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Meet Jacqueline, the pet-sitter who’s allergic to dogs

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This former corporate worker finds fulfilment in her current job that has her working with adorable dogs every day.

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Free Malaysia Today
Jacqueline Benita is a dog lover despite being allergic to them. (Moganraj Villavan @ FMT Lifestyle)

KUALA LUMPUR:
To her human clients, she’s a godsend. To her four-legged clients, she’s a fun buddy who knows how to “read” them better than most.

The person in question is Jacqueline Benita who’s a pet-sitter and dog-walker to a group of adorable and energetic furkids. She also provides pet taxi services.

One thing you should know about Jacqueline is that she’s allergic to dogs – no kidding!

“It’s funny, because my family had dogs when I was a kid. I had all kinds of breeds growing up from furry street dogs to even hypoallergenic breeds but I’d still have some kind of reaction,” the 31-year-old told FMT Lifestyle about the swellings she suffered from whenever she came in contact with a dog.

There were times when the swellings on her body were so severe, she couldn’t even drive.Thankfully today, the swellings are milder and not so frequent either.

Free Malaysia Today
The dogs Jacqueline cares for love her immensely. (Moganraj Villavan @ FMT Lifestyle)

With this health condition, you might wonder why she chose this line of work. But to Jacqueline, it’s a no-brainer – pet-sitting gives her “an unparalleled sense of purpose”.

Talking animatedly about her current job, she said it was during the pandemic that she began to contemplate whether her corporate job was her end-goal in life.

While still mulling the prospect of leaving her corporate job for good, she started a pet taxi business. To her surprise, it took off. So she expanded her services to include pet-sitting and dog-walking as well.

Free Malaysia Today
Jacqueline shows off her dog training graduates from the clientele of Patty’s Pet Hotel who she collaborates with. (Moganraj Villavan @ FMT Lifestyle)

“The timing was crucial. Because the lockdowns were lifted and everyone was starting to travel again, they needed my services.”

Having two dogs of her own, Jacqueline said she could relate to other pet owners who felt apprehensive about returning to the office for work and leaving their pets behind.

“I don’t see this as a job per se, I look at it as a responsibility while caring for these pets. This is because for so many people nowadays, pets are like their children or family.

Incidentally, Jacqueline is the first dog trainer in Malaysia who has International Association of Animal Behaviour Consultants (IAABC) certification. She’s currently collaborating with Patty’s Pet Hotel, where she conducts dog training classes.

Free Malaysia Today
Jacqueline is also the first International Association of Animal Behaviour Consultants (IAABC) certified dog trainer in Malaysia. (Moganraj Villavan @ FMT Lifestyle)

As a certified dog-trainer, she can identify and understand the cues of the animals she pet-sits better, which makes caring for them that much easier

A particularly cute anecdote she shared was how one client, a man who was getting married, requested that she bring his Jack Russell Terrier to his wedding to surprise his soon-to-be wife.

“That story inspired me to bring my own dogs to my upcoming wedding too!” she said cheekily.

For those interested in becoming pet-sitters, Jacqueline said possessing a basic understanding of dogs was crucial to the job.

“Regardless of dog size, handling someone’s pet is a huge responsibility. Other than behavioural cues, it’s also crucial to understand medical symptoms as well.”

Free Malaysia Today
Jacqueline says it’s a huge responsibility caring for someone else’s pet but she’s ready to take it on. (Moganraj Villavan @ FMT Lifestyle)

She credited her experience volunteering at animal shelters with helping build the skills and knowledge she needed to keep herself and the pets in her care safe.

As for her future plans, Jacqueline hopes to open an exclusive pet hotel that doesn’t discriminate against larger-sized dogs as is currently the situation.

“I love doing what I do. I wake up every day feeling excited about all the dogs I’m about to meet that day!” she said, laughing.

Follow Barked Club on Instagram or head to its website for more information.

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