Tailblazers.ca : Toronto Dog Walkers and Pet Sitters News

An animal lover since birth, and a pet owner since the age of four, in 2002 I decided to leave the corporate world to pursue my passion: working with animals. My dog, Blazer, pointed me in the right direction.

Your pets are my business, and I take this responsibility very seriously. Although my best credentials are my patience and sense of humour, my business is also fully insured and licensed, and I hold a certificate in Pet First Aid (obtained in 2002 and refreshed in 2004 and 2005), and in 2004 completed the instructor’s course. I am a member of the All Canadian Pet Services Network (www.acpsn.com ), and Pet Sitters International (www.psi.com); non-profit associations dedicated to setting standards of professionalism in the pet care industry. Through an apprenticeship program, I have also helped to train many pet-care hopefuls to run successful, safe and professional dog walking/petsitting businesses.

My own canine companion (Blazer, a Collie-Husky mix originally from the Toronto Humane Society) has taught me beginner-level Agility (www.k9klubhouse.ca), and hopes to one day master the intermediate and advanced levels. An experienced dog walker, Blazer likes to help me reinforce basic obedience with all of our canine clients, returning tired, happy and well-behaved pups.

I have been a vegetarian for many years and am very interested in animal rights and environmentalism. In 2008 I hope to launch a new fundraising project to raise money for organizations that rescue and rehabilitate abused or abandoned aninamls.

I attended the University of King's College and the University of Toronto, where I still take night classes part-time. Blazer tells me that he did not complete formal schooling of any sort.

Read more about Yvette in excerpts from The National Post ("The Tao of Dog Walking") and The Liberty Gleaner ("Stress-Free Condominium Living").

In the summer of 2007 I was pleased to welcome my good friend Cheridan to our 'muttley crew! I have known Cheridan for 10 years, and personally groomed her (pun intended) for this position for many months.

Cheridan has been an animal nut since she was just a wee rascal growing up in Cape town, South Africa, rescuing and adopting animals of all types. Most of us have a story or two about finding stray cats or dogs, but Cheridan's menagerie was much more colourful, including not just furry creatures, but lizards and tortoises, too!

Cheridan is currently completing her B.A. in Christianity and Culture at the University of Toronto, in addition to working for Tail Blazers part time as a pet sitter and dog walker.

I hope you can meet her soon!

In 2008 we added another animal lover to our close-knit gang; Ashley's a good friend, and a great cat sitter! A George Brown College graduate, Ashley has a flair for design, and also pursues acting and modeling to round things out!

Another passionate vegetarian, Ashley's sense of humour is almost as goofy as mine, and is part of what makes her so good with animals....I'm not sure who will love her more - you, or your cat!