Susanne is our owner/operator, and our first pet care professional. Pause for Pets began for Susanne when she recognized an opportunity to help out busy pet owners while also combining several of her passions: her love for animals, her artistic/photography skills, her caring nature, and her enjoyment of the outdoors and physical activity! So she left behind her 22 year career as an art teacher, and began following her heart and the advice she always gave to her students – do something you love. She has a lifetime of experience being “owned” by a wide variety of pets, and loving care and protection for all the earth’s creatures is a commitment she takes seriously.
Tony is Susanne’s partner in life, business and crime 🙂 He is a full-time English teacher at Barrington High School by day, but by night and on summers and weekends, he becomes Susanne’s favorite pet care professional and is always there to lend a paw for the pets. Tony has been “owned” by dogs and cats most of his life, but he loves all types of animals…..one of the many gifts he got from his mother. He’s particularly good at feeding and caring for our backyard “pets”, and our cats, Loki, Loula and Freya, love watching all the birds, chipmunks and squirrels that frequent our patio and garden.
Ruth grew up with two Weimaraner dogs who could open up cabinets and used shoes as chew toys. She typically spent more time with her dogs than homework, and this began her life long love of animals. She graduated from college with a marketing degree and began a career with United Airlines – where her real education kicked in. She traveled all over the world and retired with a profound appreciation for different cultures and a fascination with world history. During this time Ruth became a cat mom, and now has the joy of being owned by two: Rat Fink (a well-deserved name) whose super power is naughty, and his twin, Froggie. Froggie stays out of trouble, but reliably tattles on his brother. In addition to doting on her own cats, Ruth has enjoyed volunteering at an animal shelter where she worked with both dogs and cats and did everything from walking, feeding, cleaning up after and comforting animals that were struggling with their new circumstances. This reinforced her love for animals and led her to Pause for Pets after retiring.
Amanda is the newest member of the Pause for Pets team. She grew up in a zoo of a household so she has lots of experience with a wide range of animals, from dogs and cats, to rats and lizards! She has two cats at home, Sugar and Spice, and two Mini Aussies, Spencer and Benson. She’s currently going to college at ECC, recently earned her Associate of Arts, and is now pursuing her next degree. In her spare time she enjoys crafting, reading, and games. Her experience with a wide variety of animals makes her great for working with the wildest to the most timid of creatures.
Cody is another newer addition to the Pause for Pets team. He has a gentle demeanor that calms our most anxious dog clients and makes him great with new cats. He’s grown up with pets all his life, and currently he has one cat, Layla, at home. In addition to being an animal lover, Cody is also a very talented artist, skilled in watercolors, ink and body art. When he’s not caring for clients’ pets, he is developing his portfolio to pursue work as a tattoo artist. We are supper excited to have his help!
Leigh is our core pet care professional. She is a college graduate who has been in the animal care profession for over 9 years. Her passion for animals led her to work in several kennels. This experience gave her the opportunity to work with a variety of breeds and temperaments, and allowed her to work with a world-renowned trainer. She has been a pet parent from the age of five, and has had many different kinds of pets in her life. She currently has the pleasure of being a pet mom to Tilly, an Australian Shepard. She has been the love of Leigh’s life since the day she was born, and they have gone through a lot of life changing events together. There is nothing in this world that Leigh wouldn’t do for her, and Leigh gives the same love and devotion to all Pause for Pets’ clients!
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