A brief Introduction to Wakefield Pets and the Petcare we provide.
So here we are. It's amazing to me I'm here, writing a blog for a website belonging to a company I own and have built over the last 3 years. I was never that kid who thought of the future or had a clear vision of what I wanted to be. The fact I've explored so many industries throughout my work life is testament to this. When I graduated High School, I began studying Culinary Arts, worked in a Buffet Chain for a couple years to support it was good at it too, I became a corporate trainer. Decided that wasn't for me though and worked in a shoe company catalog call center for a couple years. I actually got so good with the customer service part of it, they even created a role specifically for me, Senior Customer Service Advocate or something cheesy like that. Decided that wasn't for me and went to technical school for automotive technology and was a tech for a few years. This is one I miss. I LOVE cars. I do the simple work on my vehicles when I can find time. I love the smell of oil, grease, and rubber. The investment in tools was too much for me, being only about 21 or so at the time so I left that and this is where life took a complete turn. I landed at State Street Bank & Trust doing data entry for securities purchases and sales. We managed mutual funds for Merrill Lynch. I was not the brainy type either so the fact I hopped around within the company was amazing, but I was good at it. I was there for quite some time, something like 5 years, then landed a job in NYC with a small up and coming Out of Home advertising company called Kinetic Worldwide. The finance department was just 2 people, me and another guy, Duncan, who was from Ireland. Two salt and pepper guys running the money! I ended up being with this company for 11 years or so and I learned SO much, and again I was good at it. I ultimately shifted from Finance to IT Support, got outsourced to IBM where I hopped around. I got to work with clients like, PepsiCo and the NY MTA. That was a very cool job but also VERY stressful. This is where many of my current clients may recall, I got laid off in 2020 while I was in between contracts, in part thanks to COVID and got my real estate license up in NJ, where I'm from originally. Just as I was getting ramped up and helping folks into the next phases of their lives, we decided to leave NJ and head to NC. Great timing (sarcastic side eye), at the peak of the real estate market down here in Raleigh the new guy just couldn't get any traction. I'd decided to open a Rover profile, since I'd had dogs for most of my life and had an interest in training and the various breeds, it seemed like a good way to begin networking. Well I suppose the rest is history.
So why do I share this background info?
What we do with Wakefield Pets is a very personal service we provide. My team and I go into homes to care for your pets while you're often not there. That requires a great deal of trust and these days, trust is very hard to come by and it's something I don't take lightly. So I feel like by sharing a bit of who I am will help existing and new clients to get to know me a little bit more, to help grow the trust given to me and my team.
So what about the pet care?
I can remember collecting lightning bugs at night and toads from a nearby creek as a kid. I always had a fascination with animals, caring for them in the best way I can. I recall my first dog, Penny. She was a light colored Lhasa Apso. I must have been in kindergarten or younger. I don't remember when she died I just remember her being there. I had 2 birds back then as well, I Parakeet and Cockateel, Ashpee and Blue Bird. As with Penny, I don't recall when they died, I just remember them being there and feeding them things from my mouth as they perched on my shoulder.
It wasn't until a bit later where more pets came into the house. 3 dogs in fact, Charlie, Lady and Shadow one for each kid in the house to not take care of ! All you parents know what I'm talking about! Later we added a bunny, named Beanie. Against my parents wishes I added a couple cats and at some point I had ferrets as well.
As you can see, there's a bit of a love of animals. As I grew older though, it was dogs who really stole my heart and it was Cesar Milan and his training methods that really got me interested in the world as a hobby. My chocolate lab, Mocha, became my test subject (poor girl) and man I was terrible! She was such a terrible leash walker and I was too amateur to fix it, so like many "regular" owners, I gave up and she was stuck with going out to the back yard rather than getting a proper walk. It wasn't until Mo was later in life and her hips began to give out that I promised myself I would never give up on a pup again. After she died just before Valentine's Day 2022, and our hearts, especially mine, were crushed and there was odd silence in the house from her not being there, my girl Sandy came along. It was with her the work began and my commitment to her and my family to have a well behaved leash walker.
I've had many neighbors comment on how well she walks, and it's this dedication I bring to you. Each and every day I come into your home to walk you fur family with the intent to help to improve your relationship with your dog(s) by teaching them how to walk on a leash. Of course, let's be real and honest here...I can only do so much. Ultimately it IS up to you, the owner, to keep the work up. This is where the Partner in Petcare mantra comes in. I can not be the only one putting in the work, and I do put in the work that is after all why I'm hired. But YOU also need to do the work on a regular basis, otherwise our beloved creatures of habit will NEVER create those positive habits.
We bring the energy as well. I can't tell you how many times We've had a client tell us how amazed they are with how well their dogs take to us, and so quickly. This is the single greatest compliment we can receive! I do the meet and greets and they're kept very mellow, I walk in knowing, that I know what I'm doing.
Pets can sense our energy, I've seen it in action. It can be used to hype up a dog, it can also be used to calm down a dog. Even with cats, think about it, you get jumpy and high pitched voices what happens more times than not, they run. It's our energy that commands respect and leadership in their world.
You're getting a fan of all things living...'cept stink bugs, and those gross white bug things crawling around killing my Crepe Myrtles, I can do without those, oh and snakes. I respect you slither things, but stay away, lol I feel like Indiana Jones. My point being though is, my passion is your pet and my team shares this enthusiasm. You're getting a guy who has done well in work life where Customer Service is concerned, on top of a guy and a team who are caring and enthusiastic about caring for your pets.
What's to come in this blog?
This blog will come to serve as a knowledge base for those who are looking to educate themselves. Topics will range from Leash Manners to feeding habits, preparing for a puppy to preparing your pup for a new baby and all things in between and yonder. Even as I continue to learn and experience things out in the "wild" I will be looking to share this knowledge with all of you! I am hoping to be able to get content out to you 1x per month to start and as things progress perhaps an increase in frequency will be warranted.
In Closing
I've done a lot throughout my life, experienced a great deal and learned some amazing things. I've been good at everything I've committed to and put time into. I think in some ways, I guess I finally figured out what I want to be when I grow up and it all surrounds you, your families, and the four legged lovelies you cherish. I provide pet care because I care about your pets and want them to have an incredible life, with you!
Feel free to leave a comment below, what interested you most about this, do you have a similar back ground story, how long did it take you to figure out what you wanted to be when you grew up?
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