Shadow Mountain Pet Care

02/04/2023

We don't normally share stuff like this, but G and Shayna are important members of our pack and it would really mean a lot to us if you could donate and share, just this one time.

For anyone that knows my little community, you know that we hate asking for help. Especially … Jessica Ortega needs your support for Help Shayna and G Get By

29/03/2023

It's been a long time since we posted but Leroy wants everyone to know that we're still very much in business and he gets to ride around town and visit friends almost every day!

Here are some shots of him loving his job and some of the wonderful dogs we've been spending time with lately.

18/12/2020

‘Covid-19 has an odour, and the dogs are detecting it’: meet the canine super-squad sniffing out the virus

Are covid-sniffing dogs the heroes we need?

They’re loyal, diligent – and have unbeatable noses. Could dogs play a key part in the fight against the pandemic?

13/12/2020

Big thanks to all of you who donated!

Our rescue partner Follow Your Heart Animal Rescue will make sure these things all go to dogs who need them.

Edit: it's still not too late to donate to our holiday supply drive! We are dropping off donations to the rescue weekly. If you have any gently used pet supplies, unopened food or treats, or can donate money to purchase some please message our page or email [email protected]

We really want to thank Jess and Dave, they brought a carload of donated supplies from their business fundraiser today. Lots of blankets, collars, and harnesses for our fosters! 💟

If you need a pet sitter or walker give Shadow Mountain Pet Care a call!

25/11/2020

The mushrooms in Phoenix never get big enough for us to join this trend, but we love what other pet photographers are doing with puppers and shroomies!

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World’s Greatest Gallery of Dogs Standing On Mushrooms

24/11/2020

One of the things we talk about a lot is how our business allows us to give back to dogs in need and to the community around us. Usually we participate in corporate office fundraisers for supplies but 2020 has been a wild ride and we can't do that this year, so we're starting our own tradition! This is the First Annual Holiday Supply Drive for Follow Your Heart Animal Rescue!

One of the many hats our pack mom Jess wears for the rescue is to organize and distribute supplies to fosters every week. One of the many ways that Follow Your Heart stands out in the rescue crowd is that they provide EVERYTHING for fosters from food and bedding to toys and vet care.

Donations can either be dropped off when you bring your pets over for daycare and boarding, or we'd be happy to collect them from you and take them to the rescue. Just let us know what you're donating and when would be a good time for pick up.

Thank you again for all of your support and Happy Thanksgiving to from our pack to yours!

14/11/2020

We love our ever-growing pack of beautiful dogs!

02/11/2020

Meet the newest member of our pack! Little Delphia has been our foster for a while but now she is family. Her weight loss has been slow but steady and she is becoming the active young mini doberman she is meant to be!

21/10/2020

We love it when our clients give such kind and enthusiastic feedback. Jackson is a new member of our pack, but we love having him over for daycare!

14/10/2020

Our valley fever dog Ronnie has come so far in just under 6 months! It's hard to believe this guy was only 40lbs and a totally different color when he was first surrendered. At around 90lbs now he's literally twice the dog he used to be!

11/10/2020

Follow Your Heart Animal Rescue

Yesterday wasn't Delphia'a day, surely there must be a min pin fan out there who wants a tony dancer!

Delphia didn't find her forever home today and looking for it, really worked up her appetite. She is still available for adoption online. - foster mom Jessica

https://www.followyourheartanimalrescue.org/shop

03/10/2020

Hang in there, little Blondie! Your pack needs you to get better.

In the summer of 2016 a little pit bull puppy was discovered in critical condition under a dumpster in South Phoenix. Her emaciated 9lb body was covered with over two hundred ticks. We named her Gigi. Gigi was severely anemic and would need transfusion fast in order to save her life. We took her into an emergency clinic we were referred to called Pet Urgent Care. I was panicked as I held her frail body in my arms. Gigi could barely lift her head. The staff, whom I had never met, was so confident and assuring that she would be okay. Thankfully, they were right. She THRIVED after her transfusion. As she recovered, Gigi quickly stole my heart and became part of my family. She was my first street rescue. She has taught me so much about life & truly opened my eyes to this crazy world called rescue.

Four years later, things have really come full circle. Sadly, last we did not receive good news about our Blondie girl. Her kidney values were still very high & her red blood cell count was low. I was told to prepare myself and start to gauge her quality of life as time goes on but to suspect it will be her time to go to Heaven in the next few weeks. I was crushed but I won’t stand for suffering. Late last night, I recieved a message on my phone from one of Blondie’s specialists. I had sent her the bloodwork results from earlier. She proposed the idea of a blood transfusion. Blondie’s team agreed that this is not the typical treatment for animals with renal failure but it could treat the anemia and bring her comfort even if it is temporary.

Today, Gigi is Blondie’s donor for the blood transfusion. Her medical team knew that whole fresh blood would work best for Blondie. Testing soon proved that Gigi was the perfect condidate to save her sister life... like literally ✨perfect✨ Gigi is awake and doing well & Blondie is currently receiving the procedure. I am so proud of both of my girls right now. I am forever grateful for the team at Pet Urgent Care for going to such lengths to help Blondie. I am so hopeful that this procedure will extend Blondie’s “weeks” to a few more happy months on this earth. Lastly, I know that I always say this, but I mean it each time. We could not do this with out all of you! THANK YOU for giving Blondie a chance by supporting our mission to

04/09/2020

Our little buddy Charlie went to a home that didn't understand this and now he's already back. The perfect home for him is out there though, we'll post an update with his story and cute little face soon!

The Rule of 3-3-3

14/07/2020

Keep your pack hydrated, Arizona! Just one afternoon with an empty bowl could mean an emergency vet trip or worse for your best friend.

Can't remember if you checked their bowl before you left the house? Give us a call and we'll send someone out to check on things and help your pets stay cool, healthy and hydrated!

"💧 5 REASONS WHY WATER IS IMPORTANT FOR YOUR DOG’S HEALTH 💧

1. Water is the main component of healthy, living cells of your dog’s body.
2. Without enough water, your dog will become dehydrated and cause them not to function properly.
3. Water carries and moves important nutrients in and out of your dog’s body.
4. Water lubricates and cushions joints to make movement easier.
5. The spinal cord and other internal tissues are cushioned by moisture.

Bottom Line? Water is crucial to your dog’s health & well-being. During Pet Hydration Month (and always!), let’s make sure our pets always have access to an ample supply of fresh, clean water."

13/07/2020

The most unlikely families are sometimes the best.

13/07/2020

It has been a while since we just posted some pictures of the happy faces we see every day without some sad or bittersweet story behind it. Rescue work is hard physical and emotional labor and these days everyone is extra fatigued, so we wanted to share some of the moments that have kept happiness in our lives these past few months with our fans.

Please enjoy these photos of the Shadow Mountain Pet Care extended family being the cute, funny and beautiful animals they are.

10/07/2020

Last time we posted about Ronnie and his amazing physical and emotional recovery from illness and neglect. This time we're proud to announce that he will soon be the newest permanent member of the Shadow Mountain Pet Care pack! Not only will he be a new addition to our family, but we will be training him to work in the family business. Based on his pacifistic personality and the natural talent he displays for calming and comforting anxious and fearful dogs we think he will make a great ambassador dog for evaluating new potential clients and foster dogs and an excellent source of comfort to frightened newcomers.

This ability was best proven this afternoon when he went to see a basset hound named Nimmie that Dave had been working with for 10 visits over the past month with very little success at winning her trust. As soon as the front door opened she would be out the doggy door and behind the shed in the back yard. Any attempts to approach or make visual contact were met with angry hound dog barks and a hasty retreat. No amount of delicious treats, non-threatening body language, soothing talk or feigned disinterest would convince her that her home wasn't being invaded by a homicidal psychopath.

Just one visit with Ronnie changed all that. She quickly relaxed and followed his lead, showing a level of trust we weren't sure we'd ever see with her. Just coming inside the house instead of panting out in the yard in 100°+ weather the whole time anyone was in the house would have been fantastic progress, but Ronnie did so much more on our visit today as the following photo story shows!

29/06/2020

We took on a new medical foster dog in April. His name is Ronnie and we were told he was a mastiff mix but DNA testing later showed him to be 100% Staffordshire terrier. He had an untreated case of valley fever since puppyhood and he was wasted away to skin and bones. Those bones also have some large and painful lesions on them, but even with those extra masses he was under 40lbs when he was surrendered to the rescue back in February and he spent two months clinging to life, barely able to walk on his own before he came here for rehabilitation. We expected a long, difficult recovery.

We couldn't be happier to be wrong! Ronnie has recovered and put on muscle mass faster than anyone thought possible! He's now a healthy 72lbs and the personality change has been incredible. He went from being super shy of other dogs to gradually learning to love cuddles with his pack mates and then suddenly over the past couple of weeks he's playing with toys, chewing bones and play wrestling other dogs.

He still has to take medications for his valley fever and bone pain and needs regular blood work to make sure his valley fever doesn't get worse, but he has gone from barely stable to thriving in a relatively short time and we are doing our best to ensure his growth continues. Please enjoy this photo gallery highlighting his progress so far.

24/06/2020

The Shadow Mountain pack:

Prince Wigglebottom (50 lbs)
Emperor Wigglebottom (3 lbs)
Mistress Licks-a-lot
The Notorious Sausage Pincher
Captain Cheese Stealer

What are your dogs' real names?

22/06/2020

We adopted a sick old dog with cancer and bad lungs over three and a half years ago. It was his last day at the pound before he was to be put down and we were told he had less three months to live at most and that he would never be energetic and playful. He beat the odds again and again and for years he seemed to be getting more energetic and playful out of spite, or maybe just for all the fatty, salty food we gave him every time we thought he was near the end. Whatever the case, he had a great run and he knew it. He finally passed away on Saturday, in the back seat of the car that brought him home from the pound. He went peacefully and he didn't suffer, he was playing and eating good food right up until the evening before he went. We all got to say goodbye and show him our love one last time. The hole he left behind still hurts right now, but we couldn't have hoped for a better outcome for our first hospice dog and he leaves us with so many happy memories.

30/04/2020

Help Keep Shadow Mountain Pet Care In Business organized by Jessica Ortega

Hey everybody, sorry we have been kind of quiet on social media. Last week was a flurry of appeals and paperwork...and let's face it, sometimes this all gets exhausting and social media magnifies that. We know you all understand that and again cant thank you enough for your support.

We want to give everyone an update on how things are going though. Today AZ governor Doug Ducey announced that our stay at home order will be extended through May 15 at least with most businesses not expected to be fully open until near the end of may or even June. We've also been keeping a close eye on national orders, and many domestic tourist destinations are expected to be closed through the end of June. And international travel is likely not to resume until the fall or even next year.

What's this mean? Well it means that while our doors remain open, even when Arizona opens up our business is not likely to bounce back immediately. We are still not eligible for small business grants or loans and that aid will effectively dry up completely when Arizona "reopens". The good news is, we have been able to save a lot of the money that IS coming in. We are still healthy and in communication with our clients and able to be there for them safely.

We are going leave our fundraiser up at least through May. We are also extending our gift card offerings and 25% off prebooking offers through the end of May. We also have been able to acquire some PPE that we will be using to visit the pets of healthcare workers who need help safely.

As always, from the bottom our our hearts. Thank you for your continued love, support, and patronage. As a small business, and as dog lovers, we couldn't be luckier to have the extended pack we do. If there is anything we can do for you, no matter how big or small, reach out!

As the response to the covid-19 outbreak expands, small businesses that… Jessica Ortega needs your support for Help Keep Shadow Mountain Pet Care In Business

15/04/2020

Help Keep Shadow Mountain Pet Care In Business organized by Jessica Ortega

Happy Wednesday Shadow Mountain extended pack!

Super excited today to share some good news FINALLY. Because she worked a corporate job last year consistently, Jess was approved for unemployment payments under the CARES act. This is a massive help in looking for jobs in her other field as well as keeping the business and the family afloat. It only makes up for about half of what we lost and it is temporary but it's a break in the storm, and for that we are grateful and excited.

Dave's appeal is pending and we are still waiting on applications for other aid. We did investigate some SBA loans, but were only eligible for one and the funding for the program has basically already run out making approval difficult. Additionally, we would like to avoid incurring debt during this time that would prolong our setbacks. So that has been set on the back burner for the moment, but we are watching it closely. Most of our bills and our property manager are working with us, so we are leaving what's left of the funding for those programs for small businesses with employees who are less fortunate than we are.

We also have built in a decontamination area of our home with an entrance from the outside. This was a cool project and makes it much easier to be safe, not only during the pandemic but during parvo and kennel cough season for our dogs as well. This is great because it allows us some additional flexibility to be there for our clients and their humans during this time, and aids our rescue work going forward.

While we are doing well for now, we are leaving our fundraiser up and ask that our friends and pack continue to donate and share. We recognize the breaks we've gotten so far are temporary and are saving every penny we can to ensure we are ready for whatever the pandemic has in store for us next.

And as you receive your pandemic stimulus money in the coming weeks, you may want to consider purchasing a gift card or Prebooking your pup's next stay with us, if you are able and still working your normal jobs. If you're laid off and need ANYTHING at all for your pups or yourselves, let us know. We are here for you too.

As things progress, we will continue to be transparent about our efforts and where your investment in our small business is going. We still cannot express our gratitude for the love, support, and kindness our community has shown us and strive to return it in any way we can. Together we can get through this. Stay tuned next week, as we will hopefully be adding a new foster to our pack!

Much love to you all and thank you from the bottom of our hearts,
Shadow Mountain Pet Care

As the response to the covid-19 outbreak expands, small businesses that… Jessica Ortega needs your support for Help Keep Shadow Mountain Pet Care In Business

13/04/2020

A Monday message from Jess!

A little action for you all. Founder, owner, dog whisperer, father, foster dad, and all around good guy Dave is our . In these weird trying times, Dave is still going out every day to visit clients who need help with their pack for whatever reason. He is still texting and calling clients we can't see anymore. Offering so much more than just dog sitting, our clients have become our community and our extended family. I've seen Dave jump into action to treat medical issues in guests, buy food, offer grocery runs, airport rides, and help moving for our clients and their humans. He has made himself an essential worker during this pandemic even though he could have chosen to close up shop like so many others. While I have been and continue to be particularly moved by the support and generosity our clients have shown us, I know that they're so committed to us because he is so committed to them. He is more than just a dog walker and the service he provides is so impressively tailored for each dog. Thank you again for all of your support and here is to the man who had the vision!

09/04/2020

Help Keep Shadow Mountain Pet Care In Business organized by Jessica Ortega

Happy hump day everybody! We've been trying to keep things light here, but it's time again for our weekly business and transparency update.

Not much has changed in the last week except that both David and Jess have now been declined for both unemployment and small business payroll assistance. As sole proprietors, we haven't been able to find any assistance program that our small business qualifies for. We are going to continue reapplying, and appealing the denials as well as following the policy changes.

That said, the donations we received covered our house payment for April and the last few clients we saw covered our bills through the end of March.

At this time, projections are showing the virus in our area speaking around the end of April with a probable shutdown continuing through the end of May. We will continue to share our fundraiser and sell discounted gift certificates.

Additionally, we are offering discounted services to essential workers including healthcare professionals who are putting in extra long hours. If you know any, please refer them to us and we will help them out!

Thank you again for your continued support and for . Stay healthy and safe everyone!

As the response to the covid-19 outbreak expands, small businesses that… Jessica Ortega needs your support for Help Keep Shadow Mountain Pet Care In Business

04/04/2020

We have felt particularly grateful and inspired by the humans our clients own in these scary times. Stay safe everyone!

We are OPEN today. Saturday April 4th no appointment need for a Non-Haircut Grooming curbside check-in and a huge 50% off sidewalk sale.

03/04/2020

We are really missing our clients this week. While it can be nice to have a break (and we take one so rarely!), it's been so strange to not see our daily client packs. In honor of them, here is a little action for you. Miss Kona, Leroy, and Bolt having a playdate a year ago today. We hope to see Bolt and Kona soon, this is the longest we've been apart from Bolt since he was a teeny tiny puppy. Show us what you're all doing today.

31/03/2020

Help Keep Shadow Mountain Pet Care In Business organized by Jessica Ortega

An update on the hardships experienced by us as a small business. First and foremost, THANK YOU. From the bottom of our hearts thank you for your support and generosity as we navigate these times.

Dave and Jess are both considered higher risk for complications of this virus due to underlying health conditions. As such, we continue to take extreme precautions to avoid contracting or transmitting the virus. This, unfortunately means, temporary employment doing activities such as delivering food or working at a grocery store cannot be pursued unless it becomes the only option available.

We have received some deferrals, giving us time to sort things out and apply for assistance. We have both applied for any and all assistance that exists for individuals and small businesses, however as independent contractors and sole proprietors, it is still unlikely we will be approved and the process could be weeks or even months even if we are before we see any money. Additionally, we are continuing to apply for work from home jobs in our previous trades but have had no luck yet as companies are on hiring freezes.

Why are we posting all this? Well, because we believe in full transparency and in showing that we are invested in fighting for the survival of our business. With that, we are still offering gift certificates, prebookings at a discount, quarantine boardings, and our gofundme is still active. Please help if you can and share if you can. All proceeds are going directly to necessary living and business expenses. We are also continuing as much rescue work during this time as can be done safely.

Thank you and have a wonderful week.

As the response to the covid-19 outbreak expands, small businesses that… Jessica Ortega needs your support for Help Keep Shadow Mountain Pet Care In Business

31/03/2020

Happy Monday everyone. We hope you're staying healthy and safe at home. We want to give a quick update on our operations during the pandemic.

At this time we are still accepting clients for boarding and daycare with restrictions in place, pick up and drop off must use social distancing and we ask that you please keep your dog'seash as we will be using our own.

Drop in visits are also still taking place but we ask that if you would like to continue daily or ocassional drop ins, please make arrangements with us to limit exposure to your home. This might be entering and picking up dogs in a garage or backyard for the time being.

We will be wearing masks for visits going forward and carrying hand sanitizer and wipes for the protection of ourselves and our clients.

Other than essential work visits, we are limiting ALL travel outside of our home to necessity trips only and doing drive thru or pickup on as much of that as possible (including pharmacy and grocery runs). Our son has also been removed from his daycare facility for over 2 weeks now and will not return until restrictions are lifted. This is for our safety and the safety of our clients.

We encourage you to take similar steps and hope everyone stays safe and healthy.

28/03/2020

We lost a valued member of our Shadow Mountain client pack yesterday. Our hearts are broken for Diaper Dan The Man and his family. He was a very special senior boy and he brought his amazing family into our lives. We are so grateful for the time we had with him.

27/03/2020

Report: Pet Care Services to Take Hardest Blow in Pet Market in COVID-19 Pandemic

We are feeling it, our friends in the industry are feeling it. Please continue to support your walkers, groomers, and vets in any way you can while staying safe and healthy.

Pet boarding will especially be affected by the current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, according to market research firm Packaged Facts.