Article Contributed on: 2/21/2006 12:43:21 PM
I got into pet sitting sort of by default. I love dogs and cats and I had been caring for the pets of other people over the years just for fun. I returned to Boulder with very little money around Thanksgiving 2000. Someone asked me to care for their house and dog for 2 months while they went off to Jamaica.
During those two months I figured out that people actually paid to have a mature, responsible person take care of their most prized possessions next to themselves and their children. For the next 5 years I had the most extraordinary life!
I got a large storage unit in North Boulder, a cell phone, a pakmail box, a laptop computer, and some simple business cards and I was free to stay focused on my art work. I have a great project for children that can be viewed at:
www.ragananda.com .
Last year a client offered to help me land and get a house. This I did and I'm now happily living on an acre in North Boulder. I've just started doing small dog home boarding and day care.
The thing I love about taking care of other people's pets is the sweet vulnerability that they have when their guardians are away. It's really fun to get to know them in that context. I do varying degrees of animal communication and they all have amazing stories to tell.
I have my own small dog, Peaches, who is half Pekingese and half Long Haired Chihuahua. She's a fiesty, funny, pretty little protector and she loves it when other small dogs come to stay with us.
So, from going to their houses I now have them all come to me. It's like hanging out with a wonderful group of cartoon characters. I do enjoy the company of humans on occasion, but dogs can really be counted on to have superior priorities: love, play, food, sleep, play, love, and a true sense of wonder at the moment to moment miracle of life. When I get anxious I tune in to my dog and get zapped with the ultimate PRESENCE that all meditation techniques strive for.
If you are looking for a deluxe scene for your small dog while you are away you can email me at:
ragananda@msn.com Here are a few pictures from my life with dogs!