A Story From our Owner, MaryBeth: Her Experience Traveling Internationally while her Dog, Jade, was Going Through a Health Scare

I wanted to share a story with you about my experience traveling internationally, while my team cared for my fur kids.

What happened while I was away made me feel deeply connected to the pet parents that use our service and the impact that the work we do has on their lives.

I went on my first international trip ever at the beginning of May 2023, and as many of you know, I am the pet parent of two fluffy doggos, Jade and Max. Jade has been in my life since I was 20 years old and she's almost 15 now. I don't have kids so she really feels like my child. It’s like she’s an extension of me. She's my shadow. She's been through it all with me. She and I were a package deal when I met my husband:-) So as you can imagine, she means a lot to me.

Isla Mujeres, Mexico

We also have Max, of course, and he means a lot to us as well. He's only been in our life for a few years now and he's definitely our special boy. But, this story is about Jade, and she is my soul dog.

I had this trip planned to Isla Mujeres, Mexico for a retreat. It’s been on my calendar and arrangements were booked late last summer. I got on the flight to Cancun, dogs were are all set with my husband, Andy, and he planned to meet me there in a few days after my retreat. We had two pet sitters on our team lined up to do overnights and midday services for our fur kids while we were away.

The second day of the retreat, I get a text from Andy saying that he had to rush Jade to the cardiologist at Upstate Veterinary Specialists in Greenville that day. It was really hard to hear this news while I was so far away. I could never imagine being away from her when she's going through something so difficult, but there I was. Thankfully I knew she was in really good hands with him and my team.

​We wanted to make sure that Jade was stable and would continue to be, before he joined me in Mexico. I say that because I would want us to be there with her on her last days, if that was going to be the case. I also didn’t want to put that stress and responsibility on our team. Although I know they would be there for us and her however we needed them to be, and I believe if it’s at all possible, it’s our place to be there for her during that time.

Jade

​Jade ended up being diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension, and was put on a couple of medications to keep her heart functioning normally and her blood pressure at a normal rate. She spent the night in Greenville, they got her stable on the new meds, she started making a lot of really great progress which was the best news.

​Andy brought her home, got her settled, it was clear that she was making good progress, and she needed rest to get back to her usual self.

​While all this was happening, I was in Mexico trying to relax and soak in the retreat that I had been been planning for months. Knowing that she was going through a lot at home was heart wrenching, and honestly made me feel like I didn’t want to be there. I wanted to be with Jade.

Having our team of pet sitters care for Jade during that time was incredibly reassuring. It gave me more and more peace of mind every time I received an update and photos from our sitters. All the photos helped me see how well she was progressing. You know your dog best, so when you see the certain light in their eyes you know they’re feeling good. They were diligent about making sure she was staying calm and resting, and getting all the meds and meals at appropriate times, and they kept me in the loop on her progress. They were there to answer my questions or concerns about her, which made me feel confident they were truly dedicated to helping her recover.

Max and his friend Süss

​While all this was happening, our team had coordinated dog walks and dinner/medicine pet sitting visits for our dog Max to be sure he was staying comfy at home. It was so nice to see the updates from his walks and visits. Since I’m usually the one to be taking care of everything with our doggos, knowing that everything was being taken care of made me feel much better.

​One of my key roles is hiring and making sure we have solid systems in place to that allow us to be there for pet parents and their pets when they really need us. We only bring on good people that are responsible and can handle emergencies if they happen. They're going to be there for the pets no matter what the situation is. We have thoughtful systems and backup plans in place and we have people that really care a lot about the pets in our care.

I wanted to share my experience because it made me feel more connected, more than ever before, to how much trust our clients put in us, and the impact we have on them and their pets' lives.

MaryBeth and her husband, Andrew

​So I want to thank all the pet parents who are and have been part of our pack. Thank you for being on this journey with us, for trusting us with your pets, for letting us be part of your lives, and letting us support you to live the life that you dream of.

​I hope you are planning your dream trips and knocking things off your bucket list. You deserve to live the life that you want and that you deserve, while never compromising your pets' care and well-being. You and your pets can have it all and we want to help you make that happen.