About Katie
Hi, I'm Kate. I'm 36 and I live in a lovely hamlet in the countryside near Tiverton. I grew up on a farm and have always had a lot of animals in my life. My partner and I have 3 beautiful rescue dogs and 3 cats and I can’t imagine a world without them. We live in a spacious detached house in the countryside with a large fenced garden and a 4 acre secure field. We also have beautiful footpaths for walks right outside our door which are beautiful and full of smells for dogs to enjoy! I’ve recently started a dog behaviour degree following my fostering and rescue work and hope this is something that will help me to support other dogs in future. For work, I’m a nurse and I also run a natural dog treat business on the side called Bark & Bramble. It’s fair to say every day revolves around dogs in a variety of ways!
I work 3 shifts per week but my partner works from home so the animals are never alone. We are able to walk in the mornings or go to the field, have a shorter lunchtime walk and a longer one again in the evening. We also enjoy playing enrichment games and using our dogs sense of smell to help them learn and relax, but we equally love curling up on the sofa in front of the fire, especially with it being so cold lately! We’re super flexible though, and we will happily accommodate your pets’ needs and routine. Our pups are pretty laid back and happy to go along with what we’re doing on the day.
We have a securely fenced garden and dogs will always be supervised. Our dogs are friendly and love playing with others. We have experience of reactive and anxious dogs through both fostering and personal experience (ours were badly treated and anxious of people) so we are patient and can adapt to their needs. There is always a quiet room and a covered crate for anyone that needs it.
Aside from the dogs, we have 3 cats, 2 rabbits and an axolotl. The cats are good with dogs and they’re used to having the odd foster cat join us. They have their own place to go to when they want space, and any cat staying with us would have their own room to go to with a cat tower, tray and food. I’ve had a lot of experience with smaller pets including rabbits, hamsters, mice, rats, birds, and chickens. So whatever your pet’s needs are, I’ll do my best to make them feel more happy and secure if you’re busy or on holiday.
If I go to your home to help out, I will treat your animals and home as respectfully as my own. I find it hard to trust others with my dogs so I’m always conscious of personalising care and doing the very best I can to support you and your pets. I’m always happy to stay in touch with texts, calls and photos. Whatever you need to put your mind at ease. If you need any help with watering plants, post, or anything similar, I'm happy to do this on home visits too. Kate x