Pawsitively Purrfect Pet Sitting of the Black Hills

08/27/2026

🐾𝗟𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗜𝗻-𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗣𝗲𝘁 𝗦𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 | 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲–𝗝𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟳🐾

I’m opening 𝗮 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝗻-𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝘁 𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝘁𝘀 between September 2026 and the end of January 2027. Reservations will be available on a 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁-𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲, 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁-𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗶𝘀.

Because your pet will be staying in my home alongside my resident pets, I want to make sure every stay is comfortable and successful for everyone. A 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 before confirming your reservation. This gives your pet a chance to become familiar with my home, yard, and resident pets—and gives all of us an opportunity to make sure the environment is a good fit.

There is 𝗻𝗼 𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 if you or your pet are not comfortable with the setting. Likewise, I reserve the right to cancel a potential held spot if I determine that my home is not the best fit for your pet.

🐶 Requirements

• All vaccinations must be current, including 𝗕𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗮 (𝗸𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵) Vaccinations must have been completed 𝙖𝙩 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙝 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙥𝙚𝙩’𝙨 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙮.
• Your dog must be social with other dogs and at least tolerant of cats (no chasing or other aggressive behavior permitted).
• Each visiting pet will have their own designated space in my home.
• You are welcome to bring any bedding, toys, food items, or other belongings that will help your pet feel more comfortable.

🌳 Exercise & Play

For liability reasons, I will 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗸𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝘆 𝗳𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗮𝗿𝗱. However, there will be plenty of opportunities for exercise, play, enrichment, and outdoor time within the safety of my fenced property.

To keep the environment calm and manageable, I will accept no more than two pet clients at a time.

My goal is to provide a safe, comfortable, home-like experience where your pet can feel relaxed and well cared for while you’re away. ❤️

𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝘁𝘀, 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗼𝗻. Once the available dates are filled, I will not be adding additional clients during this period.

Available dates:
September 1-8
September 14-30

October 1-8
October 13-31

November - All dates currently available

December - All dates currently available

January 1-14 (tentative)
January 25-31

07/21/2026

Today we're taking sweet Veela to CSU for her pre-op appointment. Tomorrow, she will undergo a laparoscopic spay procedure.

If you're not familiar with Veela's story, she has a grade 6 heart murmur caused by severe aortic stenosis. Her case is so complex that the cardiology team at CSU has told us it's the most severe they've ever seen. Because she came to STARS unspayed, her medical team has spent months carefully weighing the safest way to manage her reproductive health.

The original plan was to leave her intact and use a hormonal implant to suppress her heat cycles. Unfortunately, her progesterone levels are too high for that to be a safe option. On top of that, the hormone fluctuations from her very irregular heat cycles are placing significant additional stress on her already fragile heart. To give Veela the best chance at a long, happy life, that stress needs to be reduced.

After extensive collaboration between her cardiology and reproductive specialists, they've determined that a laparoscopic ovariectomy is the safest path forward. Compared to a traditional spay, it's far less invasive, requires less anesthesia, and falls within the level of risk they feel is appropriate for her condition.

This is exactly why donations to STARS Rescue matter.

Animals like Veela need specialized, lifesaving care that would simply be out of reach without the support of our community. Every bid in our online auction and every donation helps us say "yes" to animals with extraordinary medical needs.

Please consider supporting Veela and the many other animals who depend on STARS Rescue by bidding in our online auction or making a donation through the link in the comments.

Thank you for standing with Veela and helping us give her every opportunity for the healthy future she deserves. ❤️🐾

05/29/2026

Summary of Veela's appointment at CSU Cardiology unit (we saw a very young doctor, her name is Dr Coats, and she is absolutely in love with Veela):

Diagnosis is essentially the same. Subaortic stenosis. She also has a small leak near the aortic valve, possibly an aneurysm caused by the incredibly high rate of blood flowing out of her heart. (See the pressures listed at the bottom of the white board - Veela's is the off the chart number.)

We will be starting her on a beta blocker, and possibly having an appointment with the reproductive clinic to see if they can prescribe something to suppress her hormones. The doctor feels that she would tolerate the spay procedure, but the risk of infection leaves it at about a 50-50 choice to proceed. We are going to check with the reproductive clinic to see if they have anything that won't interfere with her heart issues that we can give her as an alternative. All care at this point is palliative. There is no surgery. Life expectancy is approximately 3 years old. She will remain with us as a hospice foster. They recommend a recheck echo anywhere from 6 to 12 months from now. Mostly dependent upon how she's doing.

So, no surgery, which is good, but bad at the same time because there's nothing that we can do to physically correct her issues. Her vet seems very interested in seeking out possible alternative treatments if they appear, and I told her that we would be willing to have Veela participate in any studies she thought might be beneficial.

Veela will continue at this time as a hospice foster in our care. We continue to need support for her and Bear's expenses, so any donations are appreciated. Please remember to put "for Veela and Bear" in your comment section.

Donate to STARS Rescue | Support No-Kill Animal Shelter Rapid City https://share.google/CaB2hyiwkiMITTWlQ

05/25/2026

Cat owners in the Black Hills, please be aware. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18jGRDhf8o/

Veterinarians are warning cat owners about the growing threat of “Bobcat Fever,” a deadly tick-borne disease now being reported in domestic cats as warmer weather arrives. Find out the warning signs, how fast the illness can spread, and the steps vets say could save your pet’s life at the link in the comments.

05/21/2026

We are one week away from leaving for Colorado to transport Veela to CSU and their veterinary cardiac unit. Bear is scheduled for his neuter and soft palate/nares surgery on June 11. Veela's appointment with CSU is May 28th.

We currently have begun the Pampered Chef fundraiser for Veela and Bear's medical expenses. You can visit that event here: https://table.pamperedchef.com/party/3366071qei

Or here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1332243262181380/

You can also still donate directly to Save Them All Rescue Services and Veela and Bear's medical account via the links on their website here (don't forget to comment "for Veela/Bear" to make sure your donation is allocated to them): https://share.google/L3oZyY5mzaR1AlN2c

Rick Hamil and I are personally covering the expenses to transport Veela to Colorado. We need support for Veela's medical expenses to give her the best possible chance at a healthy life. If you can't place an order or donate (we understand how tight money can be, believe me), could you please share?

Thank you so much for cheering them on, helping with Veela's wishlist, supporting and sharing our fundraising efforts, and giving these pups the care that they so very much deserve! 💗

05/09/2026

Hey everyone! I recently taken on a new challenge of fostering a couple of young pugs for Save Them All Rescue. Unfortunately, this has turned from a simple foster and adoption situation to one that is much more complicated and urgent. These two have some pretty serious medical needs that I am trying to help meet. Please feel free to read the following post and share it with anyone you know who might help.
-----
We went for a visit to the Animal Care Clinic of Spearfish on Thursday with Veela. The doctor performed her ultrasound echocardiogram, and unfortunately, the results were not encouraging. Veela's heart murmur is caused by aortic stenosis. This basically means that her aorta is very restricted, and the blood struggles to flow through it, making her heart push harder to compensate. Unfortunately, over time, this has caused a thickening of the heart wall because the muscle is working so hard to push the blood through. Because of the constriction, the blood flows through at an alarming rate. Picture a garden hose with the water running unrestricted, this is normal blood flow. Now put your thumb over the end of the hose. The water moves farther, harder, and at a faster rate. This is what is happening in Veela's heart.

Her prognosis is not good. He still feels that taking her to the cardiac unit at Colorado State University of veterinary hospital would give her the best chance at survival. So we have an appointment to take her on May 28th at 11:30 am. They will perform additional imaging and evaluate her condition to create a treatment plan for her.

This little girl needs a miracle. And we need funds to make the miracle happen. We will be holding several fundraisers over the next few weeks to help put funds aside for Veela's treatment. We also still need to get Bear through his urinary tract infection, and provide his neuter surgery.

If you can at all donate even $5, every little bit helps. These sweet pups deserve the best we can give them. You can find a link to donate directly to STARS on behalf of Veela and Bear below. Please feel free to share this post. We need everyone's help to make this happen.

Donate to STARS Rescue | Support No-Kill Animal Shelter Rapid City https://share.google/eqWLz8SJhIC5fgar6

04/19/2026

I never know what unusual requests my pet sitting clients will make. In this particular case, I am taking care of two Chihuahuas, a cat, a box turtle, some fish, 14 chickens, a turkey, and a mama Robin. Said Robin gets a handful of blueberries and two full bird baths each day. 🥰

03/26/2026

Hey all! Loki and Thor wanted me to post a quick update as we head into the busier spring and summer months to tell you that I am once again accepting a limited number of new clients. Please feel free to reach out to me to discuss your plans for travel during the warmer months! I will be posting an availability calendar soon! If you have plans to travel, please contact me sooner rather than later.