Testimonials

 Several months ago our family contacted Little Critters—Shauna Norton—to discuss the many major problems that we were having with our 15 month old toy poodle mix, named Joy. Joy had food, toy and people aggression. She was extremely aggressive with all but one of our family members. Joy would growl and snap daily at the children. Because of the fear we had regarding the safety of our three children, and potential visitors, we needed to make a commitment to retrain ourselves to help Joy become a loving family dog. We also made a decision that if this effort was not successful, we would have to place Joy up for adoption.

Shauna was able to teach us techniques and training skills to help Joy understand she is loved but is a dog . . . not a human. With commitment and consistency we were able to train Joy to wait for her food and toys. Joy is now able to come when called and sit and stay when asked. She no longer growls or snaps at the children. She is rewarded with treats and much praise.

Shauna has made a huge difference in our lives and the lives of our pets.

Sincerely,

Douglas and Janice Richardson

Shauna was a GREAT help to me and my cat, Blue. I contacted Shauna regarding my elderly cat who was recently diagnosed with thyroid disease and having some behavioral issues, like pooping outside of the litter box.

Since we couldn’t meet in person, she helped me remotely by phone. Not only is it obvious how much she cares about animals, she has a very good understanding of both emotional and physical illnesses in cats and was able to offer effective advice regarding daily routines, diet, supplements, food/litter location, etc.

She also educated me on the importance of having my indoor-only cat wear a collar with/tag at all times. She brought awareness to me of the dangers our pets face if the unexpected happens – i.e. house fire, lost, etc.

I am so grateful for Shauna and highly recommend her!

Zhanna Pauluhn from Niwot, Colorado

Shauna has made such a difference for all the members of our family, and we found her at just the right time. We have two Labrador Retrievers, Rosco and Gino, who would have failed regular puppy classes because when they saw another dog they went crazy, licking and sniffing them. We tried to train them on our own, but soon came to realize how out-of-control the situation had become when we were practically wrestling the dogs to protect any visitors to our home.

That’s when Shauna came into our lives—she quickly assessed the situation and made recommendations that yielded fast results. She set up training sessions for Rosco and Gino individually, three days a week; however, she quickly realized that they needed to be crated and trained separately. We watched Gino’s confidence grow, and saw how Rosco was becoming more obedient. Shauna started training them on basic obedience skills, and the dogs became easier to control each week.

At the end of the first year, Rosco and Gino are completely different dogs. They listen to commands, come when called, and thanks to Shauna, they can find their way home if they ever become lost. An important aspect of their training came with the weekly meetings. Shauna sets them up to teach us how to train the dogs, go over our progress, assess the next step in training, and address any other issues that may arise.

Scheduling has been a dream with Shauna. She will change her visit days based on what is best for us, even up to the night before. (She has also come to let us in when we locked ourselves out of the house, but that is another story!) We almost needed her for an emergency vacation sitter, and she was able to make herself available three days before we were leaving to petsit for the week we were gone. She made an extremely frantic time trouble-free.

Shauna is also flexible with pricing. We could not believe she charged by time and not by the number of dogs. This enabled us to have one-to-one training for both dogs in our home rather than having to bring them to a class. Over the course of the year, Shauna has accommodated our needs by offering various pricing options. There were times when we could afford more visits, and times when we could not, but Shauna was flexible enough to allow the dogs to get the training they needed at a price we could afford.

We now have control over the dynamic duo, and can bring them to places such as Faneuil Hall, the North End, and the pet store. Rosco and Gino love Shauna and so do we!

Sincerely,

Andrea and Antonio Galante

For more than six years, I have depended on Shauna Norton and Little Critters Training & Care to care for my three indoor cats, my plants, and in general, watch over my home when I travel. My work often takes me away two or three times a month, and often for periods of a week or more.

Shauna and her staff have consistently been available to meet my schedule—often with very little advance notice. More importantly, they have developed such a warm and trusting relationship with my pets that sometimes I think the cats hardly miss me when I’m away!

An important factor for someone who travels as much I do is knowing that the individuals coming into your home each day are not only caring and trustworthy, but are also alert to their surroundings and watching for sign of anything out of the ordinary. Several years ago, while I was on an extended trip in mid-winter, Shauna arrived at my home and noted that it was unusually cold. She investigated and found that the pilot light had gone out on my furnace. She not only called my emergency contact person, but agreed to stay at the house until my friend could get there—in this case, a matter of hours. In the interim, she located a service number on the furnace and decided to call them for advice. By the time my friend arrived, Shauna—with telephone assistance from the furnace repair service—had reignited the pilot light and had the situation under control. Had Shauna not been alert to the change in temperature—or had she chosen to ignore it—my pipes would have frozen and it is likely that the temperature would have eventually dropped so low that my cats would have suffered or worse.

Petsitting is a difficult and demanding business, and turnover of staff can be particularly difficult for the business owner. Shauna has worked hard to make sure that her clients don’t suffer when she loses a staff person or someone is out sick. She regularly steps in to cover commitments—often resulting in long hours and days without a break for her.

I am pleased to write this letter of support for Little Critters and the quality of their work.

Sincerely,

Kathy Savesky

I am writing a review of the woman who runs ‘Little Critters Training and Care’ given she helped me a lot with my two cat’s. She gave me solid advice when introducing my new kitty to the original kitty, who was not at all happy about the new arrival. Her recommendation of letting them have their own space (safe and secure). Letting the original cat (Anastasia) get used to the other cat (Mirana) over time. Keeping litter box in separate room (or hallway) than were she sleeps or eats and allowing them to have their separate eating areas….she had so many good suggestions and they worked like a dream. They are doing so much better and I am so grateful for the help….because in the end, we don’t know what we don’t know and sometimes we just need some solid advice to solve what might look like an impossible situation.
Thanks so much Shauna….you’re the best!

Sincerely,

Teresa McKay


Shauna is the reason my 17 year old cat is alive and with me today. A few months ago she was starving to death even though she appeared to be eating. Shauna got her to eat solid food, interfaced with emergency and holistic vet care and helped me see deeper into all aspects of my kitty’s being. When vets suspected my kitty of cancer, Shauna gave her homeopathy for depression and turned her around. She leaves no stone of pet care unturned. She researches everything, and has raised my consciousness about the animal mind, body and soul. She is my pet whisperer and guru. I feel very blessed to have her in my family.

Sincerely,

Lacey Lee Edwards

Privacy Policy
Terms of Use
Disclaimer