Christiane

Hello!

My name is Christiane and I am a 23-year-old student at the University of Waterloo. I’ve always had a strong dedication to animals and a passion for providing them care. I’ve grown up in different places and that was always accompanied by a wonderful pet, because of this I’ve had experience with taking care of animals all my life. Sometimes they were healthy, and unfortunately other times they were not — but this was able to give me skills in providing special needs. I’ve also worked in a Human Centre for Animal Welfare while I lived in Jordan, which exposed me to a business perspective in animal care. This is also when I gained experience in caring for other people's pets. I was able to do a great job because I was able to understand the concern that each owner had and their feelings towards their pets. It makes me happy helping those around me and I personally enjoy hanging out with adorable pets.

Since moving to Canada I have been living alone in an apartment, I have considered getting a pet but decided not to because I usually go home during the summer and it can be complicated to sustain that lifestyle. I also want to be here with my pet if I get one, and decided it might be unfair to the pet that I don’t have more consistent time to care for them. Despite this, my desire to care for pets is always present and I thoroughly enjoy being around animals. This is how I decided to become a pet sitter because It still provides me with the opportunity to care for animals without being their primary caregiver. I also wanted to be a pet sitter because I am lucky enough to have the time — I have a very flexible school schedule with a light workload and I find myself with a lot of time to spare. This made me confident in my abilities to care for an animal and be there for them.

Services

For daycare or boarding, I tend to walk dogs depending on their breed -- if they are quite small and low energy than I stick to once per day at 10 - 15 minutes; or If they are high energy than I take them out twice for 15 - 30 minutes each time. It really depends on the dog and how they respond. My schedule is very flexible as I'm taking online courses, so I have a lot of time for guest pets.

I have no roommates or pets so it is much easier to create a peaceful environment for each pet. Guest pets sleeping spaces can change and is dependant on the type of animal -- if they are cats then I find that they will find a space that they prefer to be comfortable and I let them have the freedom to choose. Sometimes it can be next to me, especially the first night since they can be nervous.

For dogs, I try to align to the rules of the pet owner's home which usually excludes the couch and bed -- in this case, the guest pet will sleep in the provided bed the owner brings. If they don't have specific rules to stand by then I also give them the freedom to choose. I do not have a backyard, however, I have very close park areas and open grass spaces to my home which are known to be safe and open for dogs to spend their time. Because it is an open space, I don't tend to release the guest pet unless we are in a fenced area.

For services at the owner's home, I offer home care along with watching your pet. I can clean, water plants, wash dishes, or organize areas depending on your needs and desires. My main service is not only feeding your pet but also keeping them company, getting them exercise and giving them emotional support.

During a home visit, the length of time I stay is something we can discuss when you reach out to me. I am pretty flexible with my time, so I don't mind staying a few hours especially if the owner is overseas and the pet is alone. I am able to do a home visit at any time, depending on my booking availability. I have come over very early, or very late - it is really dependant on your needs as well as the pets well-being. On a typical day of house sitting, I would stay at a owners home 2-4 hours, but we can always discuss length of time.

For home visit walks, I tend to familiarize myself with the area previously and walk the dog depending on the owner's requirements. If the owner has no specific requirements then I will walk the dog depending on its breed, for an average of 25 - 30 minutes either once or twice per day. Since my classes are one hour per day, I am very flexible in terms of when I can visit your home; I am able to come by with short notice most of the time.

My lifestyle along with being flexible also involves a lot of walking, wither I am caring for a pet or not I tend to spend time in several parks and open grassy areas. Because of this, I know about the areas that have garden-like areas close to my residence and it comes in handy when caring for dogs. Since I don’t have a pet myself, it is much easier to have a peaceful boarding experience with other animals I care for — especially cats as they take time to adjust to one another. I am also an early riser and have a clean-cut schedule which always involves either cleaning up or caring for the pets living with me at the time. Previous to my application with Pawshake, I have had many trial opportunities to take care of my friends pets. I found it to be a very enjoyable experience and was able to not just handle but excel in my caregiving abilities. I hope that you can trust me to take care of your pet, as I will always care for them like they are my own.

Thank you,

Christiane