Carrie Ann & her horse dressed up for the ho-ho-holidays! 🎅🏻
Does February of 2020 feel like it was ten million years ago to you? Because it definitely does for us! That’s why we decided that plenty of time has passed for us to honor Carrie Ann again as our Walker of the Month for December 2020! She absolutely deserves it, considering she is one of our walkers who has helped us so much over the last few months to help sustain through the crazy circumstances of this year! So come, read on, and find out why we love her and learn a bit more about the way she loves your dogs!
Carrie Ann grew up in Madison Heights, MI, right here in our service area – so her backyard is your backyard! She was homeschooled through high school and says that it allowed her “to develop my horse skills and I eventually went to college at Meredith Manor International Equestrian Studies [in West Virginia], taking classes in horse training and lesson instructing!” That’s right, folx…her first love is horses! 🐴 But don’t worry, she grew up with a German Shepard and currently has an adorable squishy-faced Boston Terrier named Louis at home that she loves to bits.
Louis, Carrie Ann’s adorable Boston Terrier (and binge buddy) 🥰🐕
When I asked Carrie Ann to tell me about her horses, it didn’t take much prodding (get it? okay, bad joke 😬🤦🏻♀️) for her to open up and talk about her love for them. She has been in the equestrian industry since she was ten years old and followed a natural career path to taking care of animals! Her second job outside of dog walking is horse back riding instructor, trainer and professional rider – so this is far more than a hobby, it’s in her blood! “I’ve had horses since I was twenty and since then have had the wonderful pleasure of having four beautiful horses; Nikki, Homer, Griffin and Bella – (who we affectionately call Mom).” In her personal time, she is usually found at the barn with her own beloved horse that she takes care of, as well as helping tend to other horses and assisting with training.
Carrie Ann’s horse gets in the holiday spirit! 🐴❄
But let’s get back to the dogs, shall we?! 🐶 I asked Carrie Ann the obvious question – what’s your favorite part about being a dog walker? And her answer was totally on point. She said, “My favorite part about being dog walker is getting to spend time with all the dogs, and to experience their different personalities and traits that they all have. All of them are so unique and so special and fun! They all have their things they love, or special things you might say to them, some of the dogs loved to be sung to, some love their scratches and others love their baby talk! They’re always so special and its so much fun to get to meet new dogs and learn about them as well! Same for horses, no two are exactly the same!” Carrie Ann admits that she is sometimes guilty of running a little behind schedule on her walks because she can’t help but give a few extra seconds for pup smooches.
Carrie Ann gets smooches from LDC’s Charley-girl 😘🐶
Outside of her love for animals, Carrie Ann has a group of friends that she loves to spend time with and prides herself on always having some kind of project in the works! From painting inspirational rocks 🎨 to learning piano 🎹 during quarantine, she has also has a penchant for movie nights 🎥 (Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and old Disney classics are her fave!) and cites writing fiction ✍🏽 as one of her favorite hobbies. When asked about her plans for the future, Carrie Ann said, “I’m looking forward to doing a little traveling! To go out to the island of Chincoteague, which is off the coast of Virginia for their annual Pony Round Up and swim across the channel! I take trips up to my grandmother’s house north of Traverse City at least once a month as well!” Okay then, globe trotter! 🙌🏽🌎
Carrie Ann looking like an equestrian dream, basically. 🐎
Carrie Ann is a creative soul who loves animals and is always on the move – so, in short, she’s our type of people! We are so happy to have her in the Club and so grateful for her dedication and care for our animals and our business, especially during the pandemic. If you are lucky enough to have her walking your pups, keep an eye on our social media pages because she is great at getting them to ham it up for the camera and highlighting what makes each of them special!