Betsy Newman Petsitting

My service stands out for several reasons: Having grown up in a home where four dogs shared my mom and dad’s bed every night, and where, in our backyard, our Muscovy ducks, Annabelle and Charlie, became duck parents to two “sets” of adorable ducklings (We provided them all with a kiddie pool for swim practice), and where my animal-loving mother was always ready to “make room for one more” homeless animal, I feel uniquely qualified for this career. And, after four years (combined between two shelters, the first in Los Angeles, the second, here in San Diego) as a full-time volunteer dog walker, and dog, cat and kitten socializer, as well as being a constant kennel cleaner along with my fellow volunteers; becoming a “PCP” - pet care professional- feels like it was fated from an early age. As mentioned, my mom was - and remains - a lifetime animal lover herself, and as a result, many of our canine family members were strays who seemed to sense that “going with the nice and unthreatening lady” could only be a good thing for them - and they were right. Occasionally, a dog’s owner was located through the classified ads Mom ran, describing this or that FOUND DOG, but usually, the pups who were smart enough to “follow their guts” - as well as their hearts - these were “pre-chip” days - knew they had hit the jackpot by joining “Team Newman.” When I moved back to San Diego following twenty fun but ultimately, less than “fulfilling” years as a television development and production executive (the last 13 as Vice President Of Original Programmibg at Turner Network Television, or TNT), I immediately signed up as a shelter volunteer, this time at the now-closed (it was “folded into” the San Diego Humane Society) San Diego County Department Of Animal Services. (2007 through 2010) In 2011, I started my dog walking and per sitting business, and I’ve been happily doing that full time ever since. I am also closely connected to other highly-rated and well-reviewed pet sitters and walkers, in the extremely unlikely event - it hasn’t happened yet! - that a sudden family crisis or other emergency keeps me from my scheduled walks and stays. This is just an added “layer” of security for both the owner and for me - the pets always come first! I now have years of continuous, full-time experience as both a dog walker and overnight pet sitter (cat care, daytime “drop-in” visits, field trips for the dog or dogs from individual families, and a “pet taxi” for companion animals who need to be dropped off and/or picked up at the vet, groomer, or other residence.

Simply being with animals, whether I’m giving a dog an extended belly rub, taking a pair of aging Boxers for their hour-long daily walk, dropping by a cat whose owner’s out of town to feed him, change his litter box, playing with him, and (If he likes being brushed) giving him a “mini feline spa day”...waking up at the crack of dawn at one of my favorite animal households to prepare and serve the dogs and their cat buddy an extremely early breakfast..and all the while, I make sure to document my interactions and adventures with clients’ pets with plenty of photos, which I send - along with updates about walks, playtime, whether or not the dog is adjusting to his new food - whatever is important to the pet owner - as often as he or she wants (this is appreciated not just by my out-of-town pet owners/lovers, but also by daytime dog walk clients, who understandably miss their dog while at work). And I always enjoy a good dog walk or run in our usually-good to excellent San Diego weather.