I invited my friend and fellow Karate Mom to share some of what she does and why, as well as some of her favorite memories and advice on the loss of a pet. She comes with a lot of experience in the vet tech realm, so moving to a pet sitting career was an easy move. You can see her love for animals in the photos and videos she posts while taking care of her client’s fur babies. Here is her story!
Who is Bridget?
Meet Bridget! She is a loving wife, mom of an adorable son, and also the proud owner of 4 Paws Sitting in Phoenix, AZ. Her pet sitting business is booming, so it looks like she won’t get vacation days any time soon! Fortunately, she was gracious enough to take time and tell us about herself.
I have always loved animals, and grew up with guinea pigs and cats. I became a vet tech because I’ve always loved every type of pet.. minus snakes. 
lol! I worked at a prestigious animal hospital in Scottsdale, AZ for almost 9 years, and pet sat on the side while working at the animal hospital. After moving to Tukee (Ahwatukee) and taking time off to be a mom, neighbors started asking me to pet sit. It grew from there and I started 4pawsitting.com. LLC.
What Was Your Favorite Pet Memory as a Child?
We raised guinea pigs when I was a child and love to see them give birth. My parents traveled a lot so we had guinea pigs for pets. They were easy to take care of. We had several home environments for them all.
I was eight years old when the first litter was born. We just watched the birth, and when mom was done cleaning them up we would hold them. So cool to see, and the babies were sooooo cute!
What Was Your Favorite Recent Memory?
I have 2 dogs, one 7 year old chihuahua who is a rescue, and a 2-year old American Eskimo. He pretty much trained himself to stay by us. He’s a very smart pup. We went camping by a lake this past weekend, and my dog Sky loves to jump in the lake and catch sticks. He also always stays right by us…never wanders, comes when he is called. Such a good kid.
Do You Believe in the Rainbow Bridge? Why?
I like the message the rainbow bridge gives. It’s comforting in time of a lossed family fur baby.
What Helps You When You Lose a Loved Pet?
My other fur family. We always seem to get another pet after a while.
Any Advice For Those Who are Going Through the Loss of a Pet, Now?
Just remember the good times and not dwell on the loss.
Kelly’s Conclusion
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Bridget! I honestly can not imagine having guinea pigs in the household with my dogs and cat (although, we almost took in some fancy rats and a tortoise!). As an eight-year old, it must have been an amazing opportunity to be present for the birth of the babies. Not only does it teach you how your pet takes care of its young, it also teaches some life lessons and reality.
Even though I have not been camping in a long while, I would love to have my dogs stay by my side and not wander… Unfortunately, Malamutes are stubborn and independent, and can’t necessarily be trusted off leash. They would probably take off and run with the coyotes, wolves, and whatever else is in the area!
I agree with you regarding the Rainbow Bridge’s message too. It does bring such a comfort to those who have lost a loved pet. It is a beautiful visualization of where our pets go when they die, and also gives us hope that they are all waiting patiently (with tails wagging…or for our kitties…showing indifference) for us to meet them again. The overall message helps us get past the hurt and move forward.
Another poignant statement was to “remember the good times and not dwell on the loss”. This can be so difficult, especially in a sudden loss or if a pet has been there through some tough times. We have an entire lifetime to dwell on, but the frustrating thing is our human brains tend to think more about the last moments of our pet’s lives. We need to reprogram our brains to remember all the good times, the silly moments, and the comfort we received from our pets.
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I hope you have enjoyed this mini-series of pet memories from some of my favorite people. Let me know if you would like to see more of these types of posts, and we can make it a regular occurrence!
We are now going to move on into some un-chartered territory… I found some really neat pet memorial gifts that I will review, but I also want to talk about the grieving process, and how soon is too soon to adopt a new pet. We will also be talking about how to keep your pets healthy to extend their lifespan and really keep their spirit alive.
Let me know if you have any questions, and if there is anything you would love to discuss. I would also love to start a page dedicated to the memory of YOUR loved pet. Write a story, and I will look to post it on the blog.
Peace and silliness!
