wags by mags!

with memorial day weekend comes the summer, which means lots of folks are traveling. i guess we are getting back to some semblance of “normal” despite the pandemic not being over. i welcome the return to busy-ness but hope everyone remains vigilant and careful out there.

petsitting wise, i am booked up through june with dogs but have a few openings for cat sits. after that my schedule is fairly open right now, so if you know you are traveling later in the summer, book now!

i am currently accepting new dog walking clients. i have have an opening in the morning hours (9am-noon) in the uptown area, and i have another opening in the afternoon (12-3pm) in the midcity/bayou st. john/fairgrounds area. i am specific like this because that is where i already am, so logistically it would make most sense to have new clients fit into that existing driving route. but if you are flexible, i could maybe make it work if you are outside these parameters – just contact me and we can discuss.

stay cool and don’t forget to hydrate, y’all!

Time sure is flying! The first weekend of big parades has just passed, and the epic culminating weekend of carnival season is almost upon us. As always, I do not work on Endymion Saturday (because I live one block off the route and if I leave I will never get back into my neighborhood) or on Mardi Gras day (too much going on and I usually like to partake in the festivities). I will be working on Lundi Gras and Ash Wednesday for my regular clients, and I already have several pet sits booked for the days/week immediately following Mardi Gras, but nothing beyond that. So if you know you’ll be traveling further out in the spring or summer, get on my calendar now!

I did want to put the word out that I recently learned two of my longtime daily dog walking clients will be leaving my schedule in the coming months. One will be gone right after Mardi Gras, and the other not until late April. But it means I have some openings that I’d like to fill, preferably for ongoing daily/weekly dog walking. I might have one slot filled on M-W-F starting the week after Mardi Gras; if anyone is looking for Tues-Thurs service midday or even morning, let me know. And later in the spring I will be looking to fill another daily midday slot. So please pass the word!

I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable Mardi Gras!

I hope everyone had a lovely holiday season and I wish you all a Happy New Year!

Just a few things for 2022:

My new rate for one-off dog walks for new clients will be $25 for 30 minutes. If you contract for ongoing service on a set schedule, that rate will go down to $20. My schedule is fairly full at the moment but I could be convinced to add another daily midday/early afternoon walk with the right client.

I will no longer be doing overnight sitting except for longtime clients in very limited situations. My own pets are requiring my time and attention now as is my own health so I am prioritizing them both over my bank account. Many thanks to all my overnight sitting clients for the past 11 years for your business and I do hope you understand.

I will continue petsitting for cats, dogs and other pets that do not require me to spend the night. Please book as far in advance as possible, though, particularly around holidays and peak travel times.

I think that’s it. Looking forward to what 2022 has in store for my 12th year in business!

Hey y’all, this is just a quickie to hopefully save some of y’all some time… but I am already completely booked, in terms of overnight sitting, for the rest of 2021. I have cut back a lot on overnights because my health can’t handle it in the way I used to be able to, pre- brain surgery, and also, my senior cat Sticker has advancing renal failure and is requiring more of my time for care. At this point I have overnights booked for Thanksgiving and Christmas and a few in between and that is more than enough for me for the rest of the calendar year.

If you have needs which don’t require overnight stays, you can try me but I do have quite a few on the books already and it will really depend on your dates and location and needs. Longtime clients know to book me well in advance and have mostly done so already which is why I’m pretty full for the rest of the year. I thank everyone for their consideration.

Hope everyone is doing well.

It’s been almost a year since I updated here; a lot has happened in a year. I am mostly fully recuperated from my brain surgery last fall, save for a few minor deficits. I have been back to work since January, though due to the pandemic I have a lot fewer clients – but that has suited me well during my recovery. Petsitting has boomed back these last few months since folks started getting vaccinated, for which I’m very appreciative. Petsitting has helped make up what I’ve lost in dog walking hours, and I’ve pretty much decided I like it this way. So I won’t be taking on any new dog walking clients any time soon.

As I write this on August 1st, I’m getting ready to take a much-needed 10 day vacation. I haven’t gotten out of town since December 2019 so it is very overdue. I’m fully vaccinated and have even gone back to masking whenever I’m around anyone else these past few weeks as the Delta variant has been surging here in New Orleans. I will be very careful on my vacation even though I’m vaccinated because I’m well aware of the prevalence of breakthrough infections and illness.

In terms of bookings, I’m am fully booked through the middle of September for overnight sitting, which I am doing less and less of these days. So please don’t assume if I’ve overnight sat for you in the past that I will automatically be able to do so in the future. I have some scattered bookings through the fall and am already booked for Thanksgiving week. Feel free to ask but don’t be surprised when I say no.

In terms of cat sitting or other petsitting which does not require me to stay overnight, it will be dependent on how busy I am and what your needs are. Happy to discuss and hopefully I can fit you in. (After August 16th.)

Hope everyone is staying cool out there! July has been a heat beast! Glad I’ll have 10 days off in August! See y’all on the flip side.

Well, in keeping with the what-next? of 2020, I am having major surgery Tuesday October 13th and will be recuperating for 4-6 weeks most likely, if everything goes well.

I have a substitute walker who is taking care of my daily walking clients, but I will not be taking on any new clients or scheduling any pet sits during this time. I will not be able to manage my business while recuperating so I’m just putting it on pause until I can return.

If you have petsitting or dog walking needs, I recommend you try Petit Pet Care or Uptown Girls Pet Services. Both of these women-owned businesses have been around as long as I have and I often refer out to them.

I hope to return in time for the holidays! Enjoy the fall and stay safe everyone!

Well, 2020 has been quite a year so far.

Wags By Mags was closed for business for 2 months while the city of New Orleans was on stay-at-home lockdown due to coronavirus in March and April. I’ve been back to work though since the city reopened for Phase 1 in May. At this time my dog walking schedule is full and I am not taking any new clients.

I am open for pet sitting services within the usual parameters of geographical location and availability. I have a few on the books for July but not much after that. But I continue to only book a few per month so I am not overworked and can safely continue to comply with COVID precautions.

I am grateful to my clientele who continue to support my business and look forward to a time when we can all be back to work and life as normal. Until then, I continue to take all the appropriate precautions which includes: providing my own leashes which are disinfected routinely between clients; handwashing and/or hand sanitizing before and after every client; reducing contact in clients’ homes with surfaces and people in those homes; wearing a mask at all times indoors and outdoors as necessary around others; regular covid testing every 14-16 days.

Also, I’d like to state for the record that Wags By Mags believes ALL BLACK LIVES MATTER!

Stay safe everyone. Happy summer!

I obviously do not update this site very often – it mostly just functions as an online business card and rate sheet. But as we close out January on this New Year, I thought it might be good to offer a bit of an update for the coming year.

I spent much of 2019 burning the candle at both ends, working constantly with a very busy daytime dog walking schedule and an endless overnight pet sitting schedule. I am very grateful for all my clients and their trust and continued business, but that pace is unsustainable for me personally as a one-woman business – especially now that I’ve taken on some rather time-consuming volunteer duties working for the Elizabeth Warren for President campaign here in Louisiana.

So, for the foreseeable future, I’m cutting back my petsitting scheduling. I won’t take any new clients and will be very selective about scheduling with longtime clients for overnights. Right now I do have a few things on the books in the coming months, but not nearly as much as I have been scheduling in the past. So please don’t be upset if I say no. It’s not personal; I’m just trying to take a breather and choosing to give my time to my political work during primary season.

My dog walking schedule is mostly full at the moment, so I’m not taking any new clients. If that changes, I will post here.

I hope everyone is off to great 2020!

i don’t update this page very often now that facebook and instagram offer me a way to post cute pet pics to a wider audience more regularly, but i just wanted to say happy new year and express gratitude for surviving through the busy holiday time once again. and to of course thank all my clients for trusting me with their furry loved ones and for allowing me to make a living doing so. this marks 8 years since i first dreamed up wags by mags!

no major changes for wags by mags in the new year really, but i am continuing the trend of scaling back on my petsitting gigs – especially overnights – in order to give me more nights and weekend time to have a life and devote to my art practice. i will continue servicing existing pet sitting clients as i have availability, but i will not be taking on any new pet sitting clients in 2019.

my dog walking schedule is holding steady, though i’ve had a few clients move or stop service in the past few months. but simultaneously, i’ve had one client add a new puppy and need a bit more service, and another who has upped their weekly service days. so it all balances out. i don’t have a lot of wiggle room in my schedule at the moment but depending on location and frequency, could maybe squeeze in one new client. if you are in need of regular dog walking service and are in my service area (midcity, uptown, cbd), try me.

happy new year everyone!

cooler weather is finally here, at least intermittently! these are the days that dog walkers live for! well, at least me. halloween has just passed, thanksgiving is right around the corner, and before you know it, it will be christmas. this time of year is a whirlwind.

my schedule has really been ever-changing through the summer and early fall. a few clients have moved or simply moved on, leaving some holes in my schedule, but most been quickly filled by new clients and existing clients needing extra help or traveling more than usual. it’s all worked out to keep me very busy.

let’s talk holiday season:

thanksgiving weekend is pretty booked up. i have an overnight dog sit that week and several cat sits on the books already. i could maybe squeeze another cat sit or two in if it’s just a once a day visit, but i can’t really take on much else.

christmas is also mostly booked, mostly by cats but some requiring overnight stays. so if you were needing service during the christmas-new year’s holidays, please get in touch asap.

i am also sneaking in a little vacation of my own in between thanksgiving and christmas. i will be on vacation and not working in any capacity from wednesday november 28 – tuesday december 4th. my regular clients have been notified.

ok, i think that’s it for now. please remember to go vote on tuesday!