Hi, we’re Kim and Lauren—twin sisters with a shared passion for animals of all types! While most kids our age watched cartoons, we preferred nature and wildlife documentaries. Instead of playing with Barbies, we played with a menagerie of pets, ranging from reptiles, snakes, and rats to multiple dogs and birds. The only toys we cared for were stuffed animals, so we could add them to our zoo of live pets! For us, a fun day out meant exploring wildlife sanctuaries, hiking in Illinois’ Shawnee Forest, or going on adventures in the great outdoors. But life wasn’t fun and games throughout our entire childhood…
The Pet Guardians
From Exotic to Neurotic—There’s No Pet That We Can’t Handle!
Hi, We’re Kim and Lauren!
Never Let Life Keep You Down.
Our dad passed away when we were eight years old, leaving us without a male figure in our lives. Our mom—who is really smart (we had to say that because she’ll be reading this!), signed us up for horseback riding lessons with a tough-guy ex-marine horse trainer named Ken.
We quickly fell in love with “The Barn,” which became a home away from home for us throughout our teenage years. In exchange for lessons, we eventually took on the responsibility of feeding, grooming, and turning out the horses. We became skilled riders over time and were eager to assist in training the more challenging horses. When Ken was away, he turned to us to help care for the stables and assist the riding instructors in teaching lessons to others.
The Path is Clear—Let's Take It!
Our friends and family love to call us “the animal whisperers” because we naturally understand animal behavior and body language, even from a young age. Animals have always been a significant part of our lives and something we can’t live without.
Over the years, we have kept a wide variety of pets at home—including our rescue dog, Duke. Duke had a tough life before finding his forever home with us, and at 105 pounds, he was a big dog! He was uncomfortable around strangers, so we didn’t take many vacations because it was impossible to find anyone knowledgeable enough to care for our exotic animals and handle Duke’s fearful nature and potential for aggression.
Our extensive knowledge of animal care and behavior, along with our past and present experiences, led us to start our business—The Pet Guardians. We know pet ownership can be challenging, so we aim to help pet owners in our area by providing reliable dog walking, pet-sitting, and pet care services they can always depend on!
Meet The Team
About Kim Schaefer:
Eleven years ago, Kim ventured off to Silicon Valley and co-founded and managed a successful, multi-million-dollar business, expanding it into 4 locations with over 25 employees. In addition to her wide-range expertise and passion for animals of all types and sizes, Kim brings her entrepreneurial talents to The Pet Guardians. This adds to the guarantee of quality, professional services, and longevity for the company — so you can count on us as your long-term dog walkers and pet sitters!
Two years ago, Kim boondocked her way over 2,000 miles back home to Naperville with her two cats, 100 pound Dogo Agentino, Mali Uromastyx lizard, and her small parrot. That’s pure animal passion and devotion right there!
Through working with her beloved Dogo Argentino named Jezebel, a powerful and intelligent guardian breed known for their protective instincts, hunting skills, and loyalty to their family, Kim has gained the knowledge and training skills required to raise such a strong-willed and powerful breed into adulthood. However, during the COVID lockdown, it became difficult for Kim to continue socializing Jezebel with other dogs, leading to reactivity issues.
Despite the challenges, Kim’s commitment to Jezebel’s well-being and training has brought about remarkable progress in overcoming her reactivity issues. Jezebel is thriving and can now meet with other dogs and make new friends in a controlled environment!
Kim’s experience with Jezebel has taught her much about canine behavior, psychology, and training, which she now incorporates into her work with The Pet Guardians.
Beyond her entrepreneurial leadership skills, Kim brings a wide range of experience as the co-founder of The Pet Guardians.
Kim's Experience & Qualifications:
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- Oral Medication Administration
- Injectable Medication Administration
- First Aid/CPR
- Senior Dog and Cat Care
- Canine Special Needs Experience
- Canine Behavioral and Reactivity Training Experience
- Feeding Meat-Based Raw Diets to Cats and Dogs
- Reptile Care
- Saltwater and Freshwater Aquarium Care
- Bird Breeding and Grooming; and
- Can provide daily care that’s just right for your pet’s needs
Outside of animal care, Kim’s passion is creating digital art… Want a beautiful digital pet portrait? Just ask!
About Lauren Tabaka:
In addition to her lifelong personal experience with a large variety of animals, Lauren served as a lead veterinary technician at Animal Healthcare PC in Naperville. After leaving that position, she spent ten years in management at Pet Supplies Plus, where she thoroughly enjoyed meeting and helping pets and their human families. Lauren wanted a more hands-on experience with customers, which is one reason she and Kim started a dog walking and pet-sitting business.
Lauren is passionate about caring for animals and has vast knowledge and experience doing what she loves. She takes great pride in ensuring that every pet she cares for is comfortable and happy. Lauren’s lifelong adventure of learning and caring for animals has given her the knowledge and confidence to work with any type of pet, no matter how challenging the situation.
Lauren's Experience & Qualifications:
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- Oral Medication Administration
- Injected Medication Administration
- First Aid/CPR
- Senior Dog and Cat Care
- Special Needs Dog Experience
- Extensive Product and Animal Nutrition Training during her tenure at PSP
- Can provide daily exercise that’s just right for your animal’s age, health, and requirements