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ime to visit the vet, clip those nails, clean up that back yard? Going on vacation, and Fido’s hiding under the bed? Mobile pet services ease everyone’s stress by turning dreaded chores into a friendly visit. Here’s a list of providers for the local area. From veterinarians to poopy scoopers, they might just make your day:

Ultimate Dog, bringing full service grooming to your doorstep — (503-995-8991 / ultimatedog.vpweb.com), Damien and Kyle Smith.

Peggy Twedt needed help with her small dog. Sammie freaked at grooming shops but was too much to handle alone. She called Ultimate Dog, a mobile pet grooming salon. “ It’s so much less stress-ful for your animal,” Twedt said. “And, they aren’t more expensive. Not at all.” The spa’s owner, Damien Smith, start-ed as a veterinarian’s receptionist. When the groomer quit, the vet sent him to school. Twelve years later, he offers “bath, brush, ears, anal gland express, style cut, sanitary and lots of love” in his specially designed van. “They don’t have the stress,” he said. “There aren’t a lot of dogs barking.”

Unlike many groomers, Smith also handles cats. “Taking a cat to a dog place is like taking a lamb to a lion’s den,” he said. He drives to farms, assisted living communities and private homes. He offers Oregon Friends of Shelter Animals servic-es pro bono.

“He grooms the adoptable dogs, and handles cats,” said OFOSA president Cathy Nechak. “He’s a great groomer.” Peggy Tweldt agreed. “I am just delight-ed,” she wrote. “Damien did a great job, the best groom I think Sammie has ever had.”

Portland Pet Waste Pickup — (1-800-DogPoop / portlandpetwastepick-up.com), Tim Flanary.

Tim Flanary always liked animals. He volunteered at the Children’s Zoo as a kid. So, when he wanted out of the office and his own business, dogs seemed natural. Now his pet waste pickup company thrives with 70 customers from Beaverton, Tigard and on to Troutdale. The day begins by gathering bags, rub-ber gloves and disinfecting bleach. “I use something like a typical pooper scooper, but it’s more for fireplaces,” he said. “And, I have a big pan. It’s like a bucket with a handle on it.”

His trucks and three-wheel car range from good-on-gas to good-on-ice. A ban-ner with 1-800-DOG-POOP blazed across

each vehicle until, one-by-one the signs were stolen. “I have the 800 number,” he explained, “because it’s easy to remember. Like if you see it driving down the high-way.”

The worst days, Flanary said, are when it’s raining hard, he’s very busy, and he keeps “stepping in stuff.” He enjoys throwing balls and getting to know the animals. “I have a fun place with this Irish wolfhound,” he said. “He keeps getting in the trash. And, one time a dog peed on my foot. I’ll always remember that dog.”

— (1-877-500- 2275 / barkbusters.com), Al and Lisa Holzer.

After years of owning and training their dogs, Al and Lisa Holzer bought a franchise and went into business. Now they deal with dogs of all ages and breeds right in the client’s home. Common prob-lems include jumping, barking, toilet training, and nipping. They teach obedi-ence commands like sit, stay and heel. “We teach voice control,” Al Holzer said. “We want owners to have control without having to use treats.”

Holzer bases his training on pack ani-mal instinct. “Dogs learn faster in their pack environment, which is the home,” he said. “And, we deal with issues like what happens when your dog hears the neigh-bor’s dog.” Most clients require two to four home visits.

struggled not knowing what to do with my cats for years.” Now she saves others anx-iety by visiting pets in their home. Visits run 30 to 45 minutes and include feeding, cleaning litter and making sure cats are comfortable. She adjusts blinds and lights to create a lived-in look. “I stay close to the cat’s routine,” she said. Sometimes that means scheduling around medications. “The fun part is playing with the cats. Most come out when they get to know me.”

Job’s problem solving skills help ani-mals and their humans. For example, if a cat suddenly refused to use the litter box, she’d check external factors. “Maybe they saw a new neighborhood cat as a threat and started marking,” she said. You might put the litter box in a secluded area and keep the cat in that room for a while. If that didn’t work, we’d go on to something else. This is one of the fun parts of my job — figuring out things like that.”

Bark PDX, Professional Dog Walking & Pet Sitting Services — (503-259-2275 / barkpdx.com), Ozzy Greven. Businesses often start when people can’t find what they need, and Bark PDX is no exception. When Ozzy Greven’s wanted better service for his dogs, he decided to make it happen for everyone. “We are a small pet care company that provides dog walking and pet sitting,” he said. Clients include ferrets, fish, cats, hamsters and dogs of every size and shape. Visits include walking, feeding, and giving medicine. “The nicest experi-ence is coming into a house and seeing a dog who loves to see you,” Greven said.

“That’s what makes it the most rewarding job.”

Sometimes, anxious owners ask Greven to spend the night. “Recently I had a dog who had glaucoma and was blind in one eye,” he said. “I was providing overnight and it reached the other eye. He started bumping into my leg. I notified the owner and took the dog to the emergency vet. I tell you what, he’s doing well. I stayed with him again, recently.”

At Home Veterinary Service — (503-281-1631 / pdshomevet.com), Dr. Louise Mesher.

Dr. Louise Mesher meets patients inside their homes. “There’s no sense tak-ing them into a van that smells like other animals,” she said. She brings everything into the house including a computer with medical records. “I see the pet’s environ-ment so I can offer more solutions to problems,” she said.

Solutions begin with a veterinary house call. She mainly sees cats and dogs that cannot get out. They are frightened, elderly or their owners have disabilities or transportation issues. “A big group of people like the personal service and con-venience,” she said. “And, a lot have mul-tiple pets.” Many animals require pain medicine or, sadly, euthanasia.

Before switching to her mobile vet business, Mesher worked at DoveLewis Emergency Animal Hospital. Now she enjoys long-term relationships with clients and family time at her Tualatin Home. She doesn’t handle emergencies but keeps spots open for urgent care. “I see my share of difficult animals so I give light sedation to draw blood or for nail trimming,” she said “I’ve had so many good experiences. I can’t tell you how ful-filling this job is.”

Compassionate Care Home Pet Euthanasia Service — (503-880-1172 / drlorigibson.com), Dr. Lori Gibson. Dr. Lori Gibson answers calls 24 hours a day, seven days a week. When the sad but inevitable end comes, she can help. Her mobile euthanasia service includes aftercare for all sizes of cats and dogs. “The process takes as much or as little time as you need,” she said. “Some people don’t want to talk, and some want to tell you about their pet.”

Gibson started her business in response to a need. “I was surprised at the demand,” she said. “It sounds depressing, but it’s the most rewarding thing I’ve done as a vet. We understand the details and stress. I meet amazing people and won-derful pets.”

“One lady had been widowed for only