When Hans (husband #1) and I first got married we didn't have a lot of money. One day I saw in the local newspaper an ad for dog sitters. Since we had a little dachshund, Joopie, and certainly had room for more pooches, I called the number and talked to Jackie of Pets Are Inn. Jackie, whom we eventually called Wacky Jackie for her somewhat eccentric behavior, drove a Pets Are Inn van around Kirkwood picking up and delivering dogs for clients.
Although we took care of a variety of dogs, our main customers were a sweet little bichon whose name I can't remember, and a big hairy dog named Zia whose breed I can't remember. Joopie seemed to enjoy the occasional company. I think we were paid about $10 a day. Occasionally when a visitor "had an accident" we'd tell Jackie and get a little extra money. "Poop Money" was what we called it and when we got it we'd usually splurge on Chinese carry-out.
One day Wacky Jackie called and asked if we'd be interested in watching the dog of a very special client. I said, Maybe. Who is it? It was Leonard Slatkin, the conductor of the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, and his wife, Jackie said. I said, Sure, why not. Jackie said, Well, they want to come meet you and Hans first. I said, What? You told them we're great, shouldn't that be enough? Jackie said, They said they want to meet you and see the house and neighborhood. That was it for me. I told Jackie, Forget it. Nobody is going to judge me to see if I'm good enough to take care of their dog. I don't care who it is. Then Jackie said, I'm so glad you said that, Pam. She thought it was outrageous, too. But she didn't want to deny us the chance to make a little extra money if we really needed it. Which we didn't. Thank goodness.
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