Washington DC: Xuan-Huong Nguyen Owner
Xuan-Huong Nguyen is founder and original owner of Tails of the City DC.
Raised in Northern California, I was surrounded by a wide variety of pets ranging from German Shepherds to tortoises and exotic fish to rabbits. My fascination with pets started at an early age. In Vietnam, my family lived on a farm and was used to sharing walkways with chickens, ducks, pigs and yes, even water buffalo. One would be amazed at how playful they are! Once my family immigrated to the United States as political refugees in the mid-70's, the tradition of sharing our home with pets continued, even in the midst of the Bay Area's suburbia. Our home life was not complete unless caring for living beings - all livings beings - the four-legged, furry, finned and scaled variety - was apart of our every day.
I started Tails of the City in 2002 at a time when I was flirting with the idea of business entrepreneurship. If I could spend all my time devoted to a single business, what kind of business, I ruminated, might that be? One involving pets, of course! What better way to spend my workday? Pet sitting and dog walking is an animal lover's dream come true! After 7 successful years, I am proud of the growth of my business idea and the reputation Tails of the City has developed in the region. Most importantly, I am grateful that I have instilled a lifetime of undying devotion to animals within my three children whose free time is spent watching Animal Planet or reading the Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds. Over the years, we have had several pets in our household, taking in fosters or ones found wandering in the street. My children are proud caretakers of several dozen hermit crabs and a robo hamster named, Greta. Thus, the genesis of the next generation of pet care lovers!
I carry the following personal philosophy on pet care with me always: For all that a pet offers his or her owners - the inexhaustible well of love, the hours of entertainment and humor, the constant companionship and unmitigated loyalty, it is our duty to give them the best quality of life imaginable. For all that they offer us, they deserve no less.