Conversations with the Inspiring Tonya Douglas

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tonya Douglas.

Tonya, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
The beginning starts at a tough time in my life when experiencing the flu on and off for a while and losing my job for missing too many days. I was depressed and having panic attacks that checked me into the hospital, my health was obviously being affected from all the stress, which also led to the end of a 4-year relationship and me having to move out. All this within just a few months. I felt like I was stranded and could not see a light at the end of the tunnel. I think it’s important to mention that I took some time for myself and asked for help from those around me, it’s okay to do that if you’re struggling. Eating good food and exercising helped me tremendously in getting healthy both physically & mentally. I started walking dogs after seeing an ad from a service site because I knew it would come easy to me – walking my own pups was the only thing I looked forward to every day. It would be something to get me going until I found a more stable source of income. I signed up on a dog walking service site which helped me understand the business since I possessed no experience running one myself and I gained customers slowly. Fast forward only five months and I was making enough to support myself and attend community college classes and having so much fun doing it! I actually started to get too busy, so I stopped accepting new clients until one no longer needed me on a regular basis. Currently, there is a steady pace of work in this city and I work with other sitters occasionally – we’ve built a small, trustworthy network to call each other if there is a request that we cannot cover. Thankfully, this is a very supportive industry! It’s taken some time to get to where I am now, I had no idea where I was headed in the beginning. My goals and strategies have changed as they will continue to do and I’m looking forward to growing from here.

Has it been a smooth road?
This job is very emotional, for instance, of course having to care for these pets as they’re your own but also getting attached to them is a regular occurrence and then a customer might move away or no longer need your services. Obviously, high energy is a must which can be physically demanding on a daily basis. There have been a couple of bumps in the road that shed light on the amount of responsibility we as pet sitters are taking on, experience with all fur kids and a quick-thinking mindset is a must. As for advice: just experience and LEARN as much as you can! Regardless of what industry you’re entering, knowledge is power.

Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
Typically, I drive to residences and take pups out for walks or visit felines and other pets for regular care during the work week while staying overnight at another customer’s residence with their pups during their time away on vacay. I have experience with many types of animals and I’m always willing to learn care basics for new ones. I’ve always wanted to claim (it’s still unofficial) that I specialize in caring for pit bull breeds, simply because I’m a big fan! Also, any dog that might be deemed aggressive, unpredictable or tough to handle. I walk a few pups that no one else really wants to walk. During the course of this journey, I’ve learned so much about dog behavior, their reactions and characteristics on a professional level, it still surprises me how often I meet dog owners who don’t understand how or why their dog would react the way it does in certain situations.

From what I hear from my customers, I’m known for taking great photos that I send directly to them during each walk, visit our house sitting on a daily basis. These photos help the pet parent feel so confident that their fur kids are in great hands, all is going well and we are having a great time! It takes an enormous amount of stress off their shoulders so they can enjoy a good vacation or work trip without worry. They enjoy open communication and punctuality as well.

I’m honestly most proud of the fact that I can support myself doing something that I love and that I’m good at (cliche, I know).

Who do you look up to? How have they inspired you?
All the female authors, personal trainers, business owners and motivational speakers out there who help others on a daily basis!

Pricing:

• $15 per 30-minute walk
• $12 per 25-minute visit
• $35 per overnight stay

Contact Info:

• Phone: 602-428-2285
• Email: TonyaThePetSitter@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tonyathepetsitter/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TonyaThePetSitter/

Image Credit:
Tonya the Pet Sitter

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