Meet Our Team!

Amanda is a full-time Mom and past Secondary Music teacher with the Calgary Catholic School District. Animals have always been a big part of Amanda's life. She grew up amongst cats, dogs, birds, fish and a leopard gecko, giving her a love for critters of all shapes and sizes! She is now a pawrent to the very opinionated and particular Raz, a tuxedo kitty. Amanda is passionate about exploring our beautiful Rocky Mountains through climbing, running, hiking and back-country/cross-country skiing. She is also an avid traveller - her human baby had already visited four countries before he was a year old!

Beverly is a student of Mount Royal University's Bachelor of Arts-History degree program, with minors in Political Science and Geography. Having worked with Assured for more than a decade, you may find yourself interacting with her either as a pet sitter, or replying to your email inquiries as the Administrator! She loves all animals, big and small, and also loves to play soccer and to travel.

Candice is a professional athlete who is passionate about all types of animals! Growing up in South Africa she had numerous pets and spent time on her family farm. Candice plays on the South African national softball team and has been a member for the last 12 years. On her travels playing softball, she has often had the chance to care for animals through host families; and has always made looking after the animals a priority, along with making them feel loved and cared for. Candice currently has two cats who she loves and cherishes – if she had the space, she would probably have a small zoo! As an animal advocate, Candice has always adopted animals from the SPCA and Humane Society.

Hayley is a born and raised Calgarian with a love for animals. She was constantly surrounded by pets of friends and family members growing up, as well as having some smaller furry friends of her own. Hayley is currently completing her Master's of Science in Occupational Therapy. In her free time, she likes to attend yoga and indoor cycling classes, as well as take trips out to the mountains for hikes.

Heather was born and raised in Calgary and just completed her Master’s Degree. She currently works with the homeless and is also a healthcare advocate. Heather grew up with pets for most of her life, from dogs and cats, to fish and birds, rabbits and even a snake once. She currently lives with two dogs, a bird and fish and could not imagine life without a pet!

Melissa is a born and raised Calgarian – some people tell her she is a rarity. She has a BA in Sociology and currently works for the Alberta Government. Melissa has always loved animals – all animals! So much so that she is quickly approaching her 4-year “meatless” birthday. Melissa started off her animal/owner relationships with a beloved fish, then a hamster – well, let’s be serious: a thousand hamsters! She then made her way up to the wonderful world of canines. She currently owns a cat named Kylie (a grey-haired tabby) who has quite the vivacious personality. You can usually find Melissa on the soccer field, on the water or travelling the world.

Alexis is a born and raised Albertan, having roots in Edmonton, Calgary and Cochrane. She has spent years travelling and working abroad, but is always drawn back by the winter and her parents’ dogs to cuddle. She loves to get her hands dirty, having worked with horses, sheep, calves, a bit with llamas and chickens, and of course, with dogs and cats. Aside from dreaming about farming (again) in New Zealand, she loves to get outside and moving; be it climbing, biking, running, hiking, acro-yoga or surfing. When it’s time to come inside she loves crocheting/sewing funky things, cooking and reading.

Amariles was born in Mexico were she grew up on a ranch surrounded by all types of animals: tucans, monkeys, parrots, crocodiles, snakes, dogs and horses. She is an international chef and moved to Canada in 2012. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, mountain bike riding, dancing, and spending time with family, friends and her cat, Lisa, who is 15 years old!

August is a freelance flutist and teacher, with a Bachelor of Music from the University of Calgary. She will be returning to school to get her Bachelor of Education in the Fall of 2017. August has two adorable bunnies named Rosie and Ted who won't stop hopping for long enough to take a picture with her. She grew up with dogs, cats, budgies, hamsters, guinea pigs and rabbits, and she loves animals of all shapes and sizes!

Born and raised in Venezuela, Carolina moved to Canada in 2011. She went to school in Kingston, ON, for her second Business Degree (she also has a Bachelor in Business Administration from Universidad Metropolitana) before moving to Calgary in 2013. She currently works in Procurement. Carolina has always loved animals and has been actively involved with different animal shelters in Venezuela and in Calgary. She fosters dogs and volunteers at AARCS (Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society). In her spare time, Carolina loves to play soccer, run around the city with her friends, go hiking on the weekends, read a good book by the river, and watch lots of sports on TV. She is also a music lover and plays the drums whenever she has a chance.

Courtney is a professional athlete who is passionate about all types of animals! She grew up in Edmonton with various cats, dogs and birds, and has also often stayed at her grandparents’ farm and looked after the animals there. Courtney went to school in the USA on a softball scholarship, where she obtained a degree in Psychology and Criminal Justice. On her travels playing softball, she has often had the chance to care for animals through host families; and has always made looking after the animals a priority, along with making them feel loved and cared for. Courtney currently has two cats who she loves and cherishes – if she had the space, she would probably have a small zoo! As an animal advocate, Courtney has always adopted animals from the SPCA and Humane Society.

Emma loves all creatures – her cats come before anything else! She cannot wait to run a farm someday so that she can rescue all the animals. If Emma could just spend her days surrounded by animals, she thinks it would be a pretty great life!

As a retired RN, Gerda is able to follow her passion and care for dogs in her home. Gerda has had dogs and cats most of her life and presently has two rescue dogs: Mr. Quincey, an 8-year-old Bichon Shitzu and Mr. Tucker, a 16-year-old poodle cross. Gerda’s home has a fenced yard and ample space for the dogs to play, and she offers lots of love and cuddles! She is able to take two small dogs at a time, and is also available for check-ins in the NW area.

Graham works in the Oil and Gas engineering business, and hobbies include almost anything done outdoors, including hiking, camping, skiing, skating, etc. He has a long history with pets. Growing up, his family lived on acreages, so there were always several large dogs (usually German Shepherds) around as pets. Over the years, in addition to dogs, he’s had cats, iguanas, hedgehogs, gerbils, fish, mice and snakes, and jokingly tells people that he currently has about 1200 pets in the house (he does vermicomposting [worm composting], and that is the estimated number of worms in the composter!).

Hailing from a little-known country named Lithuania, Julija has enjoyed living in Calgary with her family for more than 16 years. As an online student working towards her Bachelor's Degree, she has a very flexible schedule and a willingness to provide the best animal care possible. In her spare time you can find her volunteering at AARCS, attending barre workout classes, or petting any dogs within reach. Having always grown up with different types of animals (both furry and scaly), she feels comfortable and informed dealing with various behaviours and temperaments. With previous shelter, pet-sitting, and boarding experience, you will feel at ease leaving your beloved pets with her!

Justin and Estefi are pet lovers of all kinds that have been pet sitting for multiple years now. Justin has been around all kinds of pets since he was a child and Estefi has been gathering experience with him since they started pet sitting as a team. In their time off, they like to travel and try out new foods, while exploring different parts of Calgary during their pet sitting bookings.

Kaitlyn is currently in her third year at Mount Royal University, majoring in Health Science. In her spare time, she loves to go hiking, climbing and travelling. Even though, at the moment, she has no pets at home, she has always loved animals of any kind – especially cats and hedgehogs!

Born and raised in Calgary, Kristi is a full-time pediatric interior designer and lives with her husband Alec, a cyber security analyst. Kristi and Alec are the parents to one human baby, Hunter, and two Bengal cats, Cricket and Xena. Previously, they have had dogs, cats, hedgehogs, frogs, snails and fish as pets.

Kristyn is majoring in International Relations with a Psychology minor at the University of Calgary. She is passionate about global health and development, and enjoys hiking and playing soccer in her free time. She has been around pets from a young age and is excited to hang out with your furry (and not furry!) friends!

Laurel is currently in her third year at Mount Royal University, majoring in Health Science. She plans to continue on to optometry after she finishes her undergraduate degree. When she’s not at school, you would probably find her outdoors, climbing, hiking or camping. While Laurel does not currently have any furry friends at home, she loves animals of all shapes and sizes. She is also very passionate about travelling, and hopes to travel the world one day!

Megan is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Education degree in Calgary, after completing a music degree at the University of Victoria. She is happy to be home in the Rocky Mountains, where she loves to spend time hiking, kayaking and snowshoeing. She has a great love for all animals, having grown up with dogs, fish and bearded dragons. As well as outdoor activities, Megan is very excited about growing vegetables in her garden, hanging out with her dogs, and baking yummy treats in the kitchen. 

Pietro is a full-time student at the University of Calgary, with the goal of attending Medical School. In his home country, Italy, he had a dog, three cats and fish. Pietro has a lot of experience with animals, including administering medication (even when they do not want it!), as well as with aggressive behaviour in dogs. He is looking forward to getting to know and taking care of your pets!

Sai was born in central Thailand in the province of Lopburi, and her husband, Brandon, was born and raised in Canada. Sai came to Canada in 2016 and has worked as a nanny/caregiver since coming to Calgary, and Brandon works as an attendant at the Porsche dealership. Both Sai and Brandon have had pets all their lives, with Sai’s pets being dogs and Brandon’s being fish and hamsters. They enjoy travelling and being outside – whether it be a walk around the neighbourhood or a hike in the mountains!

Tiffany is a native Calgarian and exotic pet enthusiast. A Clinical Research Consultant by day, she spends her nights lavishing attention on her three adorable bunnies Pumpkin, Cookie and Oreo. She is renowned in her social circles for her ability to binge Netflix and kitty cuddling prowess while volunteering at her local no-kill cat shelter.

Titia was born and raised in the Netherlands and immigrated to Canada in 1979. She has lived in Alberta, Ontario, Saskatchewan and in China. Titia is retired from the health care industry, and enjoys going for walks, during which she is often joined by her friend and her friend’s dog. She enjoys skiing, hiking, camping and several sports. Responsible and energetic, Titia looks forward to looking after your pets!

Born and raised in Alberta, Karla spends her time writing, while snuggling in with a furry companion. She has published a book of poetry and is working on novel-length fiction and screenplays with elements of fantasy and science fiction. As a lover of animals, Karla enjoys filling in the time an owner is away with constant companionship for the pets in the place where they are most comfortable. Besides writing and animals, she loves puzzles and can be found challenging herself with Room Escapes and strategic board games.

Colleen is the mother of our co-owner, Andrew, and resides in Cochrane, AB. Colleen has a degree in Communications and Culture, with a minor in Psychology, and puts it to use in one of the local Elementary Schools. In addition to her love for animals, Colleen enjoys commuting on her bike and hiking with her family.

Heather is a retired nurse who grew up in Saskatchewan. As a child, she always had cats as pets and also had a German Shepard for several years. For the last 25 years, her and her husband have had one or two cats as part of the family. Heather is now retired and travelling a lot, so does not have pets of her own. She gets her "doggie fix" by talking to and petting friendly dogs that she meets, with their owners, along the river path where she walks every morning. The dog's excitement to be petted by a "new friend" always makes her smile. Besides animals, Heather also enjoys hiking, canoeing, snow shoeing, x-country skiing, yoga, and she plays the alto saxophone in a concert band and with a duet partner. Heather loves reading and cooking for friends and family.

Born and raised in Alberta, Donna is the grandmother of co-owner, Amanda. She is a retired teacher and has also been employed with Statistics Canada. As a child, Donna spent her summer months with her Grandparents helping at their farm east of Edmonton, where her love of all animals blossomed and grew. She has spent her married years living in beautiful Rural Alberta with her cherished canine, feline and equine companions. Recently relocated to small-town-living, Donna resides in Carstairs with a wonderful dog and two cats. Donna’s home is located on a pond, with a beautiful backyard complete with secure chain link fencing. She welcomes your special small, furry family member into her loving, calm and responsible care while you are away! Prior to joining the Assured team, Donna has frequently cared for dogs of family and friends – her niece even calls her home ‘ Doggies Club Med’. Donna also enjoys gardening, bird watching, developing her yard for native bees and is becoming an avid reader.

An Edmonton based performer, Adam is loving the varied climate of Alberta, comfortable in both sandal and snowshoe weather. A dog at heart, and lover of all pets, Adam works as an actor in film and theatre. You might see him in a commercial or short film! But mostly as a clown, trained at the University of Alberta, and performing physical theatre all over North America, but always coming back to beautiful Alberta!

Bailey is a professional makeup artist and costume maker working mostly in theatre, having started out in cosplay as a self-taught sewer. Growing up, she spent lots of time on her grandpa's farm, helping to bottle-feed calves and taking care of chickens. She has spent over 5 years pet sitting for family and close relatives, from cats and dogs, to even a prize-winning pet rabbit! She likes to say she is a single mother to two rowdy sons: her cockatiel, Victor and hedgehog, Hoss! Bailey says that getting to know all these different animals and learning their unique personalities has been a treasure, and she has come to love and appreciate many different species from scales to fur.

Felicity is an Edmonton born and raised artist and writer, who works part time at a downtown bouldering gym and cafe. Her life has always included animal friends: house rabbits, hamsters, dogs, cats and canaries! In her free time, she likes climbing, drinking lattes, open mic performances, and of course, cuddling the gym puppies!

Gillian was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta. She has been an avid animal lover since the age of 5 and has been called the “pet whisperer” amongst her friends and family. Furry, feathered or finned, Gillian has a knack for understanding animals and treating them with care and compassion. Gillian lives with an 8-year old sealpoint ragdoll, a 13-year old grey tabby, a 3-year old Dutch blue peach faced lovebird, and a 1-year old Australian Cinnamon lovebird!

Kira is fascinated with dogs and their unique human bonds. Did you know that dogs are the first domesticated animal? Arguably humans and dogs domesticated each other, but that is a fight for the academics. Speaking of, Kira spent her Bachelor’s and Masters’ at the University of Alberta obsessing over dogs, old and young. She even travelled through Europe and Russia understanding how we bonded with dogs in the ancient past. But this is just academic experience; Kira’s day-to-day focuses heavily on her Heinz 57 agility-dog, takes biweekly care of her and her brother’s cat, and casually cares for the chinchilla she left with her parents to adore. Mostly for fun, she performs roles as a Standardized Patient, which if you have never heard of, please kindly find episode 172 of Seinfeld, “The Burning”. No, she has no idea where she is going in her life, but hey, making sure your pets have a great day while you are away is a pretty sweet place to be!

Mellissa is a dedicated fur friend and humanitarian! She has been watching many different pet species off and on for more than 10 years, and currently has a kitty and a rabbit in her own fur family. All the pets Mellissa has had in her adult life have been rescues. She is experienced in caring for pets with health issues, and if she had the funds and space, she would most likely build an animal sanctuary! That being said, she currently lives in a tiny apartment and so she works through Assured to get her pet fix :)

A passionate animal lover who hates the thought of you having to put your pets in a kennel with other pets; Renée is a firm believer of keeping pets in their familiar environment when the owners need to leave them. Renée is a semi-retired commercial interior designer who has been pet sitting for more than 8 years, not only in Alberta, but also overseas. She feels it is a treat to care for animals as she does not have any pets of her own. Renée is an avid traveller who loves to explore the arts, paint and create sculptures to stimulate her creativity and curiosity.

Born and raised in Calgary, Steven has always been an animal lover. He grew up with a black lab, a miniature schnauzer, hamsters, fish and a snake. He now makes his home in Edmonton, where he works as an actor and music director, and is the proud owner of a schnauzer cross.

Anna was born in Poland and came to Canada with her family when she was 11 years old. She has worked in sales and customer service for the past 20 years, and lives on a farm outside of Edmonton in Leduc County – it is her Zen place! Anna’s life revolves around her teenage son, two cats and border collie. She loves going for long walks with her dog, biking and gardening. Anna cannot wait to come home from work for my cuddles from her fur babies (cats). Her son and her fur babies are her happiness – they bring her the most joy!

Born and raised in Calgary, AB, Isabelle is halfway through a Psychology degree at the University of Lethbridge, with an ultimate goal of Medical school. Isabelle loves helping people and animals alike; and loves all animals no matter how big or small. Her family currently has an 8-year-old dog named Milo who is super energetic, but also as big a fan of cuddles as she is! Isabelle is awaiting the day that she is out on her own and able to get a cat and a leopard gecko. She spends most of her free time with friends and family, but also enjoys embroidery, table top games and swimming.

Rachel is an animal enthusiast. A former elite athlete with a business degree, she works at a pet resort, coaches softball pitching, and draws plans for her family construction company. When not working on her current venture you’ll find her exploring, meeting new people, being outdoors, practicing yoga or meditating! Rachel believes that every living thing is love, and deserves our fullest attention at that present moment. Living a non-traditional life results in no pets of her own, sadly, so she looks forward to meeting your furry loved ones and loving them like they deserve!

Having completed a university degree in Life Sciences in Ontario, Colleen returned to Calgary for a while and has now transplanted to Vancouver! Her passions include public health, plants, good hiking trails, chai tea, and of course, animals. She has had pets her entire life - dogs, cats, and even a few rabbits, and believes a family is best completed with some sort of animal companion. She loves spending time with animals of all kinds and is always excited to make a new furry friend!

Tudor and Anika are a couple from Calgary who both love animals! Tudor is currently working at the University of Calgary and Anika is finishing her degree in nursing. In their free time, they love to spend time outdoors (hiking, skiing, climbing), as well as spend time with their family, friends, and dogs.

We look forward to meeting you and your fur babies soon!