bad habits/behavior to my place after their owners sent them to an alternative doggy care. Some dogs put on much weight due to lack of exercise and overfeeding. I have also taken over part time dog walkers who unconsciously instilled bad habits to the dogs. It's extremely frustrating when dogs' behavior went downhill after I have already put in time and effort to reinforce discipline.

I have very strict requirements in order to ensure that all dogs are safe, and will only limit to a number of dogs per day. DOGS MUST:

1. be assessed by me first before I decide whether or not to accept them. Dogs behave differently at their own homes and at new environment.

2. be updated with vaccinations, on regular Nexguard, Revolution or similar, AND have yearly Bordetella and preferably Lepto vax. I cannot accept non vaccinated dogs with medical reasons. I have had clients' dogs caught flu and kennel cough from licensed boarding facilities and groomer's with 24/7 aicrcon (they had to close for 2 weeks), and then came over to my place. Fortunately it didn't spread to other dogs as we don't believe in 24/7 aircon.

3. be neutered/spayed if they are over 18 months unless they are mild and gentle by nature. There have been unpleasant incidents involving unneutered dogs, they could be the aggressor or they could be targets of aggression. Owners must provide diapers for unneutered dogs that mark.

4. be friendly to humans and all dogs, no biting and no running away when being leashed for walks. I cannot afford very skittish dogs who are selective and bite other dogs.

5. have ZERO separation anxiety, ZERO scratching of my door, ZERO attempts to escape/climb fences/dash out of open fences and doors, no unnecesssary barking/whining. I don't provide 24/7 service because I run errands for a few hours everyday. I don't want my neighbors to complain. I cannot accept anxious dogs who require constant human attention.

I give priority to dogs who are fully crate (caged box, not playpen, not fence) trained, not semi (given up after a few months) trained. OR dogs who are already independent, well behaved, well trained and take commands very well. I cannot accept uncontrollable puppies who constantly pester or hump on other dogs.

Match your dog with the dog sitter's personality AND place. A wrong match can result in the dog sitter transferring the wrong habit/energy to the dog. If you have an active dog with physical potentials or loves ball/frisbee training, we have already taught several dogs to be quick, agile and sharp through their constant stays at our place. We also use balls and toys to reinforce their basic commands and teach them new vocabulary. Our clients' dogs go home physically stronger, fitter, slimmer and more muscular after some periods with us.

I look a lot at matching dogs' personalities. I believe in building bonds and relationships, so I pass on this energy to the regular dogs at my place who also form strong bonds and deep friendships with one another. The big dogs give affection to the small timid turned confident dogs who in turn help other timid dogs integrate. They often look forward to meeting one another, they remember one another fondly even if they haven't met for months or even 1-2 years due to Covid, they sense it when their best friends passed away or relocate permanently. Their owners also fondly remember their doggy's buddies, and admit that they don't find this kind of special and consistent friendships in other daycare boarding.

My advice when looking for a daycare boarding:

1. Proximity. Many of my clients' dogs who went to licensed daycare boarding facilities were fearful at the 2nd time (due to suspected staff mishandling) or reluctant to board the vans (driven by outsourced inexperienced drivers) and they went home sick, depressed, traumatized, reclusive. The long journey ride could have better spent at a nearby daycare boarding. But clients noticed that their dogs jump excitedly into my van without saying goodbye, some even enjoy the comfort by rolling or sleeping inside.

2. Strong physique boarders. Dog owners reported that their active dogs are rejected by (licensed and unlicensed) commercial daycare boarding because the untrained staff couldn't cope physically, thus these dogs got bored and depressed. Staff from different licensed commercial daycare boarding confessed that they let the dogs out of the cubicles for only 10 mins or walked them for only 5 mins, took pics and 5 sec videos, then put the dogs back in again.

3. When you see overcrowding, lack of discipline, constant changing of staff, intolerable smell, AVOID. Dogs may be tired at the end of the day, but clients noticed that they picked up bad behaviors. There are expensive commercial (be it licensed or not) daycare boarding which my clients used to patronize - their dogs went home injured (or hospitalized), traumatized, got pregnant (!) despite having cameras (that always break down) at the facilities. There was a lack of staff in a recent case which resulted in dog fights and severe injuries.

4. Ventilation. Sick dogs infect others easily at enclosed spaces that promote 24 hours aircon where bacteria thrive and spread easily at cold temperatures. Too much aircon discourages your dogs from getting out of their comfort zone, because cold air stiffens your dog's joints and thus they lose less heat and energy.

5. Clients feedback that except for me, their previous dog boarders who stay at landed houses have helpers assist them in their roles. The helpers walk the clients' dogs and couldn't handle dog confrontation, lost the dogs or the dogs got injured.

6. Commitment. Clients shared that their previous part time pet sitters were unable to handle their pets' emergencies due to their own full time jobs. I have been contacted by clients to replace their pet sitters on the spot, most cases where the 5 star pet sitters lost the clients' dogs but didn't bother to look for them or didn't have the time to bring the sick pets to emergency vets. Clients then contacted me to help and take over.

Dog runs/parks:

If you want your dog to have a good run at the dog park, you can contact me for this service too. There will be a small additional charge for transport. However, my clients have reported that their dogs were badly injured by dog attacks at the dog parks which are not safe anymore. I would recommend daycare instead.

House sitting (only at very nearby homes):

Please ensure that there is free visitor parking. Your dog may get to join walks and socialize with other dogs that need walks too, provided he/she is friendly. He/she can also come to my place to have a good run and we will return to your home for overnight stays. I am frugal and a hygiene freak, I have even taught clients on how to save on electricity.

Pics/Videos:

I usually send a set of quality pics/video clips once at the end of the day or every 2 days. I am not the kind who spams every few hours. Being a perfectionist and a wildlife photographer, I won't send much if I am dissatisfied with my pictures/videos. I don't take pics of all dog walks, because I need to correct their bad habits and look out for sudden dog confrontations. I don't wish to be distracted by phone messages, so clients who hire me ought to trust me. If your pet sitter is over responsive, you know that he/she is often looking at the phone and not focusing on her job. I once had a new client who expected me to respond immediately every time she texted me, otherwise she considers me unresponsive. During peak periods, I am extremely busy with all clients' pets and constant cleaning, I would need a few hours to respond occasionally. 

Pet taxi/transportation (REGISTERED pet care service business since mid 2018):

I used to ferry dogs in my Honda Civic for several years but since 7 years ago I own a van which dogs prefer due to bigger space and padded cooling fabric. Dog trainers, pet boarders and regular clients have been using my services for emergencies, grooming, beach/park outings since it's easier to get hold of me as compared to other pet transport. I love driving (and motorcycling), and have clocked at least 100,000km in total on the roads of overseas countries that I have self driven. Being a strict dog handler, I also ensure discipline while dogs board/alight my van.

Volunteering:

By supporting my business, you are supporting the rescued animals. I have assisted in cat hoarding cases, I volunteer in food collection and transport for animal shelters and communities, forge friendships with staff volunteers and rescuers. I coordinate with pet food suppliers who either donate or sell me bulks of food at extremely low prices. I store the food at my place, organize and send them to the stray animals communities and pet shelters (Mercylight, Causes for Animals). If you have any unwanted food, cage, cat litter, newspapers, pee pads, old towels, old blankets, and wish to donate, please don't hesitate to contact me and I will come pick them up. 

Why pet sitters quit after a short period:

New clients feedback that their previous pet sitters are very good but lack consistency and commitment after a short period: they try out for fun and then moved on after a year to another job or decided to focus on their full time jobs. A question to your pet sitter that's often forgotten or overlooked: how long they will be in this pet sitting job. If they have done it for almost 10 years, they will likely to continue for the next 10 years. It's very difficult to find a long term permanent pet sitter or daycare boarder because

1. It's NOT a well-paid job (that's why some clients give me bonus or generous tips), many leave for a BETTER paying job in order to survive financially. Cheap services don't last.

2. Most pet sitters, dog walkers/boarders (including licensed boarding staff) are not formally trained, thus clients feedback that these people are clueless when pet health issues, behavioral issues and dog conflicts occur. All these require one to spend money to go through education, research and hands on experience. I have heard of many complaints made by the neighbors about dog boarders who are not able to keep down the dogs' barking and thus had to stop boarding. That's why discipline and reinforcement are very very important.

3. It's an extremely taxing job that requires much physical cleaning work, handling, cleaning and exercising pets, that's why many daycare boarders hire helpers to care for the dogs. The amount you pay me cannot beat my 30+ years experience. The more meticulous and cautious your pet sitter is, the more work he/she does. I strive to keep pets safe, clean and comfortable until I am satisfied.