If you are genuinely interested in my story, read on here. If you just want me to walk your dog or visit your pets, jump on over and fill out the contact form on my welcome page.

 

Born & raised in South Texas, I traveled to Costa Rica after college graduation, which was intended to be just a summer exploration trip before coming back to find a job that suited my degree. Long story short: I traveled, fell in love with the country, learned the language, found a job, & got my residency over the next five years! 

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I moved back stateside in 2009, and settled in Pearland, Texas, where I rescued my first dog Rocco. As of 2023, he is going on 14+ years and still my best buddy. April 2012, I was walking Rocco at the park and we came across an adorable stray with golden green eyes, who clearly had been dumped. I called local animal shelter but they were a kill center and said if no one claimed him in 3 days the puppy would be euthanized! He came home with me and I named him Levi. Shortly after, we all relocated to Boerne, Texas!

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Rocco & Levi were best friends and inseparable. For 8 years we had lots of adventures with my husband and now two rambunctious toddlers. May of 2020, I reached down and felt a swollen lump in Levi's throat, immediately made an appointment and took him in to find out he had Lymphoma. We opted to treat him hoping there was a chance we could have him with us just a little bit longer, even though the odds were not favorable. Levi held on only about a month before we had to say goodbye in June 2020. If you visit my personal Instagram, my highlights share our experience & show all the love that surrounded him. I was recovering from a traumatic foot injury/surgery during this time and really unable to be active or move. Between the loss of Levi and my injury, the whole experience wrecked us as a family, we were devasted and Rocco mourned him daily. Eager to fill the void, to find a new friend for Rocco, and to have company during recovery, we went to the San Antonio animal rescue and found Luna a few weeks later. 

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Rocco & Luna were happy and enjoyed each other's company, until Charming Pet Rescue posted a picture of a pitbull in immediate need of a foster December 2020 ... The poor dog was in terrible condition, chained, grossly underweight and with heartworms. I brought him in, he slept next to me all night and it was clear his fostering lasted less than 24 hours and he was family. Charming Pet Rescue was started by our previous neighbor Hilary, after she met Rocco & Levi and I convinced her to rescue a dog for their own family. Charming was his name.

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Rocco, Luna & Vinnie were now a new pack until ... Zeke showed up in our garage summer of 2021. I checked the Next Door app, and he was a young pup who had been seen roaming the neighborhood, under the care of someone else who was pet sitting him for a friend. He instantly reminded us of Levi. His health care was lacking and he was constantly out in the neighborhood so I simply asked if the owners were interested in rehoming him. They agreed.

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Rocco, Luna, Vinnie & Zeke are now the new pack. They all have quirky personalities, anxieties, and need special care but I 100% support animal rescue! Also they get along well with our rescued chickens.

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For now, Rocco is still the Alpha. He had ACL surgery December 2021. With his gradual decline in health with his age and having trouble walking now on both hind legs, I have a difficult time leaving him home. In the past when traveling, I have used local boarding facilities and based on his behavior and our experiences, it never felt right. Finding a reliable & consistent pet sitter for 4 dogs is challenging, but they do best when left at home, plus the cost doesn't compare to a boarding or kennel service.

 

I've worked in free lance marketing, media, business onboarding, & bookkeeping for many years as a consultant. I prefer to travel mostly now in our RV where the dogs are welcome and can go. When traveling abroad, I find that having someone stay at home with our dogs is the best scenario for them. This is why I decided to dedicate my time for families who also want the best for their pets when they are away. Rescuing and caring for other dogs has been therapeutic and it feels like something Levi sees from above & wags his tail.

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Thanks for the read. A Dog Wags its Tail with its Heart,

Sandy

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Ask me anything or give me a shout! (Keep in mind I do screen calls for spam, so an initial text is best)