Rwan Hardesty, Learned Paws Pet Services
January 13, 2010 by Paris Permenter and John Bigley
Filed under News
Rwan Hardesty, Learned Paws Pet Services
Many pet professionals are introduced to their career by their love of their own pets. This was the case for Rwan Hardesty, founder of Learned Paws Pet Services. The Dallas-based company provides a full range of services from a dedicated pet parent. DogTipper.com caught up with Rwan to discuss her business, Learned Paws Pet Services:
Can you tell us about your background and how you first came to work with dogs?
Growing up, I had a great fondness for animals. I always knew I wanted to work with them in some way. When I was old enough, I began volunteering for a veterinary clinic to learn the ins and outs of how to care for animals. My path did not take me down the veterinary route. However, I did find myself adopting a couple cats from a shelter.Later, when I was in college, I volunteered at an animal shelter while working my way through school, mainly working with the cats they had, ensuring they were taken care of and stayed healthy.
Upon moving to Dallas, Texas, my husband and I adopted our wonderful Learned Paw (the black dog in the picture) from the SPCA. He came home to us sick with pneumonia and we nursed him back to health. Shortly afterwards, we found out his hips weren’t in the best shape and he underwent hip surgery. Since my husband was working, I stayed home with Learned to ensure he healed and became healthy and strong.
A little less than a year later, we adopted Enzo (the white and tan dog in the picture) from a local pound. He too was sick and we nursed him back to health. Now we have Learned and Enzo, our fun loving dogs and my twelve-year-old cat living comfortable lives with us. Because of all these health problems with the dogs and our eventual want for a vacation, I realized that there are many people out there that don’t have the luxury of staying home with their pets after surgery or don’t want to kennel their dogs for their trips and vacations. This realization was the inspiration for starting a pet sitting and dog walking service of my own.
What can you tell us about your business and the services you offer?
My pet sitting and dog walking service is based on the idea that there are many animal lovers out there that need some help caring for their pets. Many people work long hours and are unable to get home to let their dogs out and many do not want to kennel their dogs during a vacation or trip. Therefore, we offer a pet sitting service for those who would prefer that their animals stay at home while they’re gone.
The dog walking service is geared to those with puppies or dogs that are high energy and need to be let out during the day or just need some love and attention while their parents are at work.
We also offer a key lock out service for those that have their keys on file with us, a special needs package for cats or sick pets, an errand service for clients who cannot make it to the store to buy pet supplies, a pet taxi service to take client pets to the vet or groomer, and a house check service for those who do not have pets, but want their house to look lived in while they’re on vacation.
We also offer additional services, such as cleaning out a cat litter box, medicating animals, and poop cleanup for the backyard. We are there to make the lives of pet owners and their pets easier and happier.
When you take on new clients, you do an initial consultation. What information is especially useful for pet parents to communicate to a new dog walker or dog sitter?
It’s very important for clients to let the dog walker or sitter know about the pet’s behavior when on walks, around other dogs, or around other pets. To ensure the safety of their pets and the dog walker or sitter, we need to know about any triggers that could be potentially dangerous.
Also, any commands the dog knows are very helpful in order to ensure continuity between the owner and the sitter or walker. If an animal has any special needs, such as the need for a slower walk, a softer brush, or a medication, those are also very important for us to know to make sure your pet has an enjoyable time.
When pet parents are talking to a potential dog walker, what questions should they be asking of the dog walker?
Pet parents should look to see how the dog walker interacts with their dog. Sometimes the fit isn’t good and someone else will need to walk the dog. They should make sure the dog walker is bonded and insured and knows how do some pet first aid. A pet parent and the dog should be comfortable with their dog walker and the corrective techniques used during a walk. Also, the route the dog walker will take while walking your dog is important, and whether they will only take your dog(s) out or if it’s a group walk with other dogs.
What else would you like the readers of DogTipper.com to know about your work?
Readers should know that I am dedicated to this work. It’s a fun and fulfilling career. My goal is to ensure that your pets are treated as well as mine are and to make sure the pet parent know their pets are loved and cared for when they can’t be there.
For More Information:
- Website: http://learnedpawspetservices.com
- Phone: 972-251-0660
- Email: info@learnedpawspetservices.com
- Facebook page: Learned Paws Pet Services
Photos courtesy Learned Paws Pet Services
About Paris Permenter and John Bigley
DogTipper publishers Paris Permenter and John Bigley are a husband-wife team of full-time writers. The couple has authored over two dozen books and 2,500+ magazine articles.
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