"Who are the owners of Sits & Wiggles, LLC? What are their qualifications?"

May 20: Episode 71

If we've never met, these may be queries that you have. Keith Matthews, and I, Nakala, own & operate Sits & Wiggles Pet Services. We moved to Bend in 2005, and have since made friends, created a family, built & purchased a home, and opened a business. This doesn't tell you much about who we are as people, as written words rarely do. For that information, I invite you to meet us. Should you want to get to know us outside of a consultation, we invite you to take a walk, say hello at a dog park, or sit down for iced tea & a chat.

As far as qualifications go, I can answer that in writing. Keith, CTA-CDTK, is a Certified Dog Trainer, with 13 years of dog training experience. He also has: 21 years of pet sitting experience, 3 years of vet assisting experience, 12 years of experience grooming cats & dogs, 12 years as General Manager of two different grooming salons, & 4 years as General Manager of a local moving company. He's worked at our local Humane Society, and has worked with a gorilla, a wolf from the movie White Fang, & countless other animals. Sits & Wiggles, LLC is Keith's second successful pet service business. A Tender Touch Pet Services provided dog training, dog walking & pet sitting services. After providing services for years, he sold this company in 2005 when relocating to Bend.

I, Nakala, FFCP, am a Fear Free Certified Professional. I have 11 years of pet sitting experience. Although I'm not a dog trainer, I've been married to one for nearly 2 decades, and have read through his course content, as well as joined him on training sessions. I have volunteered at our local Humane Society with our children. I haven't worked with animals my entire life as Keith has, yet I've always loved & connected with them. Prior to starting a family & moving to Bend, I studied accounting, worked as a bank manager, & was a medic in the US Army. I volunteered with The Red Cross, The American Cancer Society, March of Dimes, & Habitat for Humanity. Once in Bend, & while our 3 children were young, I completed my degree at OSU Cascades. During this time I volunteered at local nonprofits, including Neighbor Impact Head Start, The Salvation Army, Caring for Troops, & Girl Scouts. Keith & I formed and led a multi level troop of 14 girls for 2 years. At that time, there weren't any troops that sisters could join together, so we created one. The members ranged from kindergarten level to middle school.

Keith & I are an open book, so to speak. Should you ever have questions or want to get to know us further, reach out & we'll schedule a meeting. We enjoy meeting new people.

Nakala Matthews, Animal Lover, Open Book, Entrepreneur, Bend Community Member