04/06/2024
Powell River Jarwalks, dogwalking
Owner Operator - Jennifer Rae
My experience with animals:
I was born and raised in Powell River. At the age of 10 in 2003, I started volunteering and training dogs at West Coast A.C.C.E.S.S managed by Ann Seal and ran out of Dogwood Kennels. West Coast A. C. C. E. S. S. youth group was operating to teach kids how to train and work with dogs and place said dogs into service jobs for those with disabilities. We would get our own puppy to train personally; alone and in group dog classes from levels one through ten lead by Ann. Some of the dogs would require specialized training prior to being placed. This course taught me invaluable knowledge on basically everything that dog handling and care required.
From age 12-16 I was hired on as an employee at Dogwood Kennels as well as continuing with West Coast A. C. C. E. S. S. During this period Ann instilled a work ethic and a realistic outlook on animal ownership in me. She helped shape my transition from animal lover to animal professional.
From 2011-2012 I worked as the sole employee of Whitecourt Alberta's animal pound located at the back of the Whitecourt Veterinary Clinic. My job included: taking in pets and strays, learning how to identify health issues and or behavioral issues in cats and dogs, grooming, feeding and maintaining all care for the animals in the pound. I was tasked with trying to find the owners as well as advertising and adopting out the pound animals to people. I worked with multiple rescues at this time and worked diligently to prevent the animals in my care from being put to sleep. While managing the pound I also was tasked with helping the vet clinic staff and ended up learning and doing a lot of vet tech work which has given me an amazing amount of animal health care knowledge.
From 2016-2022 I was employed and worked for Dogworx Pet Ranch (formerly Dogwood Kennels) run by Will and Milan Jackson. Working at Dogworx was an incredible experience to have as it was a more modern take on dog kenneling that previously I had no experience with. Working with a group of 20-40 dogs off leash in a fenced acreage really helped rounding out my understanding of dogs and their behaviors.
2020 after being laid off during covid I decided to start walking dogs as a hobby. In 2022 I decided to fully commit to working with dogs one on one to build a personal relationship with the dogs in my care and support their owners as much as possible. It is 2024 and I am still operating Jarwalks Dogwalking, I have also started to offer personal dog training sessions.
For most of my life I have been working in professional settings with dogs. I have learned how to manage dog to dog interaction, how to assess body language and temperament, how to calm and/or break up a dog fight, I've learned the red flags for dog care and what to look out for. My entire life I have surrounded myself with both wild and domesticated animals and always have felt a deep connection and passion towards the animals around me. I strive to provide dogs with experiences that enrich and brings quality to their lives. Each dog is and individual and there is no one set way to train or interact with them. I do my best to adapt my methods and style to best suit the dog I am working with at the time.
Thank you all for allowing me to care, work and love your dogs in our absolutely wonderful community that I love.
Jennifer Rae
Jarwalks
