Thank you for reading our second ever blog and our first full length one. Today we are focusing on the founder of Fur Friends Pet Care LLC, Janet Arias (they/them).
Janet was born and raised in Durham, NC and is the child of Mexican immigrants. Their father's work ethic and business sense clearly rubbed off on Janet. However, instead of going into the restaurant business like their family has done, they went into the pet care business.
Janet's love of animals started as a child thanks to many animal movies and Animal Planet. They had dogs, cats, and birds growing up as well. That love turned into volunteer work and eventually this business. Janet began volunteering with animal shelters as a young teen and continued to do so into adulthood. They even worked at APS of Durham in Durham, NC, and The New Hanover Humane Society in Wilmington, NC. Despite leaving APS of Durham in late 2023 to focus on Fur Friends, Janet is still a small animal foster with them. Janet currently volunteers at Blind Spot Animal Sanctuary, a farm animal rescue.
Janet originally started pet sitting and dog walking professionally in June 2017 in Durham, NC. One of their friends suggested they try it out since Janet had so much experience from shelter volunteering and pet sitting for friends. Little did they know that this was going to turn into a full blown business. Shortly before starting pet sitting, Janet began dating their now husband, Edward. Thanks to this relationship, Janet ended up moving to Wilmington, NC where Edward lived and went to school a year later and continued dog walking and pet sitting there. Janet began volunteering with NHHS and eventually was offered a job there.
Edward finished his master degree a year later and got accept to OSU's PhD program in Columbus, OH. Janet then said goodbye to their clients and their job to go to Ohio with him. At this point, they had gotten married. Columbus is where Fur Friends Pet Care LLC became an LLC. After things started to normalize from Covid, a hike in clientele and bookings made it so Janet had to bring on an employee and get serious about it. Instead of referring clients to other sitters in the area as they had started doing, they made the big decision to create an LLC. It was a lot of research and learning, but Fur Friends Pet Care LLC was born in 2021.
Come 2023, after having lost their senior kitty, Alyx, on NYE 2022, Edward and Janet decided to move back to Durham, NC to be closer to family. Edward was starting his writing only phase of his PhD and could live anywhere. They officially moved in May 2023 after buying a home close to downtown. Janet started a job at APS of Durham where they first started volunteering at as a teen that month as well. Once the holidays came around, it was clear to Janet that working at the shelter full time and pet sitting full time was too much. Janet misses being at the shelter but is much happier with the new free time. Janet is now focused on acquiring enough clients here to bring on an additional person.
Here are some fun facts that are not related to pet sitting or dog walking about Janet. They are a professional wrestler that works the indy circuit as "The Wicked Witch of the Ring" Jay Alejandra. Yes, the WWE/theatrical kind. Other than animals, Janet's other passion has been professional wrestling. Edward helps out with the business when Janet has shows. Janet also runs a plant and seed library for the community in Durham. They love plants and gardening. Janet and Edward grow vegetables in their backyard, and Janet is excited to garden in the front come the spring. Last thing about Janet is that they have a theatre degree. They mainly focused on theatre activism, lighting design, and acting. Janet still loves to see plays and support local theatre.
I hope you enjoyed getting to know your pet sitter a bit better. Next month, we will highlight Kat and Scottie O'Brien. They are a married couple providing care to the majority of our clients in OH.
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