Fall update!

Hey y’all, this is just a quickie to hopefully save some of y’all some time… but I am already completely booked, in terms of overnight sitting, for the rest of 2021. I have cut back a lot on overnights because my health can’t handle it in the way I used to be able to, pre- brain surgery, and also, my senior cat Sticker has advancing renal failure and is requiring more of my time for care. At this point I have overnights booked for Thanksgiving and Christmas and a few in between and that is more than enough for me for the rest of the calendar year.

If you have needs which don’t require overnight stays, you can try me but I do have quite a few on the books already and it will really depend on your dates and location and needs. Longtime clients know to book me well in advance and have mostly done so already which is why I’m pretty full for the rest of the year. I thank everyone for their consideration.

Hope everyone is doing well.

Summer 2021 update!

It’s been almost a year since I updated here; a lot has happened in a year. I am mostly fully recuperated from my brain surgery last fall, save for a few minor deficits. I have been back to work since January, though due to the pandemic I have a lot fewer clients – but that has suited me well during my recovery. Petsitting has boomed back these last few months since folks started getting vaccinated, for which I’m very appreciative. Petsitting has helped make up what I’ve lost in dog walking hours, and I’ve pretty much decided I like it this way. So I won’t be taking on any new dog walking clients any time soon.

As I write this on August 1st, I’m getting ready to take a much-needed 10 day vacation. I haven’t gotten out of town since December 2019 so it is very overdue. I’m fully vaccinated and have even gone back to masking whenever I’m around anyone else these past few weeks as the Delta variant has been surging here in New Orleans. I will be very careful on my vacation even though I’m vaccinated because I’m well aware of the prevalence of breakthrough infections and illness.

In terms of bookings, I’m am fully booked through the middle of September for overnight sitting, which I am doing less and less of these days. So please don’t assume if I’ve overnight sat for you in the past that I will automatically be able to do so in the future. I have some scattered bookings through the fall and am already booked for Thanksgiving week. Feel free to ask but don’t be surprised when I say no.

In terms of cat sitting or other petsitting which does not require me to stay overnight, it will be dependent on how busy I am and what your needs are. Happy to discuss and hopefully I can fit you in. (After August 16th.)

Hope everyone is staying cool out there! July has been a heat beast! Glad I’ll have 10 days off in August! See y’all on the flip side.

On temporary hiatus…

Well, in keeping with the what-next? of 2020, I am having major surgery Tuesday October 13th and will be recuperating for 4-6 weeks most likely, if everything goes well.

I have a substitute walker who is taking care of my daily walking clients, but I will not be taking on any new clients or scheduling any pet sits during this time. I will not be able to manage my business while recuperating so I’m just putting it on pause until I can return.

If you have petsitting or dog walking needs, I recommend you try Petit Pet Care or Uptown Girls Pet Services. Both of these women-owned businesses have been around as long as I have and I often refer out to them.

I hope to return in time for the holidays! Enjoy the fall and stay safe everyone!

Summer 2020 update

Well, 2020 has been quite a year so far.

Wags By Mags was closed for business for 2 months while the city of New Orleans was on stay-at-home lockdown due to coronavirus in March and April. I’ve been back to work though since the city reopened for Phase 1 in May. At this time my dog walking schedule is full and I am not taking any new clients.

I am open for pet sitting services within the usual parameters of geographical location and availability. I have a few on the books for July but not much after that. But I continue to only book a few per month so I am not overworked and can safely continue to comply with COVID precautions.

I am grateful to my clientele who continue to support my business and look forward to a time when we can all be back to work and life as normal. Until then, I continue to take all the appropriate precautions which includes: providing my own leashes which are disinfected routinely between clients; handwashing and/or hand sanitizing before and after every client; reducing contact in clients’ homes with surfaces and people in those homes; wearing a mask at all times indoors and outdoors as necessary around others; regular covid testing every 14-16 days.

Also, I’d like to state for the record that Wags By Mags believes ALL BLACK LIVES MATTER!

Stay safe everyone. Happy summer!

 

 

2020 Update

I obviously do not update this site very often – it mostly just functions as an online business card and rate sheet. But as we close out January on this New Year, I thought it might be good to offer a bit of an update for the coming year.

I spent much of 2019 burning the candle at both ends, working constantly with a very busy daytime dog walking schedule and an endless overnight pet sitting schedule. I am very grateful for all my clients and their trust and continued business, but that pace is unsustainable for me personally as a one-woman business – especially now that I’ve taken on some rather time-consuming volunteer duties working for the Elizabeth Warren for President campaign here in Louisiana.

So, for the foreseeable future, I’m cutting back my petsitting scheduling. I won’t take any new clients and will be very selective about scheduling with longtime clients for overnights. Right now I do have a few things on the books in the coming months, but not nearly as much as I have been scheduling in the past. So please don’t be upset if I say no. It’s not personal; I’m just trying to take a breather and choosing to give my time to my political work during primary season.

My dog walking schedule is mostly full at the moment, so I’m not taking any new clients. If that changes, I will post here.

I hope everyone is off to great 2020!

happy new year!

i don’t update this page very often now that facebook and instagram offer me a way to post cute pet pics to a wider audience more regularly, but i just wanted to say happy new year and express gratitude for surviving through the busy holiday time once again. and to of course thank all my clients for trusting me with their furry loved ones and for allowing me to make a living doing so. this marks 8 years since i first dreamed up wags by mags!

no major changes for wags by mags in the new year really, but i am continuing the trend of scaling back on my petsitting gigs – especially overnights – in order to give me more nights and weekend time to have a life and devote to my art practice. i will continue servicing existing pet sitting clients as i have availability, but i will not be taking on any new pet sitting clients in 2019.

my dog walking schedule is holding steady, though i’ve had a few clients move or stop service in the past few months. but simultaneously, i’ve had one client add a new puppy and need a bit more service, and another who has upped their weekly service days. so it all balances out. i don’t have a lot of wiggle room in my schedule at the moment but depending on location and frequency, could maybe squeeze in one new client. if you are in need of regular dog walking service and are in my service area (midcity, uptown, cbd), try me.

happy new year everyone!

it’s finally fall!

cooler weather is finally here, at least intermittently! these are the days that dog walkers live for! well, at least me. halloween has just passed, thanksgiving is right around the corner, and before you know it, it will be christmas. this time of year is a whirlwind.

my schedule has really been ever-changing through the summer and early fall. a few clients have moved or simply moved on, leaving some holes in my schedule, but most been quickly filled by new clients and existing clients needing extra help or traveling more than usual. it’s all worked out to keep me very busy.

let’s talk holiday season:

thanksgiving weekend is pretty booked up. i have an overnight dog sit that week and several cat sits on the books already. i could maybe squeeze another cat sit or two in if it’s just a once a day visit, but i can’t really take on much else.

christmas is also mostly booked, mostly by cats but some requiring overnight stays. so if you were needing service during the christmas-new year’s holidays, please get in touch asap.

i am also sneaking in a little vacation of my own in between thanksgiving and christmas. i will be on vacation and not working in any capacity from wednesday november 28 – tuesday december 4th. my regular clients have been notified.

ok, i think that’s it for now. please remember to go vote on tuesday!

summer vacation days are here!

even for me!

yes, wags by mags! is taking a much-needed and well-earned vacation from july 28th – aug 5. my daily walking clients have been informed and i will not be taking any pet sitting gigs during this time.

even dog walkers and pet sitters need to recharge and we definitely need some down time out of the heat! thanks to all of my supportive clients who understand and encourage me to take breaks.

in other news, i am already starting to get bookings for thanksgiving week (already have an overnight on the books but can take cat sits or dogs who don’t need me to spend the night) and christmas, so if you are considering travel during the holidays and need my services, please check in soon!

happy summer everyone!

spring update

hasn’t this just been a lovely extended spring? i’ve been really enjoying the frequent cool temperatures and all the dogs have been super frisky! so far the stinging caterpillars haven’t even been that bad… though i know as soon as i say that, they will multiply. but so far, so good. hope everyone’s been getting out to enjoy the mostly delightful weather.

just an update to say that my daily walking schedule is pretty fully booked at the moment. most week days i have between 7 and 10 walks and that’s about all i want to have right now. i am however around and available during both jazzfest weekends (saturdays and sundays) for walks, as i’ve pretty much decided i can’t afford to go this year. (unless a free or severely reduced ticket shows up somehow.) i have a few bookings at the moment but can take more if anyone should need it. (it would be hard for me to squeeze in extra walks on the thursday and/or fridays, though, due to my daily schedule. but feel free to ask anyways, in case something changes.)

i do want to announce that i will NOT be taking any bookings for memorial day weekend. at all. i will actually be traveling out of town to attend some dear friends’ wedding, so will be completely unavailable from friday the 25th through monday the 28th (may). if you are in need, i can pass on the numbers of a few other sitters i know who might have openings.

ok, that’s all i got right now. just trying to get better about updating more regularly. also, check my wagsbymags facebook page or my instagram feed if you wanna see lots of cute pet pictures from my daily travels!

happy 2018!

happy new year!! i hope everyone had a fabulous and safe holiday season!

i survived the holiday pet sitting madness this year and am currently only tending to one remaining holiday cat client through the end of the week, though my regular daily dog walking schedule has resumed. i’m looking forward to a little weekend downtime during this less-traveled time of year.

of course, carnival season starts this weekend so whatever free time i might have over the next month will quickly be consumed by king cake parties, mardi gras balls, costume planning and eventually parades!

in the mean time, stay warm everyone! and keep your pets indoors if at all possible. these freezing temperatures are no joke!