Integrity

I have been thinking a lot about integrity as it applies to my life and to Playful Pets of Park City in the past 24 hours. I was on a dog-sitting job with Samantha (my nine-year-old assistant) and I said something about having integrity in our work. She said 'what is integrity?' Great question! I immediately said 'honesty.' But as I thought about integrity into the evening and again this morning, I have realized that it is so much more than simply being truthful. It involves having a high quality of service.

This week is spring break in Park City. I am very busy because many people are out of town. I have some repeat clients and some new clients and I am nearly too busy. This is great news for our fledgeling business and I am truly happy as I rush from home to home making sure the animals are all cared for and feel loved. What does this have to do with integrity? I have realized that in order to assure a high quality of service I must have my client's best interests in mind at all times. We may rush from here to there, but we must not sacrifice the integrity of Playful Pets of Park City.

Dog Walks in Fresh Snow

For skiers in Park City the powder has been great this week. Yesterday two skiers told me it was the best day of the season. For Playful Pets of Park City, although we embrace mud during the shoulder seasons, we also are enjoying the fresh snow for our hikes and walks. Here is Hannah on the Rail Trail. Her, Sage and Spy dog have a great time on our two hour walks.

Last weekend we had the honor of visiting this little cutie, Rosie, and her sweet buddy, Duke. They love their walks and treats.

This kitty is Merlin. He is a sweet and affectionate little guy. We adore cats also!

2 More Playful Pets Household Residents!

Meet two more Playful Pets of Park City household residents. This beautiful leopard gecko is named Greta. We adopted her from another Park City family. Her home is an aquarium but when we clean it she goes into this basket. She eats about one live cricket per day.

This lovely little calico is Squeakers. She is officially Samantha's cat. We found her at the animal shelter in Wanship. She was the friendliest one there, and she continues to be a very social cat. You might think you are seeing double when you see Squeakers and Simbalina in the same room. Their coloring is exactly the same. However, we can easily tell them apart because Squeakers is larger than Simbalina, who is quite petite. Squeakers lives up to her name by squeaking frequently.

Family Business

Playful Pets of Park City is truly a family business. This is Samantha walking with Spy and Eddie at a local trail. Both Scott, 11, and Samantha, 9, love helping with Playful Pets of Park City, whether it is helping with our animals at home or walking dogs around town. Of course the bigger dogs are walked by Sandra only.

This colorful beauty is Zoola. We met her at our favorite trail in Pinebrook. She and Eddie made friends and romped around a bit. It always feels great to get outside with the dogs and let them meet new friends.

Mud Season is upon Us!

Mud season is upon Park City. The ski season is close to ending so some people call this Shoulder Season, but I like to call it Mud Season for the obvious reason that is speckled all over the dogs and my shoes. Walking the dogs becomes an adventure in mud. Most dogs don't mind being wiped off before entering the car, but Spy Dog complains bitterly. On the bright side, Playful Pets is enjoying the sunshine and warmer weather.

This little cutie is Eddie, the Boston Terrier whom we have the pleasure of dog sitting this week. He is good company for all of here at Playful Pets. He loves to chew balls and chase balls. He has a blast trail-running with Spy. Boston Terriers, known as 'The American Gentlemen' due to their dapper appearance, were originally a cross between an English Bulldog and a white English Terrier. Eddie is very smart and has a sweet disposition.

Two more of our little friends were exercising out of their aquariums this morning. We adopted these terrapin tortoises from another Park City family in 2009. They came with their names, Tweety and Sylvester. Spy dog expresses his curiosity by watching and sniffing. Terrapin tortoises make great pets because they only need lettuce and baths. They do not drink water but absorb it through their shells. Playful Pets of Park City loves all animals, and I often call our home "The Zoo".

One reason I love walking dogs so much is that it forces me to be out in nature more than I otherwise would. I have a deep appreciation for this amazing place where our backyard is our playground. On even the worst weather days I find myself filled with gratitude that we live in this beautiful city.

Park City Pets

Another reason I love Park City is the abundance of dog-friendly people and places. I took this picture of Mochie, a dog we met at one of the dog parks. I fell in love with her one bent ear.

This picture of Spy is on a local hiking trail. He enjoys being free to run where he is not disturbing anyone.

Scott and Shadow have a special bond. Shadow was feeling friendly yesterday and rolled over for a good belly scratch. It is great to see Scott's sweet nurturing side come out with our cats. Scott even knows how to give Shadow, who is a diabetic cat, his insulin shots. Scott and Shadow are both 11 years old.