Dawna began house & pet sitting part-time in 1983 while attending the University of Lowell. Her start in pet sitting began with a 3-month house & pet-sitting job for a professor who had left the country on sabbatical. The client's dogs were trained in Chinese, which required a pet sitter to use the dog's native language to communicate commands. This was the beginning of a very interesting career.

In 1996, Dawna opened Happy Paws Pet Service™.

Dawna has over 20 years of animal care experience. She has worked and volunteered in animal rescue for both domestic and wild animals. She is experienced in working with animals with challenging behavior, as well as home and pet emergencies and disaster preparedness.

Bachelor of Science Degree, Business Administration & Marketing, University of Lowell

Pet First Aid & CPR Certified, American Red Cross & Pet Tech.

Pet Sitters International has recognized Dawna for her contributions in the pet care industry, serving as National Goodwill Ambassador for Pet Sitters International from 2000 to 2003, promoting excellence in pet sitting.

Dawna updates her education and continues to attend numerous national pet care conferences, seminars, and training pertaining to professional pet sitting which include: canine, feline, avian and exotic care, holistic care & nutrition, animal behavior, obedience training, disaster preparedness, pet first aid & CPR.

Pet Sittter International National Conferences that Dawna has attended:

Sean works full time as a Security Manager for a large financial institution. Sean has been in this industry for the past 13 years. When Sean is not working at his full time job, he assists Happy Paws Pet as an Office Manager, Pet Care and Home Security Specialist.

Michelle was first introduced to Happy Paws when she needed a professional dog walker for her dog, Cosmo. She is a very loving, detailed oriented and reliable pet sitter! As well as caring for her own pets and working for Happy Paws, she supports and volunteers her spare time to local Feline and Pug rescue organizations.

Michelle has been employed in the Marketing field for the past twenty years, and holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Marketing from U Mass Amherst.