Meet Megan — a Pet Caregiver on the Wag! Platform

Updated: 7/6/2021

Megan has been walking dogs since she was in elementary school. Now in college, she decided to take her walks to the next level by doing them on the Wag! platform. 

“Being around dogs has always been therapy for me,” said Megan. “And since my parents don't allow dogs, being able to care for friends and family's pets since I was little was an amazing opportunity.”

Megan said she loves doing things for people. She sees dog-walking as just that — helping busy pet parents take care of their dogs. She does this in Alameda, a California city adjacent to Oakland and across the bay from San Francisco. 

“Having the opportunity to exercise the dogs has gotten me out more,” Megan said, “and as a result, I've been more social! Making new dog friends and meeting the pet parents, some of whom have actually become friends, has been great!”

Megan’s favorite story of walking on the Wag! platform has to do with a couple of particularly shy pups. 

“I had a pair of dogs to walk near my house,” said Megan, “and all the notes on the Wag! app from previous walkers said that it would take them a while to warm up to a new person. I went 30 minutes early just to be safe, but ended up taking an hour to leash them up!” 

“I sat with them the whole time and just softly spoke and tossed them treats to make them more comfortable. Once the less shy dog came closer and closer to me — because the treats finally won her over — it wasn't too long until I got the second leashed up too! The walk went really great!” 

“After I wrote the end-of-walk report card and received my review, I was super happy! The pet parents were very appreciative of my patience and left a great review! The extra bonus was the really nice tip they gave me. I also had found out, after messaging with them for a little while, that we both volunteer at the same local animal shelter. That was super cool!”

It’s not surprising the pet parents gave Megan a nice tip. She sounds like the kind of walker who earns such bonuses.

“I always make sure to check the dog's coats for any bugs or foxtails,” Megan told us. “And I make sure the water is full. I spend extra time playing with the pup after the walk, wipe their feet, and send a message to the pet parent before I leave to see if there’s anything I'm missing or if they need me to do anything else.”

Ask Megan her favorite place to walk dogs in Alameda, and she’ll say there’s no place that’s not nice! Still, she admits that her favorite spot is along Shoreline Drive.

“It's right next to the water, and you get a view of San Francisco,” she said. “It can't get much better!”