ASHLEY McCarthy loves pets. She is a qualified veterinary nurse RVN (Lond.), Cert ECC, VNES, and believes pets are another important heartbeat in peoples’ lives. Doctors recommend them for those who may want extra company for themselves or children. People form bonds with pets and create a living symbiosis.

With recent strata scheme apartment laws now more flexible in the Potts Point and Elizabeth Bay and the 2011 postcode area, and with a high number of apartments, pet ownership rates have increased.

When clients don’t want to send their beloved pooches to a kennel or who may be ill themselves they call Ashley – she comes to them as a pet nanny or au pair.

Pets can suffer trauma at kennels from changes of environment and daily routines or may not adapt quickly to strangers or other animals or noises.

Ashley started her thriving business four years ago to cater for a specific need. Her Pet au Pair boutique is a pet-sitting agency. She primarily stays in peoples’ homes just like a nanny when owners are away for whatever reason, with their pet. She maintains the pet’s daily routine. She reduces pet stress and can do minor vet tasks without pets leaving the comfort of home. She also does home visits once or twice a day to do feeding and grooming for cats, small furries and reptiles including nail clipping and medicating. She has a team of assistant qualified veterinary nurses.

She loves her work. She enjoys being with lots of different pets; cats, dogs, rabbits, even axolotls, those rare, uber-cute walking fish, and developing on-going relationships with both pets and clients, all with their own personalities. Looking after them well makes her happy.

Her devotion and commitment know no bounds and she makes special home-cooked meals to make pets happy.

She recalls the day a couple of house bunnies must have overheard her partner say his leather belt and shoes might taste nice. The bunnies took him literally and ate the lot.

He didn’t find this funny at all, but Ashley thinks he probably deserved it as the bunnies may not have liked his derogatory joke about their refined dietary tastes.

By Andrew Woodhouse, Director, Heritage Solutions

Pet au Pair

www.petaupair.com.au

email: info@petaupair.com.au

Phone 0405 773 320