Dear Readers,
The sun is shining, the breeze is balmy, and the days are long. It’s vacation time again. But when you’re a devoted pet owner, vacations can be bittersweet and tinged with guilt. We jet off to some exotic (or not so exotic) locale swimming, dining and adventuring, while our beloved pets are whisked off to a very different experience…a cage and the stress of wondering where the family went and worse … are they ever coming back?
At this time of year, I’m besieged with emails requesting my recommendations for boarding, pet sitting, etc., which always reminds me of a horrific experience I had when I dropped my beloved dog Pooka off at a so called “pet hotel” in Freeport. After paying extra for Pooka to live in an apartment with a trainer, I showed up a day early and unannounced. To make a long and outrageous story short, Pooka was not living the good life with a private trainer in a suite. He was in a cage, he was filthy, and the top of his nose was bloody from pushing through the cage grates. Yes Readers, this awful place is still in business, and the name is available if you send me an email inquiry.
As far as I’m concerned, the best and happiest solution (if you can’t take your pet with you that is) is to have someone stay in your home with your pet. That means no stress for your pet and no guilt for you. Of course, this person would need to be someone you could trust, someone who has pet care experience, and who has a genuine love of animals.It would need to be someone whose sole purpose would be to exercise and play with your pet, take care of your pet’s every need, and make sure your home is as tidy as you left it when you closed the front door.
As a result of my own terrible experience with Pooka as well as the many horror stories sent to me over the years regarding beloved pets not being properly cared for while their owners were away, I believe I have come up with a near perfect solution (Remember, bringing your pet along is always the perfect solution when, in fact, it’s possible). If, indeed, you are one of the many pet owners who does not have a reliable caretaker for your pet when you are away on vacation, please contact me at sharonadoptpet@aol.com and I’ll fill you in on the details. The service that I’ll be telling you about also makes available trained vet techs for pets with medical needs (When Shadow was ill, I had one of these techs overnight in my home taking care of the IV that ran through the night as well as taking care of all his other needs — and No, it did NOT cost an arm and a leg!).
Please contact me if you would be interested in this service — After all, you deserve a great (and guilt and worry free) vacation!
Please visit a shelter and adopt.
Remember, Your Best Friend Is Waiting…
