Hello, I'm Sarah...I am a Senior Physiotherapist, Powerlifting Athlete, Softballer, Cake Decorator, Step Mum...and Pet Sitter!!! (yes I'm exhausted). I understand it can be a little scary trying to find a stranger to come into your safe space & care for your much loved furry family members, so I've provided a bit of information about myself here so you can get a feel for who I am.

My Why: I relocated to ACT in 2024, after living/working in Sydney's Inner West for 9 years - a place full of small apartments & busy roads. Unfortunately I needed to leave my own dog back home in Country NSW when I ventured to the big smoke in 2015 (don't worry, he is very happy living with my Mum, and she loves him too much to let me take him back!)...so I started pet-sitting initially as a way to help friends out, but it quickly became a fabulous way to also enjoy some much missed time with animals. The Majority of my pet-sitting customers ended up being my Physio patients & their extended families or friends, so my jobs were mostly word of mouth. After 6 months of trying to settle in to Canberra, I felt like I was ready to start adding some sits back into the calendar - but because I didn't know anyone here & hadn't had a chance to build the same reputation yet, I decided to give Pawshake a go.

My Job: I work bigger days Monday -Thursday as a Senior Physiotherapist across 2 MSK Clinic locations (Gunghalin & Woden), & I also have a small Cake Decorating side hustle - so because most pet-sits & cake orders are weekend based, I have taken Fridays off Clinic work to be able attend my own appointments, complete life admin, shop, bake, walk dogs & prepare for sits. During winter I do a few hours of sideline sports coverage for NSW Rugby League, which is only on the weekends that Raiders are scheduled to play home games (i.e. not every weekend). I've pulled back a lot from my Sports Physio travel since moving to ACT, however in Summer I will still have the odd interstate/international tour with athletes (those dates will be blocked as unavailable in my Pawshake Calendar well in advance). 

My Hobbies/Life: I love being fit & active outdoors, and I think I love animals more than humans (yes, I've considered going into Animal Physio on a number of occasions but too busy to figure out where to squeeze another Masters Degree)! I was a competitve National level Powerlifter in Sydney, but have struggled to find my routine & community in ACT so haven't returned to the competitive stage yet. I play National level softball (now for ACT) through the summer months & really love walking. I have quite a few dog-walking customers that give me some running practice. Outside of sport, I love being creative - my cakes are one area I can bring designs to life. We just got some baby Guinea Pigs so I'm in the process of designing & building them a castle. I don't have any family in Canberra, so also love being able to spend time with my Partner & step-son (8yo) or travel home to visit my Mum & dog when I can.

My Sits: Due to my profession & inability to do my job WFH, I'm best suited for weekend sits, or with pets that aren't too anxious to be home alone during the work day hours (Mon-Thur). I predominantly stay at the owners home, as 1) my partner is allergic to most things (yes, even Hypoallergenic dogs), & 2) I find it also ensures the animals are as comfortable, familiar & stress-free as possible during a time when their favourite humans are away.

I've included a few snaps of some of the furry friends I've had the pleasure of caring for, feeding or walking in the past. Some of these have just been when the owners are away for the one night, or the weekend, whilst others have been for the duration of a 6-8 week overseas holiday period. Occasionally its just been a walk during a period when the owner is unwell or swamped with work and unable to get out as much as usual. I've looked after big dogs, small dogs, cats, bunnies, guinea pigs, fish, lizards, sheep, chooks and even a tarantula (not my pet of choice as an arachnophobe). I've got experience with pets who have anxiety disorders, allergies, thyroid issues & diabetes who need medication or ear drops, animals with disabilities, & puppies that run in circles through to the very elderly that need assistance to go up stairs.

Unfortunately, sometimes sitting/walking availability may purely be determined by location, as I have a number of regular clients, so it can become too challenging to drive to all ends of Canberra & still make it to work on time - but I will try my best to do what I can. I regularly update my calendar on Pawshake so people can see what dates I am available to take sits...if you're unsure or have any additional questions, please send me a message & I will reply as quickly as possible. I may not be able to respond during hectic work hours as I can't be on my phone, but will reply as soon as I get home. Thank you for taking the time to view my profile.

**10/SEPT/25 UPDATE: Thank you to my current & past customers for all the support & the amazing word of mouth referrals, it has exploded into a very very busy a 2025, but please note that I am now completely booked out until May 2026. With people booking so far in advance now, it does leave space for plans to chop & change, so I will reopen availablilites if any cancelations occur.