about heather
Heather Barker is the owner and primary operator of Petcetera. She's been a pet owner all her life and a pet services professional for over 17 years. Heather believes firmly not just in treating your pets as her own, but caring for her clients as well.
Petcetera has flourished in every city Heather has lived. From Ithaca, NY to Denver, CO and now the Palm Beaches of South Florida, Petcetera’s ability to thrive is a testament to Heather’s commitment to quality of care. Her compassion for pets and people are what make Petcetera stand out from the rest.
When she's not pet sitting, Heather’s hosting The Trektivism Podcast, visiting the beach, enjoying caring for her plants or working out at Orangetheory. Heather is Mom to 4 puppy mill rescues, 1 african grey parrot, and a heart big enough to love all creatures great and small.
heather’s pack
Winter, Marley, Dean and Penny are all puppy mill survivors rescued by National Mill Dog Rescue in Peyton, CO. Heather has been adopting dogs from NMDR since 2015 when she brought Marley and Blizzard into her home. Blizzy, a long haired Chihuahua like his brother Dean, lived a long, beautiful life, loved to dance for Greenies, and lives forever in Heather’s heart with the rest of the animals she’s loved.
Always an advocate for rescue, Heather encourages other pet owners to “adopt, not shop.” For more information about the cruel abuse of puppy mills, please visit The Humane Society of the United States and The World Animal Foundation.
howie the african grey
Heather rescued Howie in 2007 from a private owner who could no longer care for him. Howie was estimated to be 3 or 4 years old at the time, which means he’s around 20 today. Howie is highly intelligent! African Grey parrots exhibit the intelligence of a young child, and while Howie isn’t as advanced as others, he does talk and loves to mimc sounds. Howie knows all of the dogs’ names and tells his Mom “I love you” often. Parrot husbandry requires special skills and knowledge, and Heather has a lifetime of experience caring for them. Howie can live up to 60 years or more, and hopefully with Heather’s loving care, he’ll be a companion for the majority of her life.