Jaxx, our beloved seven-year-old, 80 pound Doberman Pinscher needed a safe and happy place to board while my wife and I were out of the country for eight days. Since we adopted Jaxx last summer, I had not been apart from him for more than a three-hour period in the past forty-five weeks! Jaxx is perfectly behaved - we just hate being without him. We met Shannon Hellyer-Gibson, the proprietor of... view full comment

Jaxx, our beloved seven-year-old, 80 pound Doberman Pinscher needed a safe and happy place to board while my wife and I were out of the country for eight days. Since we adopted Jaxx last summer, I had not been apart from him for more than a three-hour period in the past forty-five weeks! Jaxx is perfectly behaved - we just hate being without him. We met Shannon Hellyer-Gibson, the proprietor of West Shore Pet Services, when she was walking her and her clients’ dogs around the lake that Jaxx and I visit daily. I was immediately impressed with the calm control that Shannon had over the dogs in her care, particularly in a locale where one meets dozens of dogs and their human companions who may not have the same level of competence as Shannon. It didn’t matter if it was the tiny senior Terrier, or the enormous boisterous and silly Great Dane pup, all the canines under Shannon’s care followed her as the Alpha. While the dogs were clearly safe and in control, they were also playing and having a wonderful time. We knew that if we were to have to leave Jaxx in someone’s care – it would be with Shannon at West Shore Pet Services. In fact we once bumped into Shannon and her pack, and her husband Ryan was pushing a small senior dog in a stroller so that she could keep up with the pack. Good people! The forms that we completed for West Shore Pet Services were a clear indicator that Shannon has already thought of every question or scenario that any client could potentially think of. From the Veterinary care questions, to the feeding procedures and dish location, or the list of Commands a dog may know, simply completing the forms helped my wife and I relax while preparing for our trip. Shannon even wiped our dog’s chin after he ate, as we told her he sometimes gets little pimples if he gets food left on his chin. While Shannon had met our dog around the lake on many occasions, she had us over to see where Jaxx would be staying, and for Jaxx to have a sniff around. It is important to note that the dogs are not pets in a kennel, garage, or enclosure – the dogs are in a safe family home, with constant supervision, attention, and stimulation. Jaxx got to cuddle on the couch and watch a hockey game before bed. At the time of this writing, I believe that West Shore Pet Services will only board two dogs in addition to the resident canines. While we were away, we fought the temptation to check-in with Shannon, as while we missed our Jaxx - we knew that if she had any questions or concerns she would contact us, or either of the two Emergency Contacts we provided. It was wonderful to receive the couple of email messages while we were away, as well as the photos of Jaxx having fun with the other dogs. Shannon took Jaxx and the pack for long adventurous walks around the lakes, ocean, and lagoon, and as the Dog Whisperer Cesar Milan always says: “A tired dog is a happy dog”! West Shore Pet Services use a large vehicle to safely transport the dogs to the best parks and beaches, and when we dropped Jaxx off, Shannon clipped a Guest Tag on his collar with all of her contact information. We highly recommend the professional care offered by West Shore Pet Services, and will certainly use their services in the future. Mitch Rosenberg view short comment