Rebecca

I've just finished my PhD in Helsinki and, while I can't adopt a dog right now, I really miss having one around. I used to volunteer as a dog walker at Mikkelin Eläinsuojeluyhdistus, and I did 9 months of kotihoito for two big, animal-aggressive, sweet and derpy and difficult Russian wolfhounds (borzoi). I have a lot of experience with large, troublesome dogs, but I adore them all (cats and other pets too!)

I'm afraid my Finnish isn't great, but I can speak dog Finnish well enough, and if the dog is well-behaved I can take care of them in my own apartment (after my cat-man partner approves too). 

My first two degrees were in biology, and I worked for 10+ years in pet stores in the USA. I first volunteered with the American SPCA when I was 7 years old, so I'm a lifelong animal person. If you've got a particularly difficult dog and you want some references, I have many.

**A practical note** Long-term planning is a little difficult for me at the moment, because I'm looking for a new job now that my PhD is done and my university contract has ended. My schedule is totally open now, but will probably change whenever I find my next job, and it's possible I'll move out of Helsinki for work. But if I make a commitment to you and your pets, I will honour it, and I'm happy to work with you and your schedule as best I can 🙂