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The Buddy System for Pets has the mission of easing the worry of working and vacationing pet parents by providing walks, bathroom breaks and companionship when the parent is not available. We provide at home services where your pet is most familiar and comfortable. Dog daycares and boarding kennels have their place, but we believe in allowing the dog to stay home and in their comfort zone, especially for overnight care when their family is away. It can be a stressful time for your dog, so being able to stay home relieves one of the stressors. Our empathetic and caring team will be there to relieve any other stressors and maintain contact with the pet parent. Our consistent communication allows the pet parent to be fully present at work or while on vacation because they are confident their furry family member is in good hands.
Our team is made up of compassionate and understanding animal lovers who understand that your pet is an important part of your family and deserves to be treated as such. Each team member is certified in pet CPR and First Aid and have experience with animals’ behaviors. We are trained to notice red flags in behaviors caused by situations such as anxiety, nerves or needing medical attention.
Our founder and service provider, Nikki Hoffman, has a background in behavior therapy for children with Autism, personal care (PCA) for children with special needs and has her Bachelor’s in Psychology from UMASS Dartmouth. She worked with children for ten years and always wanted a dog of her own, but was unable to due to being a renter. She loved walking outdoors and started walking and caring for dogs for the pure enjoyment of it in 2019. She did this part time for a year until her living situation changed and allowed her to adopt her own dog!
Nikki has a love for senior dogs and adopted a 14 year old Yorkie/Maltese named “Buddy”. At his age he had many health concerns and extreme separation anxiety. However, when Buddy had Nikki close by, he felt secure and his youthful side came out to play! Since Nikki could not leave Buddy home alone due to his extreme separation anxiety, she brought him along everywhere in his sling bag. With a permanent sidekick, walking dogs took the back seat. Nikki and Buddy had a year together when he passed in May 2021. This little dog changed Nikki’s life and confirmed her love for caring for dogs.
We changed our name from “Heeling Hearts Pet Care” to “The Buddy System for Pets” in memory of Buddy. Small, old and stinky, but never forgotten and always loved.