My name is Erin Barrett and I am the owner/operator of Dog Gone Bizzy!  As far back as I can remember I loved furry critters, although truth be told I'm not so sure they always loved me back (see photo evidence at left below)!  When I was four years old, we welcomed a new dog named Fluffy into our family.  Fluffy was a cocker spaniel, poodle and terrier mix (she's the unfortunate creature slung over my shoulders in the middle picture below).  To be sure that dog had her own quirky little personality, but we all loved her and she was truly a member of our family for the next seventeen years. 

        "Put me down nowwwww!"             My early dog handling technique       My favorite horse, Brownie (don't you love that outfit?!)

Raised in California, I earned my B.A. from the University of Chicago before moving to New Jersey to do marketing work for a Fortune 100 corporation.  I stayed with that company's International division for nearly ten years, during which time I also earned my M.B.A. from New York University.  I learned a lot about business during those years, and had the opportunity to travel all over the globe.  While these were great experiences, I felt increasingly unfulfilled and unsatisfied in my career.  When a downsizing hit our group, I was relieved because I knew that no matter what happened in the future, I would ultimately be happier doing something different.  I kept hearing the same advice from everyone--do what you love and good things will follow.  It took a while to realize that what I would really love to do is to help people by taking the best possible care of their dear pets when they can't always be there.  Dog Gone Bizzy! was born! 

In addition to running Dog Gone Bizzy!, I volunteer on a regular basis to manage a private, no-kill adoption center in Manhattan.  I have experience as a dog handler working with dogs of all sizes, breeds and temperaments.  I currently share my home with three funny and unique cats.  The long-haired calico below is Trixie, and I rescued her from the alley behind my old apartment in Chicago.  She's teeny-tiny at only six pounds, but trust me that she holds her own.  The gray tabby cat is Clyde and he's all love.  He was originally rescued by a former co-worker of mine, who saw a bag of kittens get tossed out of a car window into a park.  The tuxedo kitty is Miss Kennedy, and she was found by a friend with a restaurant in Jersey City (on Kennedy Ave).  She would hang around the back of the restaurant looking for scraps, and eventually I was persuaded to come and pick up this impossibly cute little stray.  All three of my cats were rescues and they required way more medical attention than I'd originally bargained for, but it's all been worth it.    

              Snuggling on a cold day                   Watching their own kitty video!           The newest little troublemaker

While Fluffy has been gone for a while, our family dog is now a Chihuahua named Aladdin.  I rescued him when friends in New Jersey could no longer care for him.  He is spoiled beyond all comprehension by my parents, and living much more happily out in sunny Orange County, California than he ever did on the East Coast.