About the Pet Sitter

I’m Judy, Owner of Cherished Ones Pet Sitting. I’d like to thank you for visiting my website.

You hear over and over again that people who are happiest in their professions are people who are able to earn a living doing something they are passionate about. I am among the privileged few who are able to do just that. Caring for animals is a terrific way to spend the day. They’re appreciative of what I do for them and always glad to see me. I enjoy making them happy and receiving their unconditional love in return.

I understand the bond you share with your Cherished Ones. When it became time to bring another pet into my life, I knew I wanted to save a life. I called the animal shelter in Carlsbad to ask if they had any female puppies. I was told a litter of 6 week old Australian Shepherd mixes were there and two were female. I decided on the name “Cherish” before heading to the shelter. I chose this name because it described how privileged I would feel to have her in my life. When I arrived at the shelter, there was only one Aussie pup left, a female. She was adorable. She looked like a white puppy that had mischievously gotten into some black paint. She had blue eyes and was very unique looking. She was a bit standoffish at first, but when I started to play with her she warmed up to me. I left the shelter without her and went straight to the library to do some research on Australian Shepherds. That night I could hardly sleep. I knew that I wanted her so bad. I set my alarm hoping to be the first in line when the shelter opened in the morning. I was first in line and began to chat with the couple behind me while we waited for the shelter to open. As we talked further, we realized that we had chosen the same puppy. They were disappointed but they felt better when I said that I loved her already. I walked out of the shelter with her cuddled against me.

There was no way that I was going to win every battle with this feisty girl. I had to pick the ones that were most important for our co-existence but allowed her to be her rambunctious, spirited self. Routines were important and fun. We had our morning wake up cuddle time and our goodnight cuddle time. These were the rituals but there were plenty of lovins throughout the day. She loved to fetch and would do it for hours. She loved to play “find it”, “who’s gunna move first”, “I’m gunna get you” and tug-o-war. On the days when she woke me up too early or when I was busy and she wanted to play, I did my best to be patient with her and meet her needs. If at all possible, I stopped what I was doing and gave her the attention she wanted. I knew that she wouldn’t always be there to perk up her ears and wag her tail when I opened my eyes in the morning or bring me a toy that she wanted me to throw for her. I thought about the couple who wanted to adopt her and how close I came to not having her in my life.

Cherish at age 14, July 2009

About the Pet Sitter