About Us

Jill's Pet Sitting is owned and operated by me, Jill Engle. I have loved and owned animals for as long as I can remember. My parents adopted my first dog, Maggie, from the Animal Humane Society a few months before I was born. She was a German Shephard-Springer Spaniel mix and was great family dog. She was gentle, mellow, loving, and kind. Later came Doc, a wild and crazy Irish Setter. He was a wonderful dog who was always ready for anything. Somehow we could never tire him out! If you've ever owned an Irish Setter or other high-energy dog you know exactly what I'm talking about.

During this same time we always had a menagerie of other animals in our home. I, personally, had a bunch of fresh-water fish and two birds, Simon and Garfunkel, who were both parakeets. A school friend of mine had a gerbil that I got to care for at school and during school break one year so I considered myself to be a foster mom to a gerbil also.

Now, I am priviledged to share my home with three cats and one dog. My cats, Arielle and Boe, and dog, Newman, were all adopted from the Rice County Humane Society here in Faribault. My cat Mina was adopted from another semi-local shelter, the Minnesota Valley Humane Society in Burnsville. I love every day that I get to live along side these four wonderful animals each with very distinct personalities. I also love watching my 6-year-old son grow up with animals. He is very nurturing and loving to his pets but at the same time it is also a challenge for him to learn how best to care for them and interact with them (and protect his favorite toys from those sharp cat teeth!).

Newman and I take and have taken obedience, agility, and rally obedience classes together. Taking classes together helps to stengthen our bond and increase our trust in each other. This was especially important when we first adopted Newman because, like many shelter dogs, he came with his own set of emotional and behavioral baggage. I also think that it is important to give him a job to do to increase his sense of importance and belonging in our family. Agility and obedience are great jobs for him because he learns quickly and loves to excel at it.

My love of animals also extends to the wildlife we find in our own backyard. My son and I have a patch of milkweed plants in our butterfly garden which attracts Monarch butterflies. They not only stop there to dine, they also lay their eggs on these plants so we get to closely observe the whole butterfly life cycle. We are also avid backyard birders enjoying all the usual and unusual species of birds that visit our feeders. My favorite are the elusive Ruby-throated Hummingbirds!

We have a few, less conventional pets at our household as well: earthworms! We use our earthworms for indoor vermicomposting and have a great time checking to see what the food we've given them looks like as they munch on it. We're also in the planning stages to add a bearded dragon to our household this summer.

As you can probably tell by now, my home is filled with as many animals as I can fit in. While my brain knows that we are at capacity, my heart is always open and ready to care for another animal (or two or three). I had been searching for a way to have more animals in my life without having to add them to my home for quite a few years. I had also been contemplating my next career. After graduating from college and working in higher education for nearly a decade, I felt that it was time for a change.

As I searched for career ideas that would take advantage of my interests and skills, I discovered the idea of pet sitting in a book and the idea seemed to fit. I love animals and would get to care for and nurture many more pets than I could ever own. What a great idea! I did my research and a lot of work and Jill's Pet Sitting was born. I am very excited to meet and care for the animals in your life!