GV resident keeps eye on pets

It used to be that if you had to leave your pet for a long time, you brought it to the kennel or paid one of the neighborhood kids to come over to feed, walk, and take care of your animal.

Nowadays, more and more people are realizing that taking their pets to a kennel, animal hospital or even to a friend’s house can often traumatize the animal.

While some animals can tolerate being kenneled for a time, others can’t handle being uprooted, often displaying feeling of anxiety when separated from their owners and their home.

Most pets are happiest when they’re home, surrounded by familiar sights, smells and sounds.

A new alternative called “pet sitting” has changed all that and Waggin’ Tails, a pet sitting business owned and operated by local resident Marcia Wean is one of those alternatives.

Wean, who has lived in Green Valley for the past four years, started her pet sitting business shortly after arriving in the area. She has 10 years of experience in the field to her credit.

Wean says her pet sitting business “is different from others.”

“I actually take care of dogs in the owner’s homes without taking them out of their own surroundings.”

In the past, Wean says, she has looked after not only dogs and cats, but horses, too, and even a pot-bellied pig.

Currently, Wean will sit for dogs in the owner’s home.

“I have developed an allergy to cats, so I won’t stay overnight with one, but if people want me to, I will visit a home daily to feed the cat and change the litter box when necessary,” she says.

Wean, a self-confessed animal lover and owner of a Maltese named Bali, says she witnessed “too many animals that didn’t enjoy being taken from their own homes.”

“This prompted me to start a business where I would live in the home with the animal while the person is away,” she adds.

Wean not only will stay in her client’s residence and feed the pet, she’ll also administer medication and will even give insulin shots to dogs suffering with diabetes.

“I’ll do whatever it takes to look after the animal,” she explains. “If the dog sleeps on the bed with its owner, then it will sleep with me, too.”

Wean walks the dog and will take the animal to the veterinarian or groomer for any scheduled appointments as well.

Wean will provide references to the prospective client and she also has a notebook full of letters of recommendation for those who wish to see it.

The pet sitter asks her clients to fill out a form for Waggin’ Tails with all the pet’s vital information, including an emergency telephone number and the name of the pet’s vet, giving her permission to seek medical help should the pet require emergency medical attention.

While Wean stays in the client’s home, she says she also goes about her own regular daily activities.

“I do what they would probably do, like go to church and the grocery store, or to the library,” Wean explains. “I don’t bring my own dog with me, though.”

When Wean is pet sitting in someone’s home, Bali stays with Wean’s parents, Green Valley residents Frank and Betty Jane Sartanowicz and their mixed breed dog, Cindy.

“My parent’s home is her home, too,” she adds. “Bali just adores them.”

Wean says the advantages of pet sitting in the client’s home are many.

“Besides looking after the dog, I can also water the plants and get the newspaper if the need is there,” she says.

Waggin’ Tails pet sitting service covers the areas of Green Valley, Sahuraita and Tubac. Owner Marcia Wean can be reached at 520-625-5913 or on her cell phone at 970-731-3797.

rford@gvnews.com | 547-9740