Meet the Dog Care Team

Hello, I'm Shaheen, better known as Aunty Shan.
 

Before Aunty Shan’s Dog Care, I spent 16 years in administrative and PA roles across the NHS, Social Services, and Education. Alongside my then full-time career, I began providing dog care because it brought a kind of happiness into my life that I hadn’t found in my day-to-day work. The more time I spent caring for dogs, the more meaningful it became. It wasn’t simply something I enjoyed doing on the side. It gave me a growing sense of purpose and made me start questioning what I really wanted my life to look like.
 

I built my experience through dog-care platforms, where I achieved Star Sitter status, worked at a pug café alongside my full-time career and continued my own professional development in dog care, behaviour and welfare. Some of those early clients saw something before I fully did. They encouraged me to build something of my own, and I’m proud that some of those same families are still part of Aunty Shan’s Dog Care today.
 

Some of those early clients actually saw the potential before I fully did. They encouraged me to build something of my own, and I’m proud that some of those same families are still part of Aunty Shan’s Dog Care today.

I launched Aunty Shan’s Dog Care part time in August 2023 alongside my then full-time career. A few months later, after 16 years in that career, I decided to leave and move into professional dog care full time from January 2024.
 

There is also a personal reason behind the way I care.
 

My own life experiences taught me how much safety, patience, consistency and being understood can matter. As I began caring for more rescue dogs, anxious and sensitive, that understanding became an important part of my approach.
 

I don’t believe dogs should be judged simply by the behaviour we see on the surface. Every dog has their own personality, experiences, fears, preferences and ways of communicating. With rescue dogs in particular, we may never know every part of their history, but we can still respect what they are telling us in the present.
 

That is why I take time to understand the dog in front of me rather than expecting them to fit into a standard way of doing things.
 

Today, with over three years of professional dog-care experience, I have cared for dogs of many breeds, ages, personalities, and needs, including rescue dogs, nervous and reactive dogs, senior dogs, and dogs requiring medication or a little extra patience and understanding.
 

My previous career still plays a big part in how I run Aunty Shan’s Dog Care too. Preparation, organisation, reliability, communication and attention to detail mattered enormously in my PA and administrative work, and I believe they matter just as much when somebody is trusting you with their dog and their home.
 

As Founder and Lead Dog Carer, I remain closely involved as the business grows, from getting to know new dogs and preparing personalised care plans to supporting the Associate Dog Carer who work alongside me.
 

We strive for excellence in dog care, but excellence does not mean perfection. To me, it means preparing properly, paying attention to the little things, communicating openly, making thoughtful decisions, taking responsibility, adapting when needed and continuing to learn from every dog and every booking
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Because good dog care is about far more than simply being there. It is about understanding the dog in front of you.
 

Professional development & recognition

• Ofqual-regulated Canine Practical First Aid

• IMDT Red Flag Behaviours: Canine Emotional Health

• Ongoing CPD in dog care, behaviour, welfare and safety

• DBS checked 2026

• Fully insured

• Dog Sitter of the Year, Southern Region, Animal Star Awards 2025

• Featured on the Pet Sitter Confessional podcast