Shanley

Currently studying a short certificate in K9 psychology & behaviour part time online. Recently achieved my certificate in Animal Care (through Career Academy). NZ European, resides in West Auckland, close to a train station. I grew up with cats, looked after my neighbours 2 cats a few times a year and as a teenager solo cared for a stray cat that never left my house- she got skin cancer which was a new experience for me. End of life
care and degrading health is tough when you've bonded so much. I am 188cm tall and currently work part-time as a kitchen hand in a small private school during school terms, I interact with children regularly that are 4 - 13 years old. I serve them a variety of lunch meals and help out with a veriety of tasks. In doing this job I lift heavier items and have gained a fair amount of strength. I'm not super use to large dogs but I want to be. Other than that, I love to learn, and care about nature. Currently don't have a car/drivers license but I can walk pretty easily around most of Auckland and use public transport often. Always working to better myself and am very curious. In my free time I like to use my PC, draw, read books, listening to classic rock/ varied music and watch movies. I would love to care for animals more often. I have always loved animals and have often found them easier to communicate with. My cats always use to find me and comfort me when I was upset as a child. I have always enjoyed seeing farm animals and how large they are. Maybe one day I will work with larger bovine or horses. Can stay overnight and can look after all day (other than my part time weekday work hours), I can even stay with the dog there all day if you'd like. Am willing to feed, brush, walk, cuddle, care for animal, etc.

I have had to administer oral medication to my cat when she was elderly but I have no experience administering to dogs, however I have seen others do it and understand the general idea. I have a fenced in backyard with two patches of grass and a deck but I have no vehicle to deliver the dog back so I feel it is best to only offer house sitting where I will travel to your house. Perhaps in the future I could offer my house as a place to stay but I don't have crates and my room is a mess due to recent wall renovation and me moving rooms. Also, my parents own the house and I share the house with them & my two siblings (we are all adults & none of us have pets anymore). My neighbour has chickens which visit regularly + two cats & another has dogs - we live down a long-ish driveway and we don't live on a main road. 

 I can stay as long as needed anytime in school holidays - during the day too (hours, days, etc. - if it's far away from West Auckland, I would prefer to stay instead of making individual trips back and fourth). Other times during the year I generally work 5 hours every weekday.

I can walk your dog and can stay with multiple pets as long as it's cats and one dog or maybe 2 dogs. I can walk as long as required, I want to keep my fitness up over the holiday break anyway. I love spending time with animals, so I won't leave your pet alone for more than an hour. I can supervise your pet 24/7 and will return any keys/property and notify you of any changes in your pet. I don't own any pet supplies anymore as I got rid of the items I had for my elderly cat as by that point, they were well used. I enjoy going to sleep earlier and waking up earlier, I am not active at night. I take adhd medication and have a routine for the two times during the day I take them. I have to have them with food and lots of water so I am use to the medication routines. I am not a professional groomer but I know how to groom pets. I'm also studying animal care online so anything I didn't previously understand, I am now learning. I can water your plants, get in the mail and/or do basic cleaning while I'm there. I don't like to leave messes at places where I stay as a guest. 

I have done house visits before for my neighbour who owned two lovely cats. Daily tasks while they were away included: getting in mail, feeding cats twice daily, changing water once daily, petting cats, cleaning food bowls, locking up afterwards etc. I will always make sure your house is secure and locked before I leave as I have been robbed before and never want that to happen to anyone. I like to make sure to leave windows and doors closed after my visit. I have autism, so often enough I double or triple check the house to make sure everything is where I found it. If there are rooms you don't want me in or want me to leave closed or things you don't want me to touch, just let me know and I'll make note of it (I like to make notes and it helps me remember specifics for individual catering).

Also, I can bring my own sleeping bag or sleep on your couch/a provided bed, no biggie - I'm not too picky about sleeping arrangements, anything you choose. I am use to random noises and am familiar with the sound of smashing glass & ceramics as it happens at my job often. I handle dishes like plates and cutlery often. I also do tasks like washing dishes, putting away heavy stacks of plates, pushing heavy trolleys, lifting 10kg bags of flour, and lifting bench chairs & tables. I can also reach high places with my lanky arms and height. I communicate with children often and have faced many social communication challenges. If needed, I have consulted with their teachers and other staff for help with an issue and I have always tried to notify appropriate people when a child has been/may have been injured. I am excited to spend time with and care for your pet. I can bring my own meals and will keep them away from pets - stored securely in a container or bag. Please let me know how talented your pets are at breaking into bags for food :) I can sleep with your pets or away from them as required or even cage them overnight - depends on owners preference. 

Let me know what you would like during my stay/visits and I will gladly try my best to stick to your needs and preferences. I absolutely love animals and also would love more experience around dogs. I may jump a little when I'm not use to something but I am not scared of a little bit of teeth. I'm kidding though, I would never encourage biting. So far, I have no experience administering injection medication. I can play with your animal as much or as little as you'd like :) I am willing to be flexible.

I can look after a range of pets:

• Dogs (any age, any size - although I have less experience with larger dogs but am eager to get more)

• Cats (all ages - elderly, young, end of life care is a possibility)

• Rabbits/bunnies - My family had a pet rabbit growing up before he passed away. We let him out to run around our backyard sometimes during the day as it is closed/fenced in. He never escaped (never tried to dig his way out etc.), enjoyed occassional cuddles & he passed away naturally.

• Fish - I've looked after small fish once before, simply dropping food into their tank and it has been covered in my current studies & I'm willing to give it a go more often.

I am a non-smoker & a non-vaper.

Hobbies (More Detail): 

Art (pen/pencil + digital drawing, digital art, painting), using my PC, video games (ex. Halo: CE, Zelda: Breath of the wild, Tetris), jigsaw puzzles, reading books (mostly sci-fi, for example: The Inheritance Cycle & non-fiction that is educational, art, or puzzles- such as The Art of Pixar, The Museum of Curiosity, crossword books), movies & TV (ex. Stargate SG1, The Best of the Zoo (Auckland zoo), Secret Life of Pets, Johnny English, Star Trek: Next Gen, Nemesis, The Voyage Home), listening to a range of music with quite a bit of classic rock (ex. Foreigner, Tchaikovsky, The Longest John's, Bryan Adams, The Tragically Hip, Stan Rogers). I dislike loud music events and parties mostly so you don't have to worry about me disturbing your neighbours with undying noise or having parties at your house.

Also, I won't ever invite anyone over - it will always just be me. For longer stays, I bring my laptop with me. I have been in a long-distance relationship for about 10 years. He has visited me before in person and is a Canadian citizen. I keep fairly quiet during my stays/visits. I have been working on my health a lot lately and have already gone from weighing 110kg to 84kg throughout the course of the year (early 2023 - 2024) (side note - working in a kitchen doesn't help the waist line, although I'm not strictly on any kind of diet). I originally was raised in Avondale during the late 90s/early 2000s, then another Waitakere suburb. 

I am completely free for uninterrupted, constant 24/7 care in the school holidays :)

Other than Pawshake messages, I am available via text (NZ number), WhatsApp or email if required- all accessible on my phone or computer.