Meet Pawty Breakers:

Who are these crazy people that want to come to your home and care for your pet? When we have had people come to our home and watch our critters, I wish I would have known a little more about them. Don't get me wrong, they all did a great job....but who were they?

We are a veteran couple with three teenagers and a daughter in the Navy. We moved to the Ludington, MI area a few years ago after Tony retired from the Air Force. He grew up in northern Minnesota on a pig and cattle farm and is currently a K-9 handler during the sailing season for the SS Badger. Some of the pups that we visit love him so much that I get scolded when he isn't with me for dog walking and drop-in care! He is also attending school to become a counselor, loves to help other veterans (anybody, really...but he does a lot of work with veteran organizations), and when the weather is nice, you'll find him on his motorcycle.

I'm Tanya. I grew up all over the place. The last place I lived before going into the Air Force was Grand Haven, MI, so that is naturally where I say I'm from. I am mom, wife, former behavior interventionist and special education aide. I am an avid animal lover that has always been called an animal whisperer. It doesn't matter if it is dogs, cats that nobody has ever gotten to come out to meet visitors, or even angry cows and pigs, they all end up responding well to me. I have been a pet sitter ever since I was in my early teens. I remember my first "job" was taking care of an iguana, dog, and parrot for my neighbor. I LOVED it! My parents always told me that I could have my own farm when I moved out of the house, but not to bring any more animals home. We had a small hobby farm before Tony retired, and we really do miss that lifestyle. It was so much work, but so incredibly rewarding.

Why did we start Pawty Breakers? When we first moved to the lower 48 after being stationed in Alaska, we were so excited to be able to drive places, and that we did! We traveled about 35,000 miles our first two years out of the military. We were constantly going on trips to see people and places that we hadn't been able to for years. It was amazing...EXCEPT for when we tried to find a boarding kennel or pet sitter. The kennels were always full and booked out for a year when it came to any popular vacation time, and nobody knew of anyone that would take care of dogs and cats at a person's home. We also had fish and a turtle. Nightmare! If they did know somebody, that person had moved on to do other things, was unlocatable, or also booked. We got lucky once. If for some reason we are not available, I will definitely refer you to this person!

We recognized a need in the area for sure. So here we are. This is us! Both Tony and I are so excited to be settled somewhere and have such a beautiful community to raise our kids. We can't wait to meet more of you and hopefully get the chance to help you with all of your in-home pet care needs!