Hello! My name is Devan and I have been pet sitting many many years for clients, friends, family and in Chicago downtown, then moved down to central IL and recently moved here to Palestine, TX! I grew up with dogs, cats, reptiles and more. I've done a lot of house/pet sitting throughout my life and professionally the last few years. I can watch and take care of your loved furry friends at YOUR home as I found it greatly reduces separation anxiety and increases their comfort being in their own home. And I can give them a SUPER great time staying at my home where we have a large property for them to explore, and a fenced in yard and pool they can swim in (or I can also teach them how to swim, too!) I can promise you they will get LOTS of love, attention, exercise and keep them feeling safe while you’re away. And if I stay at your home, I always leave the home in better shape/cleaner than when I arrived. ;) I keep clients up to date with their loved furry friend(s) with pictures and videos so they can feel at ease knowing their pet is being well taken care of. If you want pictures throughout the day, or just an update at the end of the day so you can enjoy your time away, I’ll send you an update each night with some pictures and videos. :) A little bit about me, I am a 33 year old female and grew up in the suburbs of Chicago. For work, I have my bachelors, I am a woodworker, handywoman and and industrial (and residential) electrician. For fun, I am a musician, and love to play piano and guitar, and can pick up a pair of drumsticks if there is a drum set around. :) In Chicago, I was a band leader at a very large church in the city which I very much miss playing, arranging, and composing new, beautiful music for worship. I have a great love for Pitt Bulls, and hate the stigma they have. I had adopted a pitbull in the past, Blue, who had been abused and had an old jaw fracture. He currently stays in IL. He is the best dog I ever had. So that “pitbull” and “bully” breed stigma mean nothing to me. I also rescued my dog, Rae, who was terribly abused before I got her. She was shot three time with actual bullets and bbs, and had a large scar wrapped around her back leg I believe was because she got caught in a snare. Any time the grass in the yard got a little high, she was afraid to go potty because she couldn’t see the ground. :( Once I realized that, I made sure to keep up with mowing the yard better so she wouldn’t ever feel any PTSD again. Unfortunately she passed away suddenly after a great day of hiking and being out in the country, but don’t know to this day what caused her sudden death. It was a very, very hard loss for me. But she couldn’t have had a better day that day, having fun being out and about in nature, so I feel peace at least with that. I grew up with dogs all of my life, and we even took in cats as well that lived under our porch. We also had everything from tree frogs to snakes, turtles and iguanas growing up. I have dealt with ALL kinds of dogs (primarily dogs) — elderly, have medical conditions (I have much experience administering medications, whether it’s shots or eye drops, etc), aggressive personalities, puppies, very active types, or ones that just like to chill — you name it. I always try to work with your pup if I notice certain behaviors while watching them that they may need to improve on and do some training. Whether it’s basic commands they need help with, working with them to stop pulling on walks, or just teaching them a new “trick” or two, I do my best to help them improve before you pick them up when you get home. :) I hope you will find me a great fit to watch your pup, whether it’s for boarding at my home or yours, walks and drop by’s, or doggy daycare. Thank you so much for your consideration! :) Devan