Hello, my name is Zoë! I'm 22 years old from New York and I came to the Netherlands to study architecture. I know English, Romanian, and can understand some dutch but not speak it (yet!). I am willing to use any Dutch commands provided to me by the owner.

My services include:
- daily dog/catsitting (feeding, playing, medication, etc.)
- walks (duration determined by owner)
- day/night stay (for travelling owners) --> Unfortunately not at my residency as I live in a very large and busy student house. It would be unsafe for pets. I can stay at the owner's place of residency with permission.

I've had plenty of experience with pets ever since I was a small child. My first pet was an rescued cat that my family and I got from our building neighbor. My cat was very grumpy and mean, especially to children. However, my parents taught me to let my cat come to me instead me of scaring him everytime i approached. He did eventually become closer to me as I grew older and we created a wholesome bond. My cat ate twice a day and maintained a healthy weight until his last year. He was never the type to play with me and I respected that. I do have experience with playful cats (friends' pets) as well so I don't mind getting scratched. My cat was maybe a few years old when we got him and he died around 19 years (we think) of age.

About a year before my cat passed away, my family adopted a puppy. My puppy grew up with my old cat and even noticed he was missing after he died. After that, I spent a lot of my time with my dog. Took her for daily walks after school, played so much with her that she would fall asleep chewing on her toy. Taught her commands and disciplined her when it came to food(no food from the table or any other sitting area) but of course once in a while I gave her treats to keep her busy, but she was never interested in the treats. She loved playing too much! I never mind the mess a dog can make after being outside and playing in the dirt. To this day, I still make sure her paws (and her butt) are clean after coming back from a walk. :))

I used to dogsit my ex-boyfriend's dog here in the Netherlands and even walked her for fun when I would visit at his parents' house. I would treat her as my own and even now, after my ex and I separated, if they asked me to watch over her, I would do it in a heartbeat. Animals are pure and good and they need love.

Right now I am taking a gap year from my studies and have all of my days relatively free. I would love to spend this time taking care of wonderful pets and experiencing more parts of the Netherlands, even if that means walking everywhere;) (P.S. I love walking!)

I have no specific preference when it comes to the kinds of dogs or cats. As long as the dog doesn't drag me on the ground when it starts running, then I think it's all good. :))