What happened to them, not what's wrong with them

After years around animals from every kind of background, I've come to believe every pet has a story, and it's rarely useful to ask "why is this dog like this?" The better question is what happened to them. There's a line from couples therapy I think about a lot: ask "what is that," not "what the hell is that." No behavior is strange once you have the context. I treat every animal the way I'd treat a friend I really care about.

Why this work matters to me

I've seen some genuinely rough conditions in shelters. Without going into detail, cleaning kennels for dogs and cats who'd been living in a mess and watching how excited they got over a clean space is something I still think about. Helping another living being is about as close to real happiness as I've found. This is the ethos I bring to my work.

I've walked up to 40 dogs and looked after 20+ cats in a single day, across every kind of dietary restriction (including EN and elemental food) and conditions like heartworm, ringworm, and URI. I'm Fear Free certified, which means I can read the difference between a dog that's happy, anxious, shy, or on the edge of reactive, and adjust how I handle them accordingly. If your pet has a complicated history or a medical need, there's a good chance I've already dealt with something like it.

I primarily serve Adams Morgan, and I'm open to driving to other parts of DC within reason. Send a message with your neighborhood and I'll let you know honestly whether it works.