In a small condominium, with 3 people and 3 rooms, adding a dog seems like a tight fit. And part of the freedom of city condo living is being able to head out at a moment’s notice. But if one of the current residents LOVES dogs and has spare time, what to do? Why, work for a dog daycare place, of course!
My mom’s friend mentioned that she helped out at a local place, MetroDog, but was feeling crunched for time. What a perfect opportunity for me! I followed up, interviewed, and am now a fully-trained staff member. This way, I get to hang around dogs all day without the responsibility of actually owning one.
At first, I was helping out on the main floor of the daycare (pictured above), petting and playing with dogs when I wasn’t busy cleaning up messes, giving dogs a bath, or feeding them at mealtime. After becoming fully trained, I started dog walking during my shifts — a service they offer for families who can’t or don’t want to take their dogs to the daycare, but still want their pup to get some exercise while they’re out for the day. As such, I get to spend quality time with one dog at a time, and explore some surrounding neighborhoods of Seattle, all while getting paid a little bit more because of the added responsibility of walking solo.
The people who work there are friendly, and the boss is very nice and accommodating (it’s a small family business run by two dog lovers), so it’s the perfect arrangement to make a little money and hang out with lots of dogs before running off to graduate school.