meet the sitters

MARY – I’ve been an animal lover my entire life.  When I was younger, I was always getting in trouble for bringing “new friends” home.  In fourth grade, a rather large Saint Bernard puppy “followed” me home after school and I think that’s the loudest I ever heard my mom yell! Until recently, I was owned by five fur babies.  Three very social cats and two dogs who enjoy each day to the fullest.  On April 1st of this year, we lost our sweet, sweet 14 year old black lab, Norman, to renal failure.  He is greatly missed by all.

In my free time, a few things I enjoy are gardening, reading, estate/garage sales, going on adventures with my mom and husband, scrapbooking, home improvement, fun projects from Pinterest, etc.  I am so excited to be working with Gentle Pet Protectors and meeting lots of wonderful new pets. 

 

CLAUDIA – I had my first dog when I was three years old, and throughout my life have had several dogs and cats. I met Lisa when looking for a pet sitter, and GPP cared for my dog for several years. I couldn’t believe how much easier it made my life to know that he was cared for with such love when I was out of town or working. After retiring from Ford Motor and losing my beloved collie, Lisa asked me to join the GPP family.  You will probably reach me when you phone Gentle Pet Protectors as I am the office manager. In my spare time, I love to read, travel, cook, sing in my church choir, and spend time with our three granddaughters. My husband Mike and I have been married for 39 years and live in Dearborn.

 

MAYA – I have been sitting for Lisa/GPP for several years and am currently helping on a part-time basis.   I feel blessed every time I get to take care of those adorable friends. I visit both cats and dogs and love it all. I am married with two children. I have a degree in Psychology and am fluent in two other languages. I grew up with dogs, birds, turtles etc… all my life, but through my son wanting a cat, I discovered that they are truly amazing.  We recently lost our beloved cat Vinnie.  I am an animal lover and am looking forward to spending time with your beloved furry (or not) friends.

MERI – I live in Dearborn with my husband and two daughters. My family has a great love of animals and we share our home with Shannon, our 13-year old Lab, Maya our year-old St. Bernard mix, Josie our Golden Retriever, four wonderful cats and a bunny, Rascal. We have always had a houseful of animals and have enjoyed them all. I retired from Ford Motor Company after 25 years. Love of animals has been a passion of mine, and working with Lisa and Gentle Pet Protectors has given me the opportunity to do something I thoroughly enjoy. Pets add so much to our lives, it is nice to be able to give back and offer them the care they so deserve. The unconditional love and appreciation animals give makes my work so rewarding. I have been with GPP for many years, and I specialize in vacation and midday visits.

 

 

ANGIE – I learned about Gentle Pet Protectors through an article in a local publication and thought it would be a wonderful way to work with animals, something I have always wanted to do.  I reached out to them and have been sitting ever since.  I have loved animals all my life and have bonded with them easily.  Growing up we had dogs, fish, a hamster & a bird.  After getting my own home, I adopted a dog and two cats, all strays, who I loved more than I can express.  They were truly my family and such a blessing to me.   I take great pride in caring for your babies, whether they have fur or not, as if they were my own and in the process giving you peace of mind, while you are at work, away for the day, or on vacation.

 

 

TRACY –  I’ve met some wonderful pets and their human companions since I began working with Gentle Pet Protectors in 2016. I enjoy providing pet guardians with peace of mind, knowing their beloved buddies are receiving excellent care. I’m a long-time volunteer with Friends for Animals of Metro Detroit, where I focus on community outreach and the trap/neuter/return of feral cats. I once worked in the kennels at Michigan Humane’s Westland shelter, followed by a career in journalism. My husband and I share our Dearborn home with nine cats and currently are between dogs but working on it.

MICHELLE  –  Hello! I am a life-long animal lover; there are photos of me as a wee baby getting up close and personal with my aunt’s Old English Sheepdog puppy. My grandmother put the James Herriot books in my hands shortly after finding me curled up with the family dogs under my granddad’s desk, and the rest is history. I’ve had dogs and cats almost my entire life, and currently have one of each: Rosa, a ginger-brindle pup, and Bacon, a Ragdoll mix cat. I also volunteer with the Dearborn Animal Shelter as a dog walker and general helpful pair of hands.  My family is from the Dearborn area, and I spend a lot of time with them and their furbabies, so I have a great deal of animal experience! I recently had the opportunity to join Gentle Pet Protectors, and I look forward to meeting many new pets.

 

HOLLY – I live in Dearborn with my two babies (dogs), Nero & Ophelia.   I love animals and have had animals my entire life and can’t imagine a life without them.  I also have past experience volunteering with an animal rescue.  When I’m not at work or doing work around the house, I enjoy exercising, playing with my dogs, movies and music.

 

 

PAUL – My love for animals began at a very young age. I think I was meant to be a veterinarian, but my love of performing and teaching won out in the end. I have been a dog owner since I was a child, but as an adult, I started rescuing sick and injured dogs, focusing mainly on pit bulls and pit bull mixes. At one point, my spouse and I had 10 dogs in our care. I am also an avid aquarist with a love for ornamental goldfish. I currently have a 65 gallon aquarium with 2 large Kirin Orandas. I work part time at Detroit Opera and between performing seasons, you may find me on a cruise ship enjoying the warm ocean breeze. This is how I came to know Gentle Pet Protectors. I wanted a local company to watch my four fur babies and they came highly recommended. The care and attention to detail provided by the sitters is why I inquired about joining their team. I will love and care for your pet as if they were my own.

 

ERICA –  I have been a pet owner since I was knee high to a grasshopper, lol.  I love all kinds of animals and have had a menagerie of pets throughout my life. I take pride in taking care of every pet as if it were my own. I have wide range of experience pet sitting (daily & overnight), dog walking, meds dispersal, treat giving, light grooming, waste removal, playing with pets, and giving them unconditional love. I am a current “owner” (really their staff) of 2 cats and fish. I also work as a veterinarian assistant and cat caretaker at a local cat clinic.

I look forward to providing amazing service to you and your furbabies.

 

MARILYN –  Hi, I’m Marilyn.  I have always loved animals. Growing up in a large family we had dogs, turtles, frogs, and birds. My life is busy being a full-time nurse, but I am looking forward to my new job with Gentle Pet Protectors. I am a compassionate and loving person and the experience of being able to care for pets is something that I find so much joy in. I have a lot of experience with watching family and friend’s pets. Looking forward to making may new furry friends!

 

CAROLYN – My name is Carolyn and I am a proud mom of 3 children and 2 dogs (fur babies). As far back as my early childhood I have had a dog/dogs and all of my dogs were rescued. There are no words for the unconditional love of they give. I worked in a vet office as a teenager, creating an unforgettable experience caring for pets. I look forward to caring for your fur babies as if they were my own!

 

 

 LISA V – I am so excited to join the Gentle Pet Protectors team.  Having had pets all my life, this is a wonderful way to get my walks in with your pets, since my 4 cats are not currently leash-trained!  As a retired RN and Vet clinic tech and office manager, I look forward to meeting  your furry family members.  Living in Dearborn, having moved from Texas, is a large climate change, and I’m almost adjusted after 6 years.  Gardening, baking, photography, reading and walking are a few things I truly enjoy.  My spouse works at Carhartt so warm clothing is always available.  I grew up in a family who moved all of my school years; my Dad was in the Army.  I’m enjoying the seasons here and I have found something to plant all the time.  I enjoy eating anything plant-based.  Looking forward to meeting you and your pet family!

 

ERIN –  I live in Dearborn with my 2 dogs Lola (Black Lab) and Tippie (Black Lab Mix).  We first heard of GPP as a client and were delighted to have such a friendly service right in our neighborhood.  I have always had a pet in my house until I moved to San Francisco, which is where I started caring for other pets since I was not able to have one in an apartment.  To further spend time with more animals, I volunteered for 4 years at Muttville Senior Dog Rescue in SF.  I’m currently employed full time and have a flexible work-from-home schedule, which allows me to have the ability to care for animals as I would care for my own.  I look forward to meeting you and your pets!

 

LILY – I am a  recent graduate of Wayne State University, heading to Grad school,  and have been helping at Gentle Pet Protectors during the busy summer months and during school holidays.   My family has always had dogs and cats; we currently have two rescues:   a dog Odie, and a cat Juno.   I recently adopted Roxie, a beautiful tuxedo cat.  I love all animals and am looking forward to helping with your fur-babies!

 

LINDA  –  Born and raised in Dearborn, I am the newest addition to the awesome staff of Gentle Pet Protectors as an office assistant and cat sitter.  I have been a Licensed Veterinary Technician for over 35 years with a BS from Michigan State University (Spartans Will!) and an AS from Wayne State University. I am also a certified Pharmacy Technician.  Having experience in general veterinary practice as well as emergency services, I have seen a wide variety of pets and love them all (well except maybe spiders), but I have a special affinity for cats.  Over the last several years I have made it my goal to adopt the senior or special needs cats and give them the best rest of life possible.  After a battle with Pancreatic cancer I decided to retire and spend time volunteering. I deliver Meals on Wheels, support several animal rescue groups and volunteer with the America Legion Women’s Auxiliary. I like to spend my free time flower gardening, reading and crocheting. I look forward to meeting our wonderful clients and their animal companions!

 

PRISCILLA – I am a lifelong resident of the Detroit area and have always had pets in my life.  Currently there are two cats and two dogs who bring so much love to my house – Bella, who is part boxer, thinks she is still a puppy even though she is 8 years old.  My son found Bella wandering around the Churchill High School parking lot and brought her home – she was barely 8 weeks old and he told me I needed her!  At the time I had two other boxers but I couldn’t resist and she joined the family.  Then there is Jake, my wild man, who is a Jack Russell/Beagle mix and by some miracle has made it to the age of 15.  He has finally calmed down a bit, so I no longer have to run through the neighborhood chasing him when he runs out the door, thank goodness!  My two cats, Stormy Bartholomeow and Scarlett Rain, joined the family two years ago.  My son found Stormy and couldn’t keep him at his apartment, so guess what, he brought him to me!  And then I just had to get Scarlett so he had a playmate and boy do they play!!  Running through the house at all hours.  But it’s ok – I love the chaos – until I hear a crash!
I have had Gentle Pet Protectors take care of my babies for many years and have always been impressed with the attention and kindness they have shown to my babies.  I am glad to now be a part of the pet sitting team and promise to treat your pets with that same attention, respect and love they deserve.

 

ANDREA – I have been with Gentle Pet Protectors for several years, and was previously a sitter with Woof N Purr for over 2 years.  I’m very excited to be  in the pet care industry.  I truly enjoy it.  I always had pets as a child and continued the tradition with my own children.  We currently have a dog,  Lola and 2 cats, Mia and Dexter.  All three are rescues from the Dearborn Animal Shelter.  We consider ourselves very fortunate to have such loving pets.  In my spare time I enjoy golfing and spending time with my children, Alex and Sam.  I’m looking forward to meeting our clients loved ones!

 

NANCY –  I grew up in Dearborn Heights and had dogs, cats, guinea pigs, fish all my life.  Picture of my current cat Honey, so proud of himself on top of the fridge.

Retired from a 42 year career with a local healthcare organization,  I now get to do something fun,  taking care of pets.   I am fortunate to have Hines Park as my backyard and enjoy watching all the wildlife.

I look forward to meeting you and your furry family members!

 

ANGELA  –     Hi, I am Angela and I’ve been living in Dearborn for the last 15 years with my husband Gabe. I am so excited to be joining Gentle Pet Protectors. My husband and I love all animals. For the last eight years, we’ve had some very sweet Irish wolfhounds in our home. In my free time, I enjoy traveling, dancing, and reading psychological thrillers. I also have been fascinated with the night sky and have been on the Chase to see the northern lights for the past year . I also love arts and crafts, seeing live music, and exploring. I look forward to meeting you and your pets soon!

 

RUTH –  Hi, I live in Lincoln Park with my husband, my daughter and three grandchildren. We raised dachshunds when the kids were younger.  About three years ago we adopted a pit bull mix named Brutus from the Woodhaven Animal Shelter.  Brutus is a big boy, weighing about 105 lbs.  He is living his best life with us now.

I retired about three years ago from TSA at the Detroit Metro Airport.  I love working part time for Gentle Pet Protectors and enjoy meeting all kinds of different animals.  Each one has its own personality.  I’ve taken care of snakes, geckos, hermit crabs, fish, and lots of dogs and cats.  I love animals and will always go above and beyond for your pet.  I know how important it is for clients to be able to vacation and travel, knowing that their pets are being loved and cared for.

NICOLE – Hi there! My name is Nicole, your furry friends’ favorite sitter! With a heart full of love for animals and a knack for playtime, I’m here to make sure your pets feel right at home when you’re away. Whether it’s cuddles on the couch, adventurous walks, or just some good belly rubs, I’m dedicated to giving your pets all the care and attention they deserve. Let’s make every tail wag and purr count!