About Us
Meet Our Animal Care Companions
Portland Mutt Strut, LLC, an Oregon-licensed, insured and bonded company based in NE Portland has been providing dog walking and pet sitting services since January 2009. A locally-owned and operated company, our team of dog walkers and pet sitters will give you our fullest attention, your pets the finest of care and show you why we were named Portland's #1 Pet Sitter by Spot Magazine in BOTH Feb 2012 and Feb 2011!
Wag More, Worry Less. The health and happiness of your pets, and your own confidence and peace of mind is of utmost importance to us. You're inviting Portland Mutt Strut's dog walkers and pet sitters into your home to care for your beloved pets. This partnership is based on respect and professionalism and we nurture that relationship with the highest commitment to quality and compassion.
Our Animal Care Companions, Only the Best. While your best friend enjoys their normal at-home routine, you too can rest assured that, next to you, they are in the best of all possible hands. All of Portland Mutt Strut's professional dog walkers and pet sitters are stringently screened, carefully trained and regularly reviewed.
Our professional dog walkers and pet sitters not only love and treat your pets as they do their own, but each has extensive animal care experience, including the skills involved in walking all types of dogs. So, whether it's a rambunctious puppy with energy to burn or a senior citizen cat with diabetes that needs medication, you can count on Portland Mutt Strut's dog walkers and pet sitters to provide a level of care, affection and attention second only to yours.
The hallmark of our dog walking and pet sitting team is our EXPERIENCE. We only hire the very best who meet Portland Mutt Strut's strict criteria:
- Extensive animal handling skills
- Passion and love for all animals
- Superior customer service skills
- 100% commitment to our clients
- Unwavering reliability
- Experience in administering medication/treatments
- Ability to think on their feet and calmly handle any situation that may arise
Portland Mutt Strut gladly takes on the pets that other dog walkers and pet sitters would prefer not to handle, such as:
- The big strong dog who overreacts to other dogs on his walk
- The sneaky cat that disappears when it's time for medication
- The frightened rabbit that needs its space and lots of time to warm up to others
- The young dog who needs to learn proper etiquette and whose mission in life is to pull you down the street with wild abandon
- The home with a full brood of pets, each with special needs, including customized meals and routines, wide array of medications and orchestrated sleeping arrangements
Patricia McKinney
- Founder and Owner of Portland Mutt Strut, LLC
- Manages all aspects of the business including day-to-day operations, marketing, finance, contracts and customer service
- Full-time Animal Care Companion
Patricia’s love of animals propelled her to follow her passion full-time and start Portland Mutt Strut. As an Oregon Humane Society Volunteer since 2001, she developed extensive experience handling and walking all types of dogs. Her animal handling and team leading skills have proven invaluable during technical rescues involving dogs, cats, rabbits and other animals, including these disaster and neglect rescues:
- New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina: part of the Humane Society of the United States largest animal rescue and sheltering operation handling and caring for over 200 “challenging breeds” after their rescue from the hurricane
- St. Louis, Missouri: aided the local Humane Society in providing daily care for over 500 pit bulls rescued from a Federal bust of a multi-state dog fighting ring
- Burns, Oregon: participated with the Oregon Humane Society in rescuing over 130 feral dogs from cruel mistreatment and neglect and followed up by aiding in their rehabilitation to get ready for adoption
- Angel’s Rest and Mt. Hood, Oregon: helped in two different technical rescues of a dog fallen off a cliff, requiring extensive hiking and technical equipment knowledge and high-angle rescue
- Hillsboro, Oregon: aided Hillsboro Police in the care of over 100 rabbits rescued from a hoarding household
- Chehalis, Washington: participated with the Oregon Humane Society in rescuing and transporting over 25 cats from
a hoarding household
A continual learner, Patricia studies and learns from dog training experts though workshops, books and videos. She also instructs her Animal Care Companions in the proper skills and knowledge needed for any scenario they may encounter while dog walking or pet sitting. But her best teachers are her four-legged animals who continually educate and inspire Patricia every day.
Tamara S
- Full-time Animal Care Companion and Strut Supervisor
- ABC Certified Dog Trainer and Founder of Beyond Sit Dog Training
- Advisor to Portland Mutt Strut on all dog training concerns
Tamara is our resident certified dog trainer and an invaluable addition to our Animal Care Companion team. She earned a dog training certification from the Animal Behavior College and, no less, earned her Master's Degree in Psychological Counseling to help pets and their humans enjoy their lives together. Through Portland Mutt Strut's partnership with Tamara's company, Beyond Sit Dog Training, we offer full service solutions to your pets' ongoing needs, as well as your own. She is proud to offer counseling and support for end of pet's life planning, hospice and palliative care.
As is true with all our Animal Care Companions, Tamara believes in only using Positive Reinforcement training methods, a technique that uses reward to change problem behavior. In addition to training, Tamara has over 20 years of non-profit leadership and management including her work as Director of Operations for a non-profit animal welfare clinic. She has hundreds of hours of volunteering at animal shelters evaluating, walking and socializing dogs, training volunteers and educating the public on responsible pet care. She is truly committed to her community, a common thread with all our Animal Care Companions.
Jennifer S
- Animal Care Companion
- Advisor to Portland Mutt Strut on all animal behavior and training concerns
Jennifer is the consummate animal lover and if she had her way, she would spend every moment with them. As Oregon Humane Society's (OHS) Animal Training and Behavior Assistant since 2007, she's responsible for understanding animal behavior and helping diagnose and heal family-pet relationships. Portland Mutt Strut is extremely pleased to have access to her behavior and training knowledge and expertise. Jennifer is also part of the team that instructs Portland area dog owners at OHS' Learning Center, teaching:
Jennifer has been an OHS Volunteer since 2002 and received the prestigious "Volunteer of the Year" Award in 2006. She also serves on OHSTAR, OHS Technical Animal Rescue team and her animal handling skills, animal behavior expertise and calm demeanor have proven invaluable during technical rescues involving dogs, cats, rabbits and other animals.
With OHSTAR, Jennifer participated in several rescue and emergency animal sheltering events, including New Orleans' Katrina, Angels Rest, and Burns, Oregon rescues. In fact, her passion is so strong that she adopted Emi, a Shiba Inu from the Burns rescue. Emi went from a frightened and lost dog that just had a litter of puppies, to an extremely happy, healthy and loving member of Jennifer's family.
As Portland Mutt Strut's animal behavior advisor, Jennifer provides valuable insight to our Animal Care Companions and clients when faced with a challenging pet. She regularly attends behavior training workshops given by top experts in the field. As a graduate of a 12-week Dog Training Course given by Animal Behavior College, her expertise has proven to be invaluable.
Cindy H
- Animal Care Companion
You will always remember Cindy by her enormous smile, consistently friendly demeanor and her everlasting love of animals, especially dogs and cats. Her compassion is clearly indicated in her work as a counselor in community mental health. Also, just a few minutes with Cindy and a dog and you can see her love and passion for animals
shine through.
Since 2007, Cindy has been a regular volunteer dog walker and team leader at the Oregon Humane Society on the Sunday afternoon team that walks and cares for 80-100 dogs. She handles the strongest of dogs by teaching them good walking behavior using training tools and her skills.
Cindy has always had animals in her life and she currently shares her home with a sweet kitty along with a pit bull and elderly cat adopted from the Oregon Humane Society. Ever wonder who adopts the old cats? Cindy is one of those angels who brought home a 15-year old cat who is now quite comfortable in her new family.
Rick W
- Animal Care Companion
Right away you will notice Rick's ease and comfort around all animals, especially dogs. The animals know that he is a kindred spirit and they truly enjoy his company and friendship. He has the best "dog park energy" so all the dogs want to be around him while he enjoys watching them run and tussle about.
Rick has eight years of rescue experience and has often cared for very sick and injured pets until he was able to find them new a home. We are very fortunate to have Rick on our team because his compassion and warmth is shared by all.
Both canine and feline companions have shared Rick's home for many years and he currently resides with two dogs and one cat.
Kim K
- Animal Care Companion
When Kim meets a new pet, she gives them her all and becomes their new best friend. So say the lucky dogs at the Oregon Humane Society where she spends her volunteering time by taking them for their walks. She enjoys making that connection with the dogs and sharing some love with them.
Kim's passion runs deep, she is enrolled in the dog training curriculum at the Animal Behavior College with a goal of earning her dog training certificate. Our clients get the benefit of her training skills as she gets "hands-on" practice with them!
Having been a "eline-fanatic family" for over 20 years, she now embraces the canine world in her home with the addition of a sweet pit bull named Kula. She came from a shelter as a Parvo survivor and has led an extraordinary life so far as a therapy dog in nursing homes all over Portland.
Stephanie S
- Overnight Animal Care Companion
Stephanie is one of our Overnight specialists and we are so happy to have her part of our team. She is an animal lover and advocate since childhood. She would bring home strays and beg her parents to let her keep them, so she had many pets growing up. Also Stephanie was quite the entrepreneur as a teenager – she would often approach pet owners asking to walk their dog for them during the summer.
Stephanie has been a pet sitter for over 12 years and continues to study animal care and behavior by taking educational courses through Dove Lewis and the Oregon Humane Society. She is also quite the crafter. Stephanie makes home-made dog and cat treats, leash hangers and organic dog soaps and sells them at bazaars and craft shows and donates a portion of the proceeds to the Oregon Humane Society.
