Well, last week I introduced Mandi Mulready, our new pet sitter, and two days later, she told us she had been offered and taken a new job near Saratoga Springs. Good jobs are hard to come by around here, and we understood completely, and are nothing but happy for her. We lost a pet sitter, but gained a friend.

You know my philosopher, everything is a gate or a door, and this also turned out to be a door. We offered the job to Shelby, who works as a vet tech in our town, and who loves dogs and is as conscientious as one cold want. She has been to the farm twice (today with her friend Kirby, who will help taking care of the farm when we are away.)

The dogs were crazy about the two of them, and Shelby took them out in the yard to run, Maria and I left Shelby to feed the dogs, and they didn’t even notice that we were gone. Shelby knows her stuff, she will come to the house several times before we go to New Mexico to make sure that she is completely comfortable. A farm girl, Shelby is also comfortable caring for the sheep and the donkeys, mucking out barns and chicken coops, making sure Fate gets to run and the dogs get some attention.

I am a fan of kennels, but this seems more comfortable for us and the dogs. They get to stay at home, and we get a dog and farm sitter, Shelby will be staying at the house. Kirby can fill in the gaps when she is working long days. Shelby has been here several times, and we feel very fortunate.

When looking for a pet sitter, we look for dog experience (vet techs are great for that), demeanor, attention to details and how the sitter and the dogs interact. I don’t really want to hire people who see the dogs only as fur babies or something to hug day and night. I prefer people who are professional, who love the dogs but don’t love the dogs, if you know what i mean. I want them to ask questions, take notes, and accept the dogs as animals, not needy children. It is, after all, a business.

I also don’t want to hire someone who will further emotionalize our dogs, when we work so hard not to do that. That has happened before.

Shelby has great warmth and love for dogs, but also a professional and businesslike manner. Her family also has five or so rescue dogs.

As you can see, the dogs seem to agree that this is a good hire.

All of our dogs are thoroughly socialized, and used to different people caring for them. it might be hardest on Gus, but as long as he is around Red and Fate, he will be fine.

Having someone like Shelby in our lives is important for us, it frees us to have three wonderful dogs and take small as well as bigger excursions. The upcoming trip to New Mexico is our first real vacation together, and we don’t plan any long trips in the near future. With Shelby, we don’t have to even think about the dogs. What I really care about is that the dogs are alive and well when we return.

Shelby is also coming to help with the Open House on Columbus Day Weekend in October. Maria thinks her belly dancing class may come to perform on that Sunday, that would be awesome.

In the Spring, we’d love to figure out how to take a cross-country jaunt and meet some of the Army Of Good, we have to figure out the costs and logistics of that, we’d like to rent a small camper. I hope we can pull it off, we can blog our away across.

So the search for a house and dog sitter is over. As always, I wanted to share some of the very good people in our lives with you. Now there are two more.