Rachel

About Me

I am originally from Berkeley, California, and for the past two years I've studied ecological and environmental sciences at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. I am now in Adelaide studying conservation ecology on my year abroad and I'm absolutely loving it!

I am 21 years old and I have many passions including singing, being out in nature, and looking after dogs!

Previous Experience

I started caring for dogs in my neighbourhood even before my family adopted our first puppy, Sunshine, when I was 8. (We now have two beautiful senior Coton De Tulears, Sunshine and Kenna, whom you can see in my first picture!) Over the years I've gotten loads of experience walking dogs and making house visits, and dog sitting has become a way for me to connect with my neighbourhood - all of our neighbours know each other through our dogs! It's an incredible community that I am very grateful for; my third picture is of me surrounded by some of our neighbourhood cuties. It's always a party! I am very excited to expand my doggie community into Adelaide.

I began volunteering at my local animal shelter as soon as I could, and quickly trained to be a red dot dog handler - our shelter uses a green to red dot system, in which dogs are labelled using dots. Green dot dogs are most mild; then yellow; then orange; and then red dot dogs, who are the trickiest to handle and with whom patience and loving care are key. Therefore I can handle a wide range of sizes, breeds and personalities. I've worked with lead-aggressive, food-aggressive and dog-aggressive dogs, timid and shy dogs, and dogs with loads of bounding energy. I am very comfortable in my dog caring and walking abilities, and am happy to train as I go.

When I arrived in Scotland I knew that I couldn't go without doggy presence in my life, so I walked and looked after many local pooches - I want to continue as much as I can in Adelaide! At the moment I care for my good friend's two brown labs when her family is out of town, and I make house calls for an adorable rescue pup with separation anxiety. I would love to take care of your dog as well!

The Services I Offer

I am always up for a good walk. Generally my walks last between 30 minutes - 1 hour, depending on the age and fitness of the dog. Unfortunately I don't have my own car, so I will only be able to do local walks unless arrangements are made prior to the time of walking. I am always happy to walk to parks/dog parks and throw balls/sticks/etc.

I am more than happy to make house calls while you're away (on holiday or simply at work!); I'm also happy to watch over a house in addition to feeding, walking and caring for your pup. I generally stay between 30 minutes to 1 hour during each house visit depending on how much attention a pup needs. I will always be flexible - I'm happy to stay as long as need be.

I am available for overnight stays! I always want to make sure that our pups are well loved and cared for while we're away.

I am also happy to care for cats - in addition to caring for neighbourhood dogs, I've spent years caring for and feeding indoor and outdoor cats while my neighbours have been away.

If you have any additional requests please don't hesitate to reach out, I'll do my best to accommodate!

My Availability

My schedule is very flexible. The only times I am definitely not available (for uni classes) are between 12pm and 4pm on Mondays and Tuesdays, and between 9am and 3pm on Thursdays and Fridays. I am free on Wednesdays. I'll continue to update my availability as uni picks up.

Limitation

Unfortunately, as I do not have a car, my range of movement around the outer parts of Adelaide is limited to biking and public transportation. Therefore, I may not be able to reach your house in a reasonable time frame if it is far away from CBD. I will do my best to find a way over, but there is a chance that I may be unable to walk or sit your dog if I cannot reach them easily. Sorry for any inconvenience!