Z Animal Lover

Zane is A-​W-​E-​S-​O-​M-​E! We are sure Zane was a dog in his previous life because dogs just gravitate to him and love him!
The day we met Zane we knew Rocky was in good hands. On Rocky’s first day of walking he came home a very tired, relaxed and happy dog, which relieved us as he is our high-​energy pup. Zane is very patient and loving with dogs. He was flexible with our boarding and walking needs for Rocky.
If you need a great dog walker and caretaker Zane is your person! He will work with your needs and give you the best sound advice as well as send you update pictures during and after the walks.
Now that we moved out of state we dearly miss Zane! Rocky still remembers him fondly whenever we call Zane’s name! Thanks Zane for giving Rocky an ultimate walking experience every time he was in your care! We will make sure to call you whenever we are back in town.
–The Avalos Family

From the moment I pulled in the drive at Zane’s house I knew he was someone very special. His focus was completely on my best buddy Charly. A very fearful dog who is afraid of everyone & everything went with him no problem on his first walk! Now Charly runs out the front door to greet him. After 6 years of not going on any trips, I can finally travel & know my boy is in great hands. He gets as many stars as possible!!!

Zane loves dogs! This is obvious from the first time he meets a dog and on every one of his hikes. His photos speak for themselves. His dogs have fun and Zane has the attention and love of every one of the dogs he takes out to hike. When I take Frenchie to Zane’s while at work, Frenchie will get excited in the car once we enter Zane’s neighborhood. When I take Frenchie to the door, it is always very nice to see how Frenchie’s eyes light up when Zane opens the door. He is always so happy to be at Zane’s.
He is also very professional. He is flexible with meet and greets for his dogs, he makes sure his dogs are up to date on vaccines and requests a flea preventative be used on his dogs. Zane also sends photos of his pack for the day and a close up of your dog so you can see how fun it is to be on a hike with Zane. There is no better daycare and walking service in the area than Z Animal Lover.

If there were a sixth star to check, Zane would get it. He is amazing with our Teddy. I can tell by Teddy’s reaction as soon as Zane knocks at the door, that he is excited to be with him.
To see the pictures that Zane send form their hikes, you can tell that all the dogs really love being with him.

Zane has been walking our dog, Kosa, since we moved to the area in April of 2014. Kosa took to Zane right away and LOVES going on her hikes with him! She can hear his car pull up and runs to the door wagging her tail. When they return from their adventures Kosa is always a very happy, but very tired pup… which is great!
We have also had Zane watch our dog overnight and loved sending her off with peace of mind knowing that our dog was in good hands.
It is obvious that Zane enjoys what he does and sincerely cares for his pack .
We have had had our share of dogs walkers and can honestly say that Zane is the BEST there is. He gets our five stars without hesitation!

I hired Zane to walk my 91 year old Mom’s dog daily when she adopted her in November of 2013. He has been a godsend. He partners extraordinarily well with Mom’s caregivers to make sure they know what to do if Little Lady (LL) is getting any extra meds /​treatments. He volunteered to take LL tio groomers for me when he takes his dogs — definitely above and beyond — which helps me a lot since I live in Oakland, not Concord. He sends me text messages with pictures of LL and Mom– and informs me on an asap basis if he sees any issues he thinks need to be addressed. Every interaction with him I have reinforces my first impression that he LOVES and UNDERSTANDS dogs. Zane gets 5+ stars in my book!

We boarded our 2 dogs with Zane for over 1 week. From the first time we met him, we knew he would be the person to care for them. Zane took our very small dog on his walks with the pack and in each photo he was smiling and satisfied. Our slower female dog was perfectly fine to stay and relax at home. Zane treated our dogs as his own. We had no worries and enjoyed our vacation. If you’ve come this far to read dog sitting/​boarding options… look no further.

Zane is the best! He’s wonderfully accommodating, loves his work, and you can tell he really cares about his dogs. More to the point, he’s always willing to go above and beyond for their care and is almost always available, even on busy weekends.
One of the magical things about Zane is that he is so likable, even to painfully shy dogs. I adopted Sonja several months before and she was afraid of everything and everyone. Over several weeks, Zane had managed not only to get Sonja to really like him (I mean REALLY like him), but I’ve also found she’s a lot more relaxed and personable around new people. When he shows you pictures of your dog on a walk, you wonder how all the eight dogs in the picture are able to sit neatly in a row long enough to take a picture. The answer is because it’s Zane who’s asking them too.
He will absolutely exercise your dog, and for a young german shepherd owner, that’s a tall order. Some days when I don’t have time or am not up to it, I’ll drop Sonja off for a morning so she’s not bouncing off the walls all day.
And he really cares. He appreciates updates about my dog almost more than I do. When he noticed she was losing weight and I explained the myriad of scenarios I’ve tried to put some weight back on her, he took it upon himself and did some research to see else could be done… without even having been asked to.
Such a great guy, and the best pet sitter ever.

One of the most stressful things about going out of town is where to leave our ‘youngest’! I combed over reviews for days before we settled on giving Zane a call and set up an interview. We were so relieved to see Haole accepted and immediately happy in his new potential surroundings. Zane immediately showed us his professionalism and obvious love of animals.
I am so very grateful to have found Zane as he simply loved and cared for Haole as one of his own. Zane is exceedingly smart, thoughtful and caring. He showed this to us every day as he shared ongoing updates and pictures of Haole’s adventures while we were out of town. I recommend Zane with the utmost confidence your animal will love him too (almost as much as they love you).
I don’t know about you, but animals are family in my home. I am so thankful to say that Zane believes the very same thing.

I can’t wait til my pitty Greyson start his walks with Zane on Monday. I met Zane today & I immediately knew my pitty would fit right along with his group. But because Greyson hasn’t been around TOO many dogs I hope Zane regular group doesn’t try and eat my 7mo old Pitt bull. Lol. SEE YOU MONDAY!

Zane has saved our Rottie rescue, Gracie, from returning to the shelter, Rotts of Friends in Woodland where we adopted Gracie. We are not new to the Rottie family, having had 3 Rotties and ten puppies and know they can be a handful. But Gracie seemed to be more than we could handle even after using several various dog trainers. Desperate, I called our Vet and she recommended Zane — and what a difference — we have a wonderful, loving, happy girl. I just cannot say enough about Zane, his patience, dedication and love for dogs.
Since Zane has been walking and training Gracie, she lays at the front door (where she is right now) waiting for him to come and get her.
I cannot say enough good words about Zane and if you want someone that teaches discipline with love, Zane is your man.
Pattie Bishop

After using Unilocal for many, many years to look at reviews, I felt compelled for the first time to actually write a review. And it’s for Z Animal Lover.
Zane and his business have earned every one of those five stars. We trust Zane to take care of our little Cooper, whether it’s just for a day or an overnight stay. Zane is kind, responsible, and knowledgeable.
Zane makes sure Cooper is always given a good workout. We know because Cooper is always dog tired when he gets home. Also, during the day, Zane will text a photo or two of your dog to show you how happy s/​he is. We have had Cooper for about six months now (he’s a rescue) and we have noticed that he is better behaved and socialized, thanks in large part to Zane.

I was terrified to leave our precious «baby» Ruppert in the care of another-​then I found Zane! The personalized, compassionate and loving care he provides is second to none. Prior to his time with Zane, Ruppert was very timid, fearful and anti-​social but Zane and the gang (Cali, Pearl, Bailey… to name a few) brought out the very best in him. He enjoyed playing fetch and romping around in the yard soaking up the CA sunshine, training and learning new obedient skills, and even individualized walks with Zane. On top of the incredible loving care given to Ruppert, Zane provided me with constant updates, photos and videos as well as daily summary reports upon pick up and healthy dog food and product recommendations. As an RN I worked some insane hours while my husband was out of town but that was no problem with Zane’s ongoing flexibility and kindness. From early mornings to late nights I could focus on my work knowing Ruppert was safe and sound and having a blast. We have moved out of state and miss him and the group terribly but will definitely visit when we’re in the bay area!

Zane has been taking care of our energetic Weimaraner, Luna, while we’re preparing our house for sale. It’s great to know she’s in good hands: Zane treats our dog like family, training her, exercising her with long walks, giving her lots of socialization. She always comes back in good spirits, and relaxed. Zane is very flexible with scheduling, and will even come to pick up or drop off your dog. Z-​Animal Lover is a super resource if you want your pet to be well taken care of.

Zane has been walking our 5 month old American Bulldog Casey for about 1 month now. You know how crazy and out of control a puppy can be, right? Zane is so patient with her and since he has been walking her, we can see a big difference in how she walks on her leash. He even taught her to shake, which I had been trying to do, but couldn’t. During their walk, Zane will send pictures and give me an update on how she is doing. Casey is always happy to see him and when she comes home she is tired and ready to settle in for a long nap.
Zane’s prices are very reasonable and he will work with you and your schedule. We have a crazy work schedule and Zane works with us to make sure our little girl is taken care of when we aren’t here. He feeds her after her walk and makes sure that she has fresh water.
Zane is reliable and will treat your dog as if it was his own. It is hard to find someone that you can trust to take care of your dog when you are not home. Casey is our baby and I would not just let anyone take care of her. I trust Zane with Casey and I know that she is being well taken care of. Knowing that she is being well cared for, makes my day a bit less stressful.
So, if you are looking for a dog walker that you can trust, is reliable and flexible with scheduling, give Zane a call. Your doggie will be glad that you did. ‚
UPDATE…
Zane continues to amaze me. Not only does he care for our Casey but for the last 6 months he has been taking care of Bruno, our now 8 ½ month old American Bulldog. Casey and Bruno love their time with Zane. I think they are obsessed with him actually. If I am home, and Zane comes to pick up the neighbors dog, Casey and Bruno hear his car pull up to the driveway and get so excited. They are both upset when he doesn’t come to our door to take them with him.
It makes me so happy that I know my dogs are being so well taken care of when they are not with me. For me, my dogs are my kids and I wouldn’t just leave them with anyone. Zane is so reliable and has such a passion for what he does. My little monsters love him and look forward to their time with Zane.

A note from Bailey my doggie! I like «Z» I like this place. «Z» takes me for long walks. I get to play with other dogs, chase the ball, frisbee… when I get home I just want to rest and take a long nap. I give him a five paw review!

Zane has been walking my adorable Lulu for about a year now and she loves him and her walks. He has watched her after hours and I know that her welfare is his priority. I completely trust Zane with my Lulu. He knows she us my spoiled baby and treats her as such. If he is watching Lulu after hours at my home, he has always made sure lulu has fresh food and water. He also will water my plants if they need it and he has done various other small jobs around my house if I need them. Being a disabled senior I definitely appreciate when kindness is shown. Please give this kind dog lover a chance and you too will see his much he genuinely care for your pet.