Elisa Patton
My passion for animals began at a young age. My grandparents had a small farm in Florida and my dad was a jockey. My family taught me very early on the importance of respecting and valuing the lives of the animals in our care. From them it became abundantly clear that there is no other job more important than caring for another living being.
I started doing overnight pet sitting while in college and then moved into the nonprofit world where I worked for a local no kill animal shelter for eight years. I did everything from pulling dogs and cats from kill shelter, intaking animals, helping with inpatient care, adoption counseling, etc. After time it became really rough seeing neglect and abuse cases day in and out. I wanted to move in a different direction of animal care and decided to become a pet sitter full time. I was able to work with a couple of close friends that started their own pet sitting services to see how I would like it and I absolutely loved it! One of those friends was Kelly Webb, the founder of Sitting Pretty Pet Care. Kelly was relocating and wanted to pass her business on to someone who would embrace it with the same enthusiasm and love as she did. I was beyond honored to be that person.
To make sure my pet care knowledge and methods are up to date I’ve attended training and behavioral seminars lead by world renown animal behaviorist such as Patricia McConnell and Ian Dunbar. I am also PetTech CPR and Pet First Aid Certified.
Kathleen Bohlmann
I grew up a Navy brat so I’ve always been a traveler. But from the time I was twelve, no matter where we lived, I became the pet sitter for the neighborhood. My deep love and respect for animals was born then and has stayed with me all my life.
After college, when it was time to find work, I wanted to put my experience with and love for animals to use. That’s when I found Sitting Pretty Pet Care. At the time the company was owned by Kelly Webb. Kelly hired me on full time as a dog walker and pet sitter. We were a tiny team of three people, but we worked hard and kept our pet parents – and children – happy. I spent two years full time with Sitting Pretty and then dialed down to part time.
When Elisa Patton bought Sitting Pretty, I had the fantastic experience of working with her. Working with Elisa was just as amazing as working with Kelly, even part time. Elisa always reached out to me when she needed extra help.
Now I work at The Dogwood Pet Hotel in South Dakota, but Sitting Pretty still holds a special place in my heart, so I assist with the scheduling and administration remotely.
Marta Garibaldi
Marta understands the importance of keeping her clients’ pets happy, healthy, secure and content.
Born in St. Louis and raised in New Jersey, Marta has always had a passion for animals. Instead of cartoons, she spent Saturday mornings watching dog breed programs on public television and hours on end glued to Animal Planet. Her first pets were two rabbits. By middle school, she convinced her parents to get their first dog, a pug named Salsa (who’s still kicking at 14 years old!). Her family later rescued a Puggle named Peach. It was a natural for Marta to begin walking dogs and pet sitting for her neighbors and friends before she even entered High School.
Educated at Bard College, a small liberal arts school nestled in the Hudson Valley, she earned two bachelors degrees – one in in Philosophy and one in Dance Choreography. She was awarded the Don Parker Prize
for Dance in her senior year, and went on to study Pastry Arts at the International Culinary Center in New York City (formerly the French Culinary Institute).
Following two years as a personal chef, Marta decided to switch careers and pursue her true dream – working with animals. After completing the PetSaver Program from PetTech, training in pet CPR and first aid, she began working at Sitting Pretty.
In her spare time, Marta runs her own food blog, practices photography and painting, reads avidly, and volunteers with FurKids – the largest no-kill animal shelter in the South East. She is the proud mom of two cats – a Maine Coon named Han Solo, and an orange tabby named Leia.
Her next big goals? Marta wants to train service animals and to work in animal therapy.
Claire McDonald
Claire knows how important it is for you to feel secure about your pets’ care. She has been working in petcare for over 5 years.
Love of animals has always been a big part of her life and she embraces that passion while working for Sitting Pretty and at home. Claire shares her home with her partner (who is a vet tech), two dogs and two cats. As a professional pet person, Claire believes that – when you’re away – the kindest arrangement for your pets is to leave them at home in familiar surroundings, following their usual routine.
The other constant in Claire’s life is music. She studied music in college and is a freelance classical and jazz flute player. Claire teaches flute part time at Eclectic Music (an in town school) and at the Atlanta Music Project (and afterschool program for underserved youth). Who knows, she may play a tune for your pets as they settle into sleep.
Michelle Potenzo
Michelle Potenzo is an overnight pet and house sitterfor Sitting Pretty Pet Care who calls Georgia her new home. She has lived in California and New York and has been a pet sitter in both states. But she says nothing prepared her for the unbounding love Atlanta pet parents have for their fur babies. She finds it a joy and honor to be responsible for her clients’ beloved fur babies and making sure they are happy and safe.
In addition to pet sitting part time, Michelle is a Realtor at Keller Williams Realty Metro Atlanta, which she thoroughly enjoys. Her free time is spent enjoying local theatre, museums and jazz concerts.
Bottom line, Michelle will make sure that her clients have peace of mind knowing their pets are happy, full of life and fans of Ella Fitzgerald.
Anna Southworth
Anna embraces the role of counselor to pet parents who are first time users and extremely nervous about leaving their ‘babies’. She understands their nervousness because she’s been a pet parent all of her life.
Anna is an Atlanta native. Animals are her passion. She’s the proud mom of three cats, a dog, and a guinea pig. Throughout her childhood her favorite thing to do was “dress up and play vet.” Her patients were her own pets. They all survived and thrived.
In addition to her job at Sitting Pretty, Anna volunteers at Best Friends Atlanta, focusing on cat and kitten care.
She is also currently enrolled at Georgia State University, pursuing a degree in early elementary education. Anna says that there are many similarities between teaching children and minding pets. They both
like learning new things but are happiest and healthiest when life is comfortable and straightforward with a fairly predictable routine.
Anna loves taking care of all the different dogs and cats she has met while working for Sitting Pretty. They bring a smile to her face!
