Lynne: A Los Angeles Dog Walker's Story

Walking a dog on a Southern California beach might sound like a dream. For Lynne, it’s just what she does.

Lynne’s a dog walker on the Wag! platform, her part-time job for the past year. In that time, she’s had more than 650 dog walks and earned an average rating of 5.0 from her pet-parent clients.

Life's a beach

It makes sense that beach walks are part of her routine. She lives in Manhattan Beach, California, and does most of her walks there and in Hermosa Beach and Playa del Rey. She also does them in West Hollywood and Beverly Hills, near her full-time job.

That job is in an office, sitting at a desk for 10 hours a day. Given that, you can probably understand why her side gig is so appealing to her.

"There's nothing better than going on a long walk with a cute pup to relieve stress and get my legs moving,” Lynne said. “One of my favorite clients is Tule, a Golden Retriever. I get so excited when I'm scheduled to walk him in the evening after work because we take this long 60-minute moonlight walk by the beach and it's so therapeutic.”

Dogs have long been a part of Lynne’s life, and her love for them is what led her to Wag! in March of 2018.

“My Pomeranian, Louis, passed away a year earlier, and I haven’t been ready to get another dog,” she said. “But I love being around them and wanted to spread my love and care to other dogs.”

"Your dog is my dog."

Walkers on the Wag! platform often say they make friends with their regular clients. Lynne agrees.

“I always say, your dog is my dog!” Lynne said. “When owners meet me they realize that I treat their dog like I’d treat my own. They usually end up following me on social media where I feature their pups — which they love — and after that, it evolves into a friendship. I just got invited to a birthday party for Juju, one of my favorite dogs, who’s turning 12!”

Lynne also loves the idea of helping people — and their pups. She tells the story about Napoleon, or Nappy, a senior Pomeranian with health issues, including vertigo.

“Poor Nappy was always dizzy and could never walk in a straight line,” Lynne said. “You had to carry him up and down stairs and make sure he didn't fall off the curb. He also suffered from seizures. Nappy just happened to look exactly like my childhood Pomeranian, Cherokee, so I was instantly in love with him and took the best care of him.

“His pet parents noticed how great I was with him and made me his preferred walker. They often needed walks last minute, late at night and on weekends, and I would always make myself available for Nappy.”

Getting paid is just a bonus!

Lynne says the benefits of Wag! go to not only her clients and their pups but also the walkers.

“That's the great thing about Wag!,” she said. “Pet parents can find someone to care for their dog, last minute and at odd hours, and I get to spend time with these wonderful animals. Getting paid for it is just a bonus!”