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When I was a Foster Coordinator for Alaska Dog & Puppy Rescue 2011 In order from least shy to most severe case Mitsu went to a lovely lady in Austin, Texas whom I still have contact with. Dakota, my favorite, was adopted then the couple broke up but one of our sweet fosters took him . Brooks, the "talker" has a wonderful home with a couple who had recently lost a Malamute just like him and just as noisy! Lol Glad they like that. And Denali "Nellie" (3rd pup in pics) was a month older than the rest and she was the hardest case. When I finally earned her trust, I found a wonderful family... but they were beside themselves with grief because she went back into her shell. I coached them and eventually she started acting like a normal, happy puppy... THEN they were wishing she was a little more reserved! Lol Trouble she is! Lol We keep in contact too I had a really hard time letting her go knowing she has to learn to trust all over again. I cried, a lot. I felt like I betrayed her. But she's just fine A lot of the dogs went to a wonderful rescue in Montana state. Our rescues just didn't have the resources. You should have seen the outpouring of love and help from the community! The room was packed at Palmer Animal Control! So much love and emotion. It was overwhelming I remember seeing all of the rescue groups there with their logos on their clothing. It was a sight to behold! And then the hard, sad work began... February 14th, Alaska Dog & Puppy Rescue picked up the first of the dogs and puppies that were ready to be released. Starved, covered in feces, full of worms, scared, lost and confused... they had survived living on snow and feces They had witnessed their mothers dying of starvation, nothing but skin and bones, dead and left on a chain So much more to the story and horrible facts came out from the past too... Animal control had been there before, a year or so prior and "downsized" Frank Riches dogs for him... 128 dogs and puppies!!  Connie on the Spot has 8 years total experience with dairy goats! If you need a hand milking, we can do that! Hannah can milk a half-gallon in SEVEN MINUTES! I did it in 8 minutes… once! Can't say we could milk that fast now as it's been a while but it's just like any muscle memory and a heck of a lot easier than getting back on a bike after years of not riding! HAHA! If you need a bit of advice… we may be able to help you with that too! Prior to having our own little goat dairy, we made a deal with the only local, Grade A goat dairy farm in Alaska… Bartering homemade granola, whole-grain, homemade sourdough bread and our very own, handmade McKinnely Cabin Farm goat's milk soap in exchange for THE most wholesome, wonderful, fresh, raw goats milk! They never used antibiotics, hormones or vaccines. I learned from the best for 3 years before I took on the wonderful hobby of running my very own, quaint little goat dairy! I LOVED it! The romance never wore off, even after 5 years. But life has a way of moving you in another direction and as sad as it was to let go, and I found them all good homes where they wouldn't end up in a freezer, I am open to new beginnings, helping others get their hobby goat dairy started.  Wondering HOW I got the name Connie on the Spot?
Well, I had been pet sitting, through word of mouth, for several years, not wanting to be too busy or have a big business, so I didn't advertise or make up business cards or flyers. I had all the work I wanted with my wonderful clients/friends and their friends and their friends… just a string of lifelong friends who referred me because they trusted me and knew I was always available on a moments notice. When the time came that I decided I needed to try to make a living rather than just some extra money for things other than clothes or coffee house outings… a client/friend, who is a real go-getter in the real estate business, asked if I had any business cards, if I had a business name or flyers? Nope, nope and nope! Lol! I said I don't have a business name I'm just Connie on the Spot! I had coined this title for myself from another client who was always running late and just couldn't make it home to let the "pookies" out! She said, "THAT'S GREAT! I LOVE IT!" And, it stuck. Thanks Renee! Love you! So, now you know the story, or at least the short of it. If you want to know a bit more. I have (MANY) references from Alaska that would be GLAD to talk to you and put in a good word or two for me and my daughter Hannah. I never wanted to be big. I just wanted a few really good clients/friends that I could be there for, on the spot and I didn't want to let anybody down. It took a couple years, after being gone in Alaska for 20 years, to build up my rapport in this wonderful little community, and my "old stomping grounds," as I grew up here, but it's finally happening and Connie on the Spot is getting busy! I am getting more organized so that I will be ready to expand and hire a couple pet sitters, that I will personally train and certify, insure, etc. to be some of the most passionate, caring and accountable, professional pet sitters on the Olympic Peninsula! Phew! Wish me luck and if any of YOU wonderful clients are interested in pet sitting yourself, let me know! My clients would make THE most WONDERFUL pet sitters!  One of the greatest gifts of a professional pet sitter is that they are able to be there, in your home when you are unable to. Your pets don't have to be put in a kennel with other dogs with whatever temperaments they may have or whoever may be working in the kennel at the time that you may not know anything about. Are they gentle and loving and attentive like you are? Are they taking good care of your pet? Is your pet able to have fresh air anytime they need it? Do they have their own comfy bed?
Some dogs do well in this situation and there are some great kennels out there for sure! But if you've had bad experiences or you just want your pets to be comfortable and pampered, like you would do… then hiring a professional and trustworthy pet sitter is the greatest asset to have! You can relax and go on your vacation or business trip or family emergency knowing who is in your house and Connie on the Spot can promise YOU that there will be no strangers invited in a client's home, NO boyfriends, etc. You don't hire a contractor who is licensed with coverage to have them invite their friends and family over. It's no different for Connie on the Spot. We are a professionally run business, not hobbyists and we take business seriously. If it isn't one of our pet sitters that you have approved of and is covered under our licensed insurance and bonding, then they won't be in your home… period! All Connie on the Spot pet sitters/Independent Contractors will not only be covered, liability-wise and Honesty Bonding but will also be certified in Pet CPR & First Aid! Because I'm an instructor and this is a requirement to be a part of our team!  Hello I am Connie Wetzler, founder of Connie on the Spot Inc. I have been pet/house sitting since 2006 and volunteered as foster and foster coordinator for Alaska Dog & Puppy Rescue from 2008-2013. I have seen many dogs and puppies in a sad state from neglect and abuse and living in Alaska there are dangers of frost bite, fur traps and the like, but the greatest motivator for me to become a Pet First Aid/CPR Instructor was one event that I have never forgotten…
I had a horrifying experience one time when I was at the vets office. A man came running in panicking as his beloved Corgie was choking on a small tennis ball that was lodged in his throat. I watched as the dog struggled for air, then went limp. All the while the man was yelling for help and the receptionist just told him to calm down and that the vet was in surgery... no one knew what to do to help him. She took him and his unconscious friend in a back room… I never knew what happened after that. I thought, how awful that NOBODY knew how to save this dog, including the owner, and the vets' office was FULL of people! This was a totally preventable accident. Not to mention the poor man probably drove like crazy in the ice and snow, endangering everyone on the road on his way to save his dog. When I shared this story with a vet tech, only then did she understand why it was important for pet parents to have these skills and not just the professionals. Another reason I wanted to be a Pet Tech Instructor was because I have always believed in disaster preparedness. What better way to motivate others to be personally prepared than to educate them on being prepared FOR their pets? They cannot save their pets if they are unprepared themselves. I had volunteered with the Red Cross and had been waiting 6 months for Pet First Aid & CPR Instructor training. Eventually, or uneventfully, I was informed that they had decided to no longer train health instructor volunteers for our area but they would wave the fee since I had been waiting for so long and that they would train me in Seattle and send me abroad… but I would not be able to serve MY community. This defeated the purpose of being of service in my community. I said thank you very much but I believe I have just the resource to fill this need. The coordinator said that the Red Cross would endorse and support me in my area and wished me luck. Serendipitously Lisa Faust just happened to be teaching the Pet Tech First Aid/CPR Instructor course in Tacoma! It was perfect timing! Note: All Connie on the Spot pet sitters certified in Pet CPR & First Aid for cats and dogs. This is a two year certification that I require all who are part of our team to renew their certification annually.  "Professional pet sitting is not the work of high schoolers—or family members or friends.
Professional pet sitters are small-business owners—vital contributors to their communities and the local economy. (According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, since 1995 small businesses have generated 64 percent of new jobs, and paid 44 percent of the total U.S. private payroll.) These professional pet sitters have a business license, pay taxes, are insured, bonded, and trained in pet care and pet first aid. They work 24-7 year round to ensure pet owners can have the peace of mind offered by quality, reliable pet care when long work hours or travel keep them from their beloved pets. Ask any professional pet sitter who has worked a twelve-hour day dashing between pet-care assignments, only to come home and spend additional hours on bookkeeping, payroll and marketing efforts—this is not the work of a high schooler, this is a REAL job. Ask any professional pet sitter who has missed holidays with her family, extended pet-sitting visits to ensure an ailing pet was comforted or felt the loss of a client’s pet passing—this is not the work of a high schooler, this is a REAL job." (shown in the picture above: Hannah Wetzler/V.P. Connie on the Spot Inc.)  Sometimes pet owners cannot be there for their beloved pets when their pets become ill or have been ill for some time and it's just too hard to comprehend. If you have a professional pet sitter, who is passionate about what they do and love what they do, then you have a priceless gem!
When I was away, one time, my dog had been sick for quite a long time and I had trips planned… well, I got a call between trips. I was out on the Kenai Peninsula and my pet sitter was with my little, tripod dog, Zuke, of 14 years. He had been declining in health for some time. I was in denial. She told me I would need to make a "decision" when I came back home before I took off for another planned trip. Sometimes you don't realize how ill your pet has been until you don't see them everyday… then the shock of seeing how frail they are hits home. My pet sitter, not only informed me of Zuke's state of being but gave me good advice about making a decision, even tho she didn't judge either way. I went home and saw how poorly my sweet Zuke was doing. I couldn't let him "go" alone, without me… I knew I could trust my pet sitter to do it and that she would, had I asked, and that it would be okay with Zuke and myself, if I decided. But, I felt like it was time. This is the hardest decision any pet owner has to make. I was fortunate that I had the option to either be there or have someone close to myself and my Zukie, in case I couldn't. I was so appreciative. I have been asked, many times, for my advice, from clients, as to whether they should make a decision or not… I can never tell anyone what the best thing decision is. I had a wonderful, loving, (dog loving!) client (close friend) that had rescued and adopted so many dogs in her lifetime. She knew them all so well. She could tell if they were suffering or if they could be accommodated and made more comfortable, hopefully giving them time to go on their own terms. That's what we all want… for our pets, ourselves and loved ones… to just go peacefully. So, she gave me instruction for her nine dogs, (and it was a BOOK!) to make them comfortable. Smokey had seizures, cancer, spleen removed, nasal sarcoma, meds that made him eat dog poop and plant soil… He paced ALL night… click, click, click. He was also deaf, lol! You couldn't tell him to lay down, he couldn't HEAR you. All I could do was be there for him. Cookie had already had a stroke… she went "right around the world" and one of her eyes was blind due to the stroke… she would catch glimpses of things out of the corner of her eye and SNAP! OUCH! Everything looked like a bone to her... INCLUDING your FINGERS! Lol! Leather gloves and not letting your hands swing down by your side was the key to keeping your digits! I never got mad at these sweet souls… and this was only two of the nine. Cookie had to be assisted down the flight of stairs. She only saw ONE step and would try to LEAP down 12 steps! AND she had been born missing a joint in her front shoulder. Only muscle held things in place. Good thing she was light weight and since she only had her "blinker" stuck on right-turn… I had to keep her on lead, let her go round and round and hurry and catch the "easter eggs" in a bag before she came round again and either stepped in or sat/fell down on one of them! Then I'd carry her up stairs and when the time came to go potty, we would do it all over again. Others had health issues as well, like Taiga, she had the most awful skin disease and if she missed a dosage of antibiotics, which she had been on her whole life, her feet would literally split open and she would have to be rushed to the veterinarian for mass doses of intravenous antibiotics! She HATED taking pills too! Smokey had his own quirks when he was outside. Poor boy, he was so lost due to the medication. He never wanted to come in, so I would sit with him, under a tree for an hour or more until I could coax him inside. I knew he felt more grounded outside, that's why I joined him. I wanted him to feel as normal as possible and I knew he didn't. So many illnesses and sleepless nights nurturing older dogs… and they ALL waited until their people got home so they could say their goodbyes. And I THANK them for that! I used to get upset when I couldn't help save them. Then I realized, just recently, due to the insight of a wonderful, new, intuitive client, that I wasn't suppose to heal these dogs… just be there for them during their transition. I am okay with that now. I used to think that pets were more worthy of life than humans. Don't ask me why. Maybe because they are the innocent ones. But I realized that we are all equal. I also believe it's okay for a human to not want to "be here" anymore due to overwhelming grief from loss of a loved one… because I can feel their pain on a VERY deep soul-level. I am now okay that animals have their time too… and I will be there for them and it's a beautiful thing to be "chosen" to comfort a kindred spirit, when the time comes… even if their owner can't. I am that person. I am THAT pet sitter. I am there for you and your pets… on the spot, so you don't have to. When I began pet sitting years ago (2006), I wanted to be there for all of my clients' and their pets when the time came because I didn't want them to have to do it alone and I WANTED to be there to support them because I could feel their pain. In the last 10 years I have always asked my clients pets (and their guardian angels) to wait until their owner gets home before going… and they always have… so far. I know there will come a time when I will have to be the one to do this for a client/friend and it will be very difficult as I have bonded with each one of my clients' pets very deeply as well as my clients. One of the biggest reasons I bond so deeply with others pets is because two years ago tragedy struck our family… my daughter and I had to start our life over by moving back to my childhood home. We had to give up our 4 dogs, 2 hens and 3 dairy goats, foster dogs as well as our home and all of our clients and their pets, which we were so close to. Sometimes life kicks your "ant hill" to get you out of your comfort zone so you can do greater things in this life. So many blessings have showed up since our new adventure! My daughter and I absolutely LOVE all of our clients' pets… truly, like our own… even stronger, due to the transference from the pain of loss of our own beloved furry family members. Sometimes bad things happen to good people because they are needed elsewhere to be a blessing to many others. I have found that to be the case, every time. Whenever one door closes, ALWAYS a better and better one opens! Pet lovers are THE MOST wonderful people in the world! All of my clients love their pets SO much, I am so amazed at how caring and conscientious they are with regard to the holistic welfare of there pets. It's SUCH a relief to see pet owners educating themselves on just about everything they can to give their pets the best and most enriching lives they can. Thank YOU! You have NO idea how refreshing it is to see pet owners who are so responsible with the care of their pets…. after what I've seen working with the rescue in Alaska, that says a LOT! Hannah and I look forward to our next "stay cation" in your home with your wonderful critters! It sure fills the void and we certainly enjoy being on the spot for them and you! Blessings to you all and we DO absolutely appreciate and adore each and every one of our clients' pets and our clients, which always end up being friends... really.  Ohhhh… How many times have I heard stories of clients "relying" on family members, friends or neighbors who failed to just do the most basic, simple things to care for their pet!
When I think… "Anyone can do my job." Well, guess again. I hear another story how a friend was doing a favor for a client and lost the dog or forgot to let them out and they pooped all over the carpet… for DAYS! What happens when a dog spills his water dish and the neighbor forgets to stop by for a few days or thinks that since there is an automatic feeder or automatic waterer that.. what could happen? PLENTY! I've heard some stories, folks, that would BLOW YOUR MINDS! Wow! I bet you have some stories to tell, too! What happens when the power goes out or the pipes freeze or burst? What happens if your pet gets injured by any number of reasons and nobody is checking on them to see if maybe they got stuck under that darn bed, just like you knew they eventually would and couldn't get to food or water or the doggy door… etc, etc. Thinking about the what-if's is kinda scary BUT my motto is… be PREPARED, that way you won't have to be scared. Hire a REAL pet sitter and avoid the scary unknown and the greater chances of potential tragedy and or loss. So, if you didn't hire a REAL pet sitter and you are going on vacation and you have "free" pet care from a friend or neighbor or some kid down the block… may I suggest a back up plan? Connie on the Spot can do EVEN BETTER! We have a back up plan for a for your back up plan! Our goal is that NO pet gets left behind. We have a system in place that alerts us if a service is late so we can make other arrangements for your pet/s in your absence. Let's meet and see if we are good fit for one another. Connie on the Spot will gather all the information needed, including your personal emergency contacts, and keep them on file, just in case you need to call us… on the spot! We will also do everything we can to accommodate last minute arrangements. |
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