If Animals Could Talk Too: January 2018

My name is Lisa Overocker and I am the proud owner of Gentle Hands Pet Care. I am going to tell you a little bit about who I am and also a little bit about who I am not. I am a professional pet care provider. I have been doing this for 26 years. I am 38 years old and have a wonderful husband and two children, ages 15 and 19. I have one dog, 2 cats, a bearded dragon, 5 turtles and many fish. I am an outdoor person who loves going for long walks, gardening, kayaking and sometimes just like to sit outside and listen to the animals (birds, squirrels, nearby dogs, etc).

I currently reside in Wichita Kansas. We have been here a little over a year. We moved from Cookeville Tennessee where my business really grew fast. We moved to Wichita to be closer to my sister and her family and also for better employment for my husband. I had a very hard time leaving the many clients I had in Cookeville and even after a year of being gone, still have some of them wishing and asking me if we are ever coming back. Oh how I miss them. I am not just an ordinary pet sitter/dog walker. I am not in this as a quick way to make some easy money. It's not always easy that's for sure. I don't do it just because I think animals are cute and want to make money playing with animals. It's way more than that. I am passionate about animals and work very hard at building great relationships. Yes I do love playing with the animals, but I am also deeply concerned with their well being, health, safety and happiness, along with giving the people peace of mind knowing their animals are well cared for and loved while they are gone.

There is part of my business that I so greatly miss. I had a doggie day care in my home in Cookeville. I had many clients, some full time and some part time... but there were many. I was able to help raise some awesome puppies and helped work on house training, sit, stay, walking on a leash, socialization, etc. It was heartwarming to hear the stories of how the dogs would learn where they were going and the owners would tell me that once they drove near my house, the dogs would get excited. I heard that many times. Some even learned my name and as soon as they would say it, they knew where they were going. I was their second home. I was their safe place when mom and dad weren't home for long periods of time. I was the place they could go to learn things and play with their friends. I was the place they went to where they never had to be afraid. I miss it...

I am just starting to get my business going again here in Wichita. I was never a big city person and this is the biggest place I have ever lived. We just recently moved farther south, away from the center of the city, so it feels more like home to me now. It's much quieter and almost feels like we are in our own little town our here. But we are renting right now and I cannot run my doggie day care out of here. I hope to someday maybe rent a place where I can once again invite people to bring their dogs to me when they need a place to go to play, learn or spend the night. I look through the thousands of pictures I have of the hundreds of dogs I cared for. Bittersweet moments...

For now I will offer my mobile services. The services that allow me to come into your home to care for you pets. The pet sitting, where I come in as many times a day as you need me to to make sure your pets are fed, watered, clean, happy, and healthy. The dog walking, where I come to your home to take your dog for a walk while you are working or just because you can't do it yourself for some reason. The nail trimming, where I come to your home to trim your animal's nails to make sure they are comfortable for them to walk on. The K9 massage, where I come into your home and try to relax your tense dog with some soothing techniques. All of these services I offer to you to help make sure your animals are cared for when you need it.

For your sake and mine, as a professional, I do have individual contracts that I go over with you at our initial consultation. They are simple and easy to understand and I have them just to cover all basis and make sure all the important information I need to know for the well being of your pets is covered. However, I understand that some people do not like contracts. For those of you who do not want a contract involved it is nothing personal, but I cannot serve you and I am truly sorry.

My fees are base fees and may vary depending on the distance I have to travel and how much time I will need to spend. My visits are all based on 30 minutes and a 10 mile radius from my home. There are never any surprise fees as these are all discussed during our consultation. I do require half of the total to be paid at the time of contract signing and the other half after the completion of our service dates. After the balance is paid in full, your keys will be returned to you unless you give me a spare set to hold onto for future dates or in case of emergencies, which many clients do.

I do have a referral program as well. For every person you refer to me that use one of my services, you will receive a free visit, nail trim, or walk.

I also love to get involved in the community I live in. When I lived in Cookeville, I was a member of the Chamber of Commerce, a member of the local BNI, a an adoptor of Cookeville High School. I also set up every Saturday at our local Tractor Supply and set up nail trimming clinics so people could come and get their pets nails trimmed. I donated 10% of my nail trimming clinics to the local animal shelter. I became a big part of that community and I am hoping to do the same here in Wichita.

So that is a little bit about myself and my business to give you an idea of the kind of person I am and the kind of business I run. I really hope to see you all very soon! If you have any questions, feel free to ask me.