Compassion

Compassion defined….Deep awareness of the suffering of another, coupled with the wish to relieve it.

I also consider compassion to mean the deep awareness of the needs of another, coupled with the wish to relieve it.  

Compassion is part of our DNA.  This includes every one of our pet sitters.  That is by design.  Yes, we look for amazing pet sitters that have compassion.  We want that type of person in your home caring for your furry family.  Our awareness is in our bones.  We are always on high alert because that is what we do, that is who we are.  We are caregivers out to solve problems, give love, provide care for those that can’t care for themselves.  We are proud to be this type of people.  This is US.  

When told recently that my “bleeding heart” for a declawed senior cat being thrown out of the house for going potty on the floor is not the right way to feel, that I should pay no attention to it because I was hired to walk dogs, honestly, I was floored.  

I want to tell everyone that follows Waggs 2 Whiskers and ALL of our clients that if you don’t want a compassionate person caring for your pets DO NOT hire us.  We are NOT the right choice for you.  Back away, unfriend us, don’t follow us here and don’t ask us to pet sit for you.  We are PROUD of our bleeding hearts and the compassion we have for all living things.  This is our life.  We make a difference in the lives of the pets we care for.  And, we will NOT be shamed or apologize for what we believe in and for our “bleeding hearts”.

Zoe

I used to be involved in caring for shelter pets.  I’d like to say I know a thing or two about solutions. I LOVE solutions.  There is always a solution to a problem.  That is exactly the reason I am here today with you as the proud owner of Waggs 2 Whiskers!  I was thinking about a solution for my pitbull Zoe, she did not fair well in a kennel environment.  Some dogs do just fine in a kennel, mine did not.  The last time she was kenneled was in FACT the LAST time.  She walked out of that kennel, head hung to the ground, defeated, skinnier than I ever saw her.   I was sure she didn’t eat for the entire week we were away.  She wasn’t a chunky girl, she didn’t have weight to hold her for a week with no eating.  The tears flowed and I was sick.  Long story short, she was NEVER kenneled again in her lifetime.  Obviously, it did not work for her and therefore it did not work for me.  It took her months to recover from that experience, me too actually.  I felt responsible, guilty, sad.  Along that journey, I thought I can’t be alone, I’m not the only one with a dog that does not kennel well.  This started my research on options for Zoe.  And, that is where I found the solution...pet sitter. 

Back to our client’s senior declawed cat that had just found herself out in the wild for the first time in her life, I offered a solution to the “owner” of this sweet cat.  Obviously, this cat was no longer going to be safe, that was my first concern.  Not only had she never fought off another cat or wild animal, she has NO claws to do so.  Being an indoor cat for her 11 years, her instincts were not top notch, she lived the indoor cat life.  I offered to find this sweet cat a new indoor home with another client that has rehabilitated cats for many, many years.  A solution that would provide the cat safety and love along with a lot of patience for her pottying issue.  Solution complete.  There was no judgement.  I have myself rehomed animals for the best solution for that pet.  It’s a self-less act.  Instead, this selfish “owner” chose to keep the cat with no real outdoor shelter besides under a deck that is covered in dirt.  Food & water is not a normal occurrence.  Left to fend for herself most days is how she is living.  I was told to mind my own business or the “owner” would file charges for stealing her cat and would have her brother in law lawyer take me to court. 

Now some people may think, this is not our problem.  And, in some ways, you’re right.  But, this is where I tell you, we are more than just pet sitters.  We LOVE animals.  They are our spirit guides.  We sink to their level when we are with them.  We try to look at their world through their eyes.  We feel their pain, joy and love.  It is engrained in us, we don’t choose this, it chooses us.  As the owner of Waggs 2 Whiskers, I look for pet sitters that feel this just like I do.  It’s what I do for YOU the pet owner.  It’s my way of providing solutions to your pet care needs. It’s what I want for my pets when I’m on vacation.  Someone that understands them, is compassionate, has a bleeding heart for them, knows when they are sad or happy and gives them what they need.  It is a need, not a want.  To be able to provide this for our clients is who we are.  So, when there is a pet owner that doesn’t understand that, I know they aren’t for us.  And, honestly, we aren’t for them.  Sometimes we know this when we first meet them, sometimes before we even meet them and sometimes YEARS after we have pet sit for them, we realize we are NOT on the same page. 

We cannot look past animal abuse and we won’t.  Read that again. 

So, what do we do once we are told our compassion doesn’t matter and that our “bleeding heart” doesn’t matter? Unfortunately, our animal laws in Kentucky don’t always support our animals in Kentucky.  Read that again.  It’s true.  Obviously, this has a huge effect on us and crushes our pet loving hearts.  My heart knows we did the right thing to try to help this one cat.  No matter the pain that ensued from her “owner”.  The selfish acts of people that could care less about the life of their pets are not our people.  Those that don’t put themselves in their world and realize the selfless thing to do is to let them live happier somewhere safe, are not our people. 

If you’re still here and still reading, I hope you ARE our people.  We take our commitment to care for your pets seriously.  We are not for everyone.  I hope if you are a praying person that you will say a little prayer for this kitty who we have named Susie.  And, I hope that you know now if you didn’t before that we will love your pets in our care like our own.  It is who we are, we are compassionate, we have bleeding hearts and that makes us who we are.