About

Thank you for your interest in Creature Comforts Pet Sitting. I would love to tell you a little bit about myself and my dedicated team of sitters.

Andrea Sergio

My Profile:

My love of animals began when I was six years old. My parents let me pick out a puppy from a litter of cockapoos at a pet store. I still remember bringing home Barkley, the love of my life. Barkley was my buddy until I was 20 years old. He taught me unconditional love. I can’t say he taught me responsibility because after I moved out of my parents’ house and they redecorated my room, my mom told me she found urine stains on the hardwood floor from me sleeping in too long with Barkley locked in my room. Oh well, I digress. But Barkley was there for me, always. I could look into his sweet brown eyes and snuggle up with him and everything would feel better. I went on to pet sit as a child for neighbors’ cats. We then brought home cats of our own taken from a barn. In my teens, I started working at the town’s dog grooming and pet supply shop in my hometown in CT. I learned a great deal there about dog handling, foods, and supplies. After moving to PA, I took my cats for an exam to the Gentle Cat Dr. Upon seeing my connection to animals, the vet there offered me a job on the spot with no veterinary assistant training. I learned so much in the 8 months I was there. I did a lot of work with feral cats attempting to domesticate them, cat grooming, and was trained to do everything expected of a veterinary technician. In 1995, I then went to work for Dr. Genser at Gladwyne Veterinary Hospital. I continued expanding my knowledge of animal care as well as how to run a business with a personal touch. A few clients asked me to take care of their pets when they went away, and shortly thereafter, in 1997, Creature Comforts Pet Sitting was born.

Why I started the business:

A few things inspired me. One would be a strong entrepreneurial spirit that I didn’t yet know I possessed. Another would be seeing all the dogs come into the vet hospital almost directly from boarding with various ailments such as eye and ear infections, GI upsets, sores, hoarseness from barking in the kennel so much, and the list goes on. It was obvious to me that these pets would have been better off at home. A great contributing factor was those animal hospital clients that personally asked me to care for their pets when they went away. Those opportunities were extremely enjoyable and rewarding to me. Creature Comforts began as Pet Sitting by Andrea with a few flyers up around the area. It was amazing how quickly it took off. My little side job in addition to working as a vet assistant was quickly turning into a full fledged business! I was heartbroken when the time came to leave Gladwyne Vet Hospital but I was entering my third trimester with my first child and the pet sitting was calling for me full time. Something had to go. I made a risky decision to turn the pet sitting into a career and I’ve never had the time to look back since!

Presently:

My own personal menagerie consists of my 2 daughters Allie & Emily, 4 rescued cats – 3 of them being from 3 of the litters I’ve raised – Scrappy, Nellie, Domino, and Boomer, our Cockapoo, Jackson, a puppy mill rescue, and our rescued Pit Bull, Josey, who keeps everybody in line.

I do cat and kitten rescue in my home whenever possible. If you’re looking for a dog or cat, please adopt from a shelter.  Giving a homeless pet a safe and loving place to call home is truly a rewarding experience.

KT Hepner

I had the pleasure of adding KT to my team in April 2008. KT came to Creature Comforts with a lifetime of dog owning and handling experience, primarily with Dobermans. As a former long distance runner, KT enjoys getting dogs out for long exercise sessions. They love it, too! KT is also a writer, mom to 2 college students, and an avid gardener. She helps to service Villanova and Bryn Mawr. She lives in Bryn Mawr with her Corgi, Zeke.

Mark Sullivan

Mark is new to us as of October 2009.  He was looking for a part time job to supplement his work in property management. His background is primarily in retail for Jos. Bank Clothiers and he also spent many years working at a couple of local churches.  But he is a lifetime animal lover and has always had pets.  He will be covering Ardmore, Haverford, and Bryn Mawr on the Haverford Township side.  He lives in Bryn Mawr with his wife, Cairn Terrier, and 3 cats.

Jessica has been with Creature Comforts since February 2010.  She came to us with a lifetime of experience with animals and a background working in childcare.  She also volunteered at a shelter in NJ for a couple of years.  Growing up, Jessica’s house was referred to as the “Cantu Zoo”.  Her mom was a veterinary technician and certified wildlife rehabilitator.  They owned 2 dogs, 3 cats, 2 rabbits, and numerous hamsters and mice.  She helped her mom raise orphaned ducklings, rabbits, and birds.  Jessica lives in Philadelphia with her boyfriend, Aaron, and Mimi, a very lucky kitty found in Fairmount Park.  She pet sits and house sits full time in Bala Cynwyd, Merion, Narberth, Penn Valley, and Wynnewood.  I feel blessed to have Jessica on my team.  She’s been an unbelievable asset thus far, and I hope to have her for a very long time!

Nicole Tarshis