My dog just received a Christmas card! He is a popular dog with our local dog sitter. (She was kind enough to also include us.)
When we got our dog in 2001 we were faced with that common problem of what do you do with them while on vacation?
Through word of mouth we found out about a local woman who dog sits in her home. It has proven to be a very nice arrangement for both our dog and us.
I am sure there are very nice kennels out there, but we really like leaving Zipper, our 13# Maltese mutt, with the neighborhood sitter, who we affectionately refer to as "Grandma". Our pooch has a blast at her house when we are on vacation, which helps us to enjoy ours as well. (It is like doggy camp for him.)
Entrepreneurship is one of the things that makes our country great. I like to support local businesses and entrepreneurs as much as possible. Often they provide a better level of services and do it with a more personal touch--like sending customers personal notes.
Zipper, by the way, was obtained from the Wisconsin Humane Society. We put in a request for a small, no-shed dog and a few months later received a call that "Walter" was available. (That was the temporary name given him.)
One look was pretty much all it took. He came home with us that day and has been a wonderful addition to our family ever since.
The Wisconsin Humane Society is a very good place to adopt dogs from. They do extensive personality testing to make sure the dog does not have aggression issues.
Just one month before Zipper, we had a very bad experience with the Waukesha Humane Society adopting an older dog. That dog had to be put down for biting. We later found out he was surrendered for aggression reasons. A pretty traumatic experience for the whole family. (He was our first dog.)
Warning: DO NOT go to a Humane Society just to look! That is how it all starts. We really had no intention of getting a pet until we went to the Wisconsin Humane Society on a homeschool field trip. The rest, as they say, is history!
This is Buddy, I believe one of the dogs rescued from a puppy mill by the Elmbrook Humane Society. Buddy now brightens the days of residents of Fairview Senior Homes. (This picture does not do Buddy justice.)
