Company Overview
Sandy Paws Pet Sitting was founded in 2002 by Sandy Pearson. What started small has now blossomed into over 100 clients plus the addition of Co-Owner, Kay Robinson. We serve most of Lawrenceville, Collins Hill, & parts of Suwanee. Read on for more facts about your Sandy Paws team!
About Sandy
Hi! My name is Sandy Pearson, and I’m the founder of Sandy Paws Pet Sitting. I am so pleased that you’ve taken time to visit our website and find out more about the services we offer. Like me, I’m sure you are a pet lover “extraordinaire”, which means we already have a lot in common. Like many of you, I have a busy household with a large family, human and otherwise. I am the proud Mom of an eight-year-old son, Parker (of the human kind), and a fourteen-year-old Shih-Tzu named Taylor (I had Taylor first, even before I met my husband). Other pet family members include Charlotte, the Tarantula, Itsy & Bitsy, the Fancy Rats, & Lizzy the Guinea Pig. And of course my dear husband David.
As is true for so many professional pet sitters, my passion for animals has been with me all my life. I have always had an abundant love for all critters, great and small. Growing up in a small town in east Tennessee, we lived next to a pasture where cows and horses grazed. I played along side them with my five brothers and sisters night and day, not to mention playing with our own dog and cats. So you can see that I grew up with a “mixed” family right from the start. This early experience instilled in me a great joy and respect for all furry friends, and that love and respect has become even deeper with time.
But I didn’t set out to take care of animals. I was once part of the big, busy corporate world. Before becoming a pet sitter I worked in the managed care industry for Travelers Insurance Company for five years and was promoted a number of times. I left in 1994 to work for HBO & Company (now McKesson, Inc.) to sell managed care software to hospitals and large physician groups. I traveled extensively for five years (which took its toll, I might add). I remained in the Atlanta office doing corporate event planning in sales until 2001.
I then felt an overwhelming conviction that I should leave the corporate world and focus on my family and myself. Our little boy Parker was entering preschool, and I didn’t want to miss out on all the fun! In short, I left to become a “better wife and mom”. Oh, you ask, did you become a better wife? Just check with my sweet husband, David—I am sure he’ll be radiant as he discusses my “domestic” successes!
But as much as I love being at home with my family, I’ve always loved working too, and I just couldn’t stop altogether. I knew that when it came time for me to return to work at some point, God would show me the way. And in 2002, that is just what happened. My passion for both animals and people and my love of work culminated in just the right job! I had found my calling—becoming a professional pet sitter. When I explained my “calling”, many friends and family said, “Why didn’t you think of this 10 years ago?” or “This is so YOU, Sandy!” I suppose the good Lord was preparing me for the time when he would use my talents and abilities to serve others in a special way that is right for me.
Having a firm work ethic, a dedication to service, and a real love of animals and people are the perfect ingredients for a professional pet sitter. I do hope you’ll agree! It would be wonderful to have the opportunity to meet you and hear your story, too. Having the chance to serve you, your family, and your furry friends—well, that brings me much joy!
About Kay
Hi there!
I’m Kay Robinson, co-owner of Sandy Paws Pet Sitting. In April 2004 I was surfing the web for careers meant for animal lovers and found myself on a pet-sitting website. Believe it or not, I had never heard of in-home pet sitting before. Shortly thereafter, my path crossed Sandy’s, and we decided to become business partners. I traded in my company car, funky shoes, and designer clothes to become a pet sitter. Ok, I still have a few clothes and shoes gathering dust in the closet, and technically my current car is a company car—a pet sitter’s car.
Before becoming a pet sitter, I worked in retail management for nearly 20 years. Starting as a sales associate, I worked my way up to district manager, supervising 14 stores and overseeing millions of dollars in sales. I worked for Lerner NY, the Container Store, and Pottery Barn—all fun places to shop, I might add. Although I can never regret my first career choice, I knew for a long time that what I was doing wasn’t exactly the right fit. It seemed as if I was forever telling my friends and family that I didn’t know what I wanted to be or do when I “grew up”. I was so envious of anyone who seemed to know his or her purpose—I just couldn’t figure mine out!
One fateful day in November 2003 my husband brought home a little black fur ball, a baby girl Chow named Leila. I am sure he will always wonder about the wisdom of his decision because it changed our lives forever. As soon as I saw Leila I knew—or remembered—that my passion is animals. I had to find a way to make that part of my life’s work. Magically here I am! Mother had always predicted this life for me. When I broke the news about pet sitting to her, she simply said, “I always told you that you should have been a veterinarian.” Mother knows best…Currently I attend Gwinnett Tech on a part-time basis to eventually enroll in the Vet Tech program. Yea for me!
In addition to Leila, we have five other fur-babies. Kitty, our longhair Torti, is our eldest and the matriarch of the fur-family. She is about fourteen years old we think. Willow is our very sweet six-year-old blonde Persian cat who likes to sleep a lot. Kitty and Willow cannot believe their house has gone to the dogs! Isis is my sister-in-law’s male cat (she thought he was a she for such a long time that she couldn’t change his name) who has come to live with us and might as well be ours now. Isis thinks he is a dog, or at least wants to be one. In October 2004 we rescued an older abandoned Chow, Beau, who now has the good life she deserves. I’ll let you know how two female Chows get along later! (Cesar Millan, HELP!!!) My husband, who said, “No more animals!” rescued a male Chow puppy earlier this summer, Micco. Yep, three cats and three Chows! Oh yeah, we have a fish and a frog too. They are all our children and mean the world to us.
It is truly and honor and a privilege to take care of your furry, feathered, and finned children too. We love ‘em like our own! Love, Kay
