On Pet Care Services During the Pandemic: An Interview with Pet Porter Pals

Have you ever met someone who is like walking sunshine? They beam light into the world just by being who they are. Carmel Mims, founder of Pet Porter Pals, is one such person. I recently had the opportunity to video chat with Carmel, and I walked away heart a-beamin’ that the world has people like her. 

A bit of backstory - I first met Carmel through a webinar she taught on Emergency Preparedness for Pets. Her advice enabled me to take care of Junipurr a few weeks later, when an unexpected neighborhood fire compelled us to evacuate. In addition to sharing animal care tips with pet parents, Carmel runs a business focused on providing essential care services for senior citizens and their pets. I reached out to learn more about Pet Porter Pals and how the pandemic has impacted her work. Here’s Carmel.

When did you discover your love for animals? 

I think my love for animals is genetic. My mom is a huge animal lover, and I grew up with all kinds of animals, from cats, dogs, rats, a mouse, a rabbit, a fish, to a turtle. My mom was a saint for allowing me to have all these different animals throughout the years! She definitely fostered my love for animals. One of my first jobs was at a veterinary clinic, and I loved it. I currently have one furbaby at home: Coco is an adult black cat I adopted a few years ago, and she loves giving me kisses all over my face when I come home. 

(Editor’s note: Coco graced the video chat at this precise moment, swishing past the camera and waving hello with her tail. Literal angel :)

At the same time, I’ve also always had a passion for helping people, especially those who are often less seen and cherished by society. This passion took shape in high school when I participated in a program called Best Buddies, which paired kids who had special needs with kids who did not. I gained so much from that experience, and I committed to always being a bridge, a friend, and a resource to people who may be more vulnerable. Before starting my own business, I worked in a shelter as a case manager and helped people experiencing homelessness as well as teenagers with special needs. 

What sparked you to build your own business, Pet Porter Pals? 

I very much did not intend to become an entrepreneur! My mom is a baller – she raised me as a single parent while also building her own business. However, growing up and watching her hustle, I decided I did not want all the fluctuations and uncertainty that come with entrepreneurship. I just wanted a 9-to-5. But at a turning point in my career when I was kind of lost, I went with my mom to an entrepreneur training class, and one of the assignments was figuring out what would you do if money wasn’t an issue, and you could do what you really wanted? That was a game-changer.

That’s a Big Question, Alan Watts style! It would give most people an existential crisis or at least a long session in the ice cream aisle. What did it bring up for you? 

I knew I had two strong and equal passions: I love taking care of animals and I love helping people, especially people who are going through vulnerable life stages. I began thinking about fusing the two and started exploring: What would seniors who are moving into an assisted care living facility, or who are no longer able to physically care for their pets, or who have Alzheimer’s do with their pets? Surrendering their baby to the shelter would be heartbreaking! Their baby is their world, their emotional anchor. I wondered if I can help protect and preserve the special bond between seniors and their animals. That’s how Pet Porter Pals came about. 

Your courage to forge your own path and pursue your full heart is so inspiring. You are the definition of what Marie Forleo calls a multi-passionate entrepreneur! So, what does Pet Porter Pal do, exactly? 

My mission is to help senior citizens and their beloved pets stay connected, and I take care of the grunt work of pet care so that my seniors can just enjoy the companionship of their pets, without putting themselves or their pets at risk. Sometimes that means doing services like cleaning out the litter box for a client with arthritis, or developing a consistent feeding or medication schedule for the pet if the senior is developing dementia. I have one client, for example, who is in her 80s, and she has a five-year-old dog who is very large and energetic. He can easily pull her down on walks, and she could get very injured. But she loves her dog and he loves her, so I step in to walk the dog and keep her safe. 

Another category of work I do is transporting pets to visit their seniors living in a facility. Sometimes when a senior person moves into an assisted-living facility, a friend, family member, or neighbor will step up to keep the pet, but they often don’t have the time or energy to take the pet to visit the senior. I do that work so seniors can continue having the joy and comfort of their pet’s companionship, which is vital for the emotional well-being of both the senior and the pet. That’s how my business started, and it’s been a great journey. I’m grateful it’s been really well received by seniors, their families, and people who work in the senior care community. 

Tell me more about seniors and their pets. I hadn’t ever thought about furbaby love in the golden years before. 

The bond between seniors and their pets is immensely special. For many seniors, their pet is their only companion. So having their pets ripped out of their lives is detrimental to the mental and emotional well-being of everyone involved, which is why I am driven to do what I can to protect this sacred bond. I also think animals know when their humans are going through something difficult. They tend to stay closer to their people to protect and comfort them. One of my favorite animal clients, for example, is this cat named Gary (such a distinguished and serious name for a little furball), whose two elderly people both have Alzheimer’s. But the love between them is so strong – they treat him like a grandbaby, and he is so gentle and tender with them. In fact, if I had one super power, I’d love to be able to talk to animals because they are so wise and intuitive. 

How has the pandemic changed the pet care services you provide? 

For many seniors right now, their only companionship comes from their pet. I make sure the pets are well taken care of, which in turn helps the senior maintain his or her own sense of wellbeing. As long as their companion is ok, the seniors are usually ok. Even before covid, isolation and loneliness has been a pandemic amongst seniors. Covid has only exacerbated that. A good amount of my work is with seniors living in assisted-living facilities, and some have paused all visitations, which I totally respect. Nothing comes before the health and safety of the seniors. For the homes where I am still able to work, I comply with all the regulations, including get tested for Covid twice a week, provide my test results, wear full PPE etc. I think half of my bloodstream is now hand sanitizer! I try to keep myself super healthy so that I can keep doing the work and take care of both the seniors and their pets. I’ve got to be there for them, especially now when their families are not able to visit. 

Yes, self-care is foundational! Can you share a recent story from your work?

Recently, I got a call from a family who hasn’t been able to visit their mom for months, due to covid safety restrictions. Luckily, their mom lives in one of the facilities I can visit, as an essential care worker. So they asked if I could bring their mom’s dog, Satchi, to visit and cheer her up as well as check in on her. This senior has dementia and she hasn’t seen any loved ones for months, so I wasn’t sure if she’d recognize her dog. But she immediately cried out “Satchi!” when we walked in. And Satchi was the same - ran to her, putting his paws on her legs. Then they just stared into each other’s eyes for almost an hour. She was looking at him with love and gently petting his head, he was looking at her with love. I sat quietly in the corner to give them space. It was such a beautiful and palpable moment of connection. I feel honored to do what I do. 

If you had a Magic Wand, what big dream would you use it for? 

I would create a pet haven! One of the common heartbreaks I’ve witnessed in my years of work is when a senior passes away or moves into an assisted-living facility, and no one is able to step up and take in the pet. I would love to be able to provide my seniors with the peace of mind that their baby will be taken care of and loved, and I would also love to provide that continuity and emotional reassurance, as well as physical care, for the animals. My pet haven would be like a glorious pet spa with Tempur-Pedic beds, catification, private and play space ... Happy pets, happy people. That’s the dream!  

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Thank you, Carmel, for this heart-opening conversation! I can’t wait to see you manifest your Magic Wand dream. To learn more about Pet Porter Pals, visit their website and follow Carmel on Instagram and Facebook.