text: All About Us – Tampa Pet Sitters
  When you join Tampa Pet Sitters, you join us as Family.
  How Tampa Pet Sitters came to be.
  Growing up on my Grandma's farm in the country, a love for animals was instilled in me at a very young age. I always knew, in some capacity, that I wanted to work with them . As a kid, I had a habit of bringing home strays and pestering my Mom to let me keep them so I could fix them. Some we kept and cared for. Like my first dog, Dingo – a scruffy abandoned puppy I saw on the roadside one day. Or the plethora of neighborhood cats that would follow me home (because I fed them, obviously). And some, we weren't able to keep. Like, the poor new puppy from some neighbors down the street. They let him out to potty in their front yard and then stepped away just long enough for a 10 year old Shauna to walk by, assume he was also abandoned and scoop him up. I got in a lot of trouble for that one.
  Looking back on my life, caring for animals was really the only thing that truly made me happy. But, as life goes, my start to adulthood took me in a different direction. My Father & Grandmother passed, and the farm was sold. I found myself in a bigger city attending College, and obtaining a degree in Web & Graphic Design. I met the love of my life and fellow animal lover, Javier. We got married, started a Business within the Tech Industry and life was good. Only, one thing was missing. So, continuing my childhood tradition of bringing home animals in need, we "temporarily" fostered a 5yr. old Australian Shepherd Mix, Marli. As fate would have it, she ended up a permanent family member. Not long after we "temporarily" took in an Eclectus Parrot, Pepino, who also became permanent.
  A few years went by and I found myself feeling unsure my career path. A friend had a small dog walking company that I was working part-time with to get out from behind a computer screen all day. I felt a happiness in working with animals that I never felt working in the tech industry. When my friend decided to change paths and sell her pet care business, I couldn't let that slip away. My husband and I took a leap of faith and bought Tampa Pet Sitters. We re-vamped a few things, made a shiney new logo, website, marketing materials and hit the ground running. We've now owned Tampa Pet Sitters since 2013 and grown it from a handful of pets cared for by just the two of us, to an amazing team of Pet Care Professionals and clients all over the South Tampa, Downtown, Channelside and Harbour/Davis Islands area.
  Over the years I've expanded my goals and dreams for this business. And we've had a few changes to our own Family. Our girl Marli passed after a long battle with cancer, and we welcomed two other Rescue Pups to our Family, Malcom & Evey. Malcom came to us with some behavioral issues. Fear, anxiety, and reactivity, just to name a few. He inspired me to educate myself more about Dog behavior and become a Dog Trainer. I wanted nothing more than to learn how to understand, communicate, and bond with him. When Evey came along with her own set of fear and anxiety issues, it solidified that I wanted to continue down that path of education.
  Helping these dogs learn to cope with their fears and anxiety about the world around them, gave me a joy I never felt before. It made me realize that not only do I love working with animals, but I have a special place in my heart for the dogs with fear issues. I realized I really love learning and teaching others how to understand their dogs! Over the past couple of years, I've continued to pursue more education, earning a Fear-Free Certification and joining several Animal Welfare & Educational Organizations. I've moved on to helping others – clients, friends, and family – who also have dogs with behavioral issues. Each one just adds to that joy, driving my desire to learn. So much that in 2018 I decided to return to school and take my education as far as I can go. To study Canine Psychology & Behavior and become a Canine Behaviorist.
  TPS Owners
  Manager + Dog Trainer (Shauna)
  Myself & the Love of my life, my Husband, Javier.
  Our Old Gal Marli
  Our first Dog we adopted, together!
  A.K.A. Captain Malcom Reynolds
  Clearly it's hereditary... Animals are in my DNA
  Grandma, Mom, Dad, & Me on our farm!
  Then came this little creature!
  A.K.A. ``Put down the shoe!``
  Our little snuggle bear!
  Each one of our amazing team members have been chosen for their Integrity, Experience and Passion. Yes, they have amazing references and came highly recommended from previous employers and clients. Yes, they passed a thorough background screening and have a clean record. And Yes, they all have experience caring for animals before us.
  That experience ranges from years of work with pet care companies, their own pet care clients, or vet clinics, to rescue organization involvement, years of pet ownership, or studying themselves to become Dog Trainers. Each one comes with a solid knowledge and understanding of an animals behavior and health, their care requirements, and their emotional needs. Their Integrity shows in their quality of care and the way they go above and beyond for each client and animal they work with.
  However, what makes them stand out the most – is their undeniable passion for animals and their welfare. They genuinely truly love caring for animals and share our philosphy and moral code for their well being. You can see it in one conversation with them. When you Book a Meet & Greet, you'll see for yourself.
  The Pet Professional Guild (PPG) is based on a commitment to provide educational resources to pet care providers and the public coupled with an emphasis on building collaboration among force-free pet trainers and professional pet care providers and advocates for mutually agreed guiding principles for the pet care industry. PPG partners, members and affiliates focus on each pet's physical, mental, environmental and nutritional well-being adhering to a holistic approach to the care and training of family pets. Not wanting to be "all things to all people" the PPG is the only professional pet industry member association that advocates for force-free dog training and pet care and requires that its members adhere to its "Guiding Principles" which are made available to the public. PPG is an organization that stands up for what they believe in with ongoing advocacy initiatives, and backs it all up with the latest scientific research and peer-reviewed studies. To be in any way affiliated with PPG, members must adhere to a strict code of Ethics.