ABOUT US

• Vita Lusty

  
  

  Vita worked at Centinela Pet & Feed for a year and took advantage of their staff seminars and lectures on animal nutrition and flea care.
  She rescued two pit bulls out of Hollywood in 2008, one used for breeding in captivity for the first 5 years of her life and the other deaf and left in a shelter to die. The first year as a new Pittie Mom was spent training her new fur-babies downtown with the Dog Man. The girls learned basic commands and even progressed in to Good Citizen's Training.
  Esther, Vita's deaf daughter, learned basic hand commands and integrated into the doggie social scene.
  Vita then worked two years as a dog attendant at a cage-free doggie daycare facility where she administered medicine, mediated any aggressive or unsafe behavior, and grew familiar with body language and how it related to the health and safety of the playground. Often, she would manage a playground of up to 50 large dogs at a time with only one other attendant.
  In 2013, Vita was hired by Home Buddies for in-home dog-walking and pet-sitting services. Working closely with the owner, she developed a rhythm and feel for managing clients at different locations, scheduling and assisting special needs dogs. It was here, working directly with clients in their homes and personal routine, that Vita found her place in Los Angeles.
  She also is a contributing writer for Natural Pet World.

• Michael Napoli

  
  

  Michael was quite literally born into a life of dogs, but in 2008 he got his first special needs dog experience and has worked with dogs ever since. His senior Schnauzer was diagnosed as diabetic, eventually leading to blindness caused by cataracts. While providing daily care for her afterwards, Michael became familiar with the process of regular injections and daily care of a disabled pet.
  Michael spent two years at a dog daycare, scheduling services and handling dogs covering the entire spectrum of breeds and temperaments. More recently, he works at a dog training facility in Hollywood whose very mission is to train dogs solely using positive reinforcement. Michael has worked in-home pet sitting and performed dog-walks for regular clients since 2009.
  Other qualified and trained walkers will be used if there are scheduling conflicts upon the clientÕs approval.

• Pet Sitting

  
  

  Kitties and special needs dogs need food, water, treats and love. It is important that your fur-babies have that guardian angel nearby while Mom or Dad is away.
  During the free consultation, we will make sure we know where the food, treats, garbage and special hiding places are so we are familiar with a typical day in your home. It is important your pet keeps as much of their daily routine as possible. That is why we are here.
  We will honor your schedule and habits so they wonÕt worry while you are away.
  Each Pet Visit Includes: - A text message update to one or more parents - A personal note in the home - A fresh bowl of water - Any other treats, food or necessities as indicated by the parent

• Pitties & Poodles

  
  

  We have experience raising, training and walking dogs of all shapes, sizes and temperaments. From pit bulls to poodles, we have hiked and walked multiple dogs at a time.
  We believe no matter how dog friendly our client is, it is always best to avoid meeting and playing with other dogs unless the parent is present. Your petÕs safety is paramount.
  Each Walk Includes: - A text message update to one or more parents - A personal note in the home - A fresh bowl of water - Any other food, treats or necessities as indicated by the parent

• Rescuing Animals

  
  

  We have experience rescuing, pulling, transporting and fostering dogs.
  Vita's Experience
  In 2010, I started to volunteer for rescue and fostered dogs. Downtown Dog Rescue educated me. Sam Simon Foundation helped me with vaccinations and spays. Life 4 Paws helped me with the adoption of one dog. I worked as transport and foster for Safe At Last Dog Rescue in Canada for about a year. At the time, they were helping pair Canadian families with small dogs.
  I march for Farm Sanctuary and Best Friends Animal Society. In September, my boyfriend and I will march with Angel City Pit Bulls as the recipient of all personally raised donations. A lot of my focus has been on pit bull rescue ... well, until I met Brad.
  Brad was supposed to go to Canada, but when the Downey Animal Shelter delivered this little 13lb Cairn terrier mix to me in a blue blanket I felt as though my baby was just handed to me.
  He was infested with fleas, emaciated and suffered from a respiratory infection. Nursing him back to health was like a courtship. We fell in love. That was two years ago. He hasn't taken his eyes off me since.
  Now, we help where we can with pulling shelter dogs and transporting them to rescues. Occasionally, we foster for the day or weekend until a rescue makes it on the underground railroad to a rescue or new home.
  Michael's Rescue Experience
  In the winter of 2011, I started volunteering at the Gentle Barn. I cared for a group of rescued farm animals every Saturday, consisting of three sick calves. They were waiting to grow stronger so that they could live with the adult rescue cows.
  Spring came, and with it 33 goats and sheep were rescued from a backyard butcher. Some were old, some were sick, some were pregnant. The weather came up just in time to use the outside pen during the day, which was necessary to accommodate all the new arrivals.
  Towards the end of that summer, two kids were been born and the three calves I cared for all moved to the regular, much larger pen. The circle of life was once again in rotation, and it felt great.