Pet Sitter in Edgewood, Maryland

Hi! I'm Nina and my favorite animals are Dogs, Cats, Lizards and Turtles but I love all living things. I have been volunteering at Anita C. Leight Estuary center for over 3 years. There, I handle and take care of the animals every other Saturday and do lots of other volunteer work. I am currently in charge of my crew of 'Marsh Muckers' (the AM shift) and love talking to people about the things I do there. There are currently 8 turtles, some fish, crabs and 4 snakes but there have been lizards, toads, mice and an even an owl in the past. I love the work I do there; feeding and holding the animals, educating visitors about the estuary and the creatures I take care of, and even keeping their enclosures clean and decorated. We carefully weigh and measure each animal every time we come in and keep data to ensure they are in proper health. My favorite personalities there are the baby Painted Turtle nicknamed Francis Bean, Mr. Twitchy, the blind but very gentle Black Rat snake, and Speedy the fast and mischievous Eastern Box Turtle who loves to run around and bite peoples shoes. It's quite a surprise to new visitors. As well as Marsh Mucking, I do lots of other volunteer work at the estuary such as face painting, planting flowers, and helping out with the annual Halloween hikes. I am also invited to help out at naturalist programs; holding animals for visitors to see and talking to them about my duties in the animal room. Every couple of months, I will host a 'Critter Dinner' when a naturalist is not available. Children and their parents sit on pillows and bean bag chairs in the exhibit hall to watch us feed and talk about the animals. They ask lots of questions that never fail to make me laugh. "What do toads eat?" "Does your hair grow naturally that color?" "Are snakes slimy???" "Why doesn't the turtle go in its shell??" and my personal favorite: "Are worms tasty???" At home, I have a dog, several cats, tropical fish, and a lizard named Nagini Veeto. When I'm not lost in the woods you can find me painting, singing, drawing on my tablet and playing violin. I love all kinds of music and have been to many concerts. My favorite color is pastel blue, I love looking at the stars and I would love to meet your pets! I have learned that each animal has a unique personality and requires individualized care. I'm a hard worker and will ensure that each animal I meet gets the proper care they deserve.