News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Jennifer Wilhite and a pair of clients. Photo by Elise Gourguechon
Jennifer Wilhite makes no bones about it: Her business is Going to the Dogs.
"I do pet sitting and dog walking," Wilhite said. "I play with dogs; that's what I do. I'm paid to fall in love, essentially."
The young woman recently moved to Sisters from Santa Cruz, California. She wanted to be her own boss and to do work she really enjoyed, so she decided a business that taps her love for animals was the right way to go.
Wilhite grew up with an Airdale Terrier that she adored and the memory of that relationship suffuses everything Wilhite does.
For her, taking care of other people's beloved pets means more than just feeding them and seeing that the animals are okay.
She walks the dogs, plays with them, carries on conversations and offers them companionship -- a vital thing in the canine world.
Wilhite offers a range of services and flexible times. However, she has discovered that most pet owners want her to stay overnight with their animals when they are out of town.
"Most people want overnights," she said. "People who really care about their dogs want them to have company."
Wilhite is fully insured and takes the business seriously, rather than treating it as a casual endeavor. But her most salient qualification is her affinity for dogs.
"I know how to take really good care of a dog," she said. "It comes very naturally."
The rewards are more than the living she makes.
"Seeing a dog smile is one of the best things in the world," Wilhite said.
For more information on Going to the Dogs, visit www.goingtothedogs.bz or call 788-2070.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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