Remembering where it all began...

Ever since I was a little girl, I have had a special and instinctual place in my heart for every single creature of the earth (including bugs and reptiles!).  I recall a few incidences growing up that made me acutely aware of animals and their needs.  I was about 4 years old and found a mass of red ants accumulating on a driveway.  Somehow I decided they were in need of food and I ran home and grabbed a carrot, of all things, and scurried back to the ant pile.  I laid the carrot down and watched intently as they curiously investigated the foreign object.  I remember watching them for a very long time, intrigued by their behaviors and little lives.  My maternal instincts were obviously in tact, but my awareness of what their needs actually were were a bit dull. :)

Another pivotal time of awareness toward animals as a young girl was driving with my parents.  I looked out the window just in time to see a deer dead on the side of the road.  My heart sank, but my naive and creative imagination believed something other than death had found the innocent deer.  I don't know why I said what I said, nor do I remember the logic that went through my head when I said it, but it must have been a coping mechanism of self comfort because what came from my little girl lips to my mom and dad in the car was, "It's okay, she's just sleeping. In a little while she'll get up and walk away."  I really believed it at the time, like if I could imagine it, it was possible.  Well, this attitude of compassion toward animals was also reflected toward domestic pets as well.  I recall visiting homes with my family and if they had animals, be it a dog, cat, bird, snake, or bunny, I was glued to this creature for the remainder of our visit.  Looking back, I don't even remember who's house we'd gone to, I just remember the Cocker Spaniel, or Siberian Husky, or Dachsund I left behind.

Finding my niche has been a lifelong journey; I grew up with all sorts of creatures from dogs and cats to birds, rats, and hamsters. I was blessed enough to have parents who welcomed my love of animals and allowed me to have them in the home.  I remember my mom calling me on the phone one day, "Lesley!" she exclaimed, "do you want a Cockatiel?" "SURE!" I responded with glee, "What is that?" I had 3 different Cockatiels after that.  They taught me patience as I tried to teach them to talk and all the while learned a sense of responsibility.  My next project was rats.  I started out with one female, Mitzi, whom I loved and adored.  She was the queen rat.  Then, after lots of research and begging, I was given permission to breed Mitzi with a male rat.  I had several litters of rats and fell in love.  They are incredible companions and very smart for a rodent.  Mitzi knew her name, would follow me around on my shoulder and in the hood of my sweater, she was also an excellent mother.

It was my love for animals that initially motivated me to become vegetarian 15 years ago.  I had heard from my hippie brother who was living in the foresty hills of Santa Cruz about the treatment of animals in slaughter houses.  I couldn't bear the thought of eating my friends and so I made the choice, at the impressionable age of 12 years old, to not eat living creatures.

Who I am and why I am here:

My name is Lesley Pulsipher and I am from Salt Lake City, Utah.  I love being outdoors and in the sun hiking, biking, camping, eating, walking, snowboarding, wakeboarding, traveling, and recently, gardening.  Creatures of all kinds inspire and heal me; they carry a sense of innocence and authenticity that is refreshing and safe.  I am here to make the difference for animals as they have made the difference for me in my life.  This site is far more than a promotion of, and blogging about my house and pet sitting services.  I want to create a world in which people are raised to a keener sense of awareness, sensitivity, and vulnerability because of their relationship with animals.

The title "Homeward Bound" is to represent two aspects of my commitment: first, to ensure the that pets stay in the safety and comfort of their own homes with a house sitter (me!) rather than in a boarding facility when left alone (I've seen too much trauma there; see my "About" section for more details).  And second, to find lifelong and amazing homes for all homeless and/or abused animals that are facing possible euthanasia in shelters.  To achieve this, I am committed to developing an organization that rescues domestic animals that are on death row from shelters.  This is where the story begins, here on this grassroots blog page, to document and articulate my journey and hopefully inspire others.  Welcome. :)