Duck & Turtle Pet and Home Care

About Us

Hello All!

We are Jarrett and Daniel – partners and co-owners of Duck & Turtle Pet and Home Care here in beautiful Albuquerque, New Mexico. We are here to provide you with care for your beloved pets while you are away from home. We offer Day Visits — feedings, walks, and a comforting presence to dogs, cats, birds, fish, and other exotics/pocket pets. Jarrett maintains Professional Pet Sitter Certification through Pet Sitters International and continues his education on the many aspects and requirements of pet care and pet-sitting as well as changes and best practices in the industry. As a Registered Veterinary Technician, Daniel has a wealth of knowledge on animals, their biology, and their varying needs. He has worked in the field since 2008, and his years of professional experience and continued education are what guide our professional pet-sitting business.

We started this business because we both have a deep love and respect for animals and their welfare. Providing services of this nature drew us in because we know what it means to be homeowners and pet parents and how important it is, when we must leave them, to leave them in the right hands. We love and enjoy making sure our pets have all the proper care and attention they need and deserve, and we take great pride in bringing that very same love, enjoyment, care, and attention to your pets and home. We are here to provide you the peace of mind of knowing your pets will be cared for and loved as well as happy and healthy while you are away!

And now, we’d like you to…

Meet Our Family!

Daniel (pictured above, right) is originally from Lilongwe, Malawi, and was raised on the beautiful island of Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. As a kid, Daniel loved everything about animals! He grew up with multiple cats, dogs, rabbits, rodents, and birds and spent much time building chicken coops and raising his own chickens. Upon graduating high school, Daniel moved off-island to attend college in Albuquerque, New Mexico — a place he had visited only twice in his life! He earned his Associate of Applied Science in Veterinary Technology from Central New Mexico Community College in 2009 and passed the National and State Board exams to obtain his vet tech license. Through both his clinical rotations and employment, Daniel has experience working in several veterinary clinics in and around Albuquerque.

Jarrett (pictured above, left), is a longtime New Mexico resident originally from Roswell, New Mexico. He grew up with pets as part of his family since the time he was born, owning several dogs throughout his childhood, as well as cats, hamsters, birds, and a rabbit. After graduating high school, Jarrett moved to Albuquerque to attend the University of New Mexico on a full-ride academic scholarship. He studied Music, Theatre and Dance, Creative Writing, and Media Arts and graduated magna cum laude in 2006 with a Bachelor of University Studies. While studying and working at UNM, he took on regular pet-sitting jobs, which he found to be fun and rewarding!

In the spring of 2009, Daniel and Jarrett became first-time homeowners and began to expand their brood. What started off as one dog and two cats has wonderfully become three dogs, two cats, and three box turtles!

Meet…

Matilda Squeeks

Matilda Squeeks (above, guarding the Christmas tree 🙂 ) is our female muted calico. We adopted her from Animal Humane New Mexico when our previous female cat (Olivia) wandered away from our new and unfamiliar home, and Murphy Lee got lonely without a pal. Squeeks (for short) is quite sassy and independent as well as very loving and playful. She’s never shy around strangers and loves a good massage!

Ruca, Kourry, and Sangoma enjoying Abiquiu Lake

Update on our Kourry (above, center): It breaks our hearts to have to report that our Kourry is no longer with us. Kourry’s aging body developed varying health issues that began to take major tolls on him all at once. In April of 2023, he went to join his brother Murphy Lee (see below) to prepare a Forever Nest for our Forever Pack. Kourry — our island baby, our first pup, our stabilizing force, our loyal Prince — how we miss seeing you trot and rubbing your belly! You’ll always be with us, always the center of our Pack! ♥

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Kourry (above, center) was our original Cruzan pup! He was a dachshund/terrier mix who hailed from Daniel’s home in the Caribbean, the island of St. Croix! We met and fell in love with him during our trip home in 2008. He was a shelter dog on an island inundated with strays. So, we brought him back to New Mexico with us. He was such a good boy on the 14-hour trip back to Albuquerque, and he has been our little “prince” ever since!

Ruca (above, left) is our original New Mexican dog! Her name is Chicano slang for “girlfriend,” which is fitting since she is from Nuevo México and is Kourry’s first girl friend! 🙂 She is a shepherd/heeler mix that we adopted from the Albuquerque’s Eastside Animal Shelter after she’d been returned a couple times for being “too aggressive.” She certainly has a lot of energy and is always ready to go run and play outside but is a very gentle soul. She’s also very talkative and not shy about telling you what’s on her mind!

Ruca, Sangoma, and Kourry playing in the leaves

Sangoma (above, center) is our most special dog! He is an Australian Shepherd who also happens to be a double merle (possessing two copies of the merle gene). Because of this, Sango (for short) was born with vision and hearing impairment. He first came to us as a foster but quickly became part of the pack. His name is a Zulu term referring to the traditional healers of Southern Africa. He has a fun-loving spirit and is full of life!

Tuddly Juan

Tuddly Juan (above, sunbathing with a smile 🙂 ) is our first box turtle who was given to us by a friend in 2010. We’re not actually sure of his(?) age or sex, but we love him anyway! 🙂 He loves munching on strawberries and cooling off under the sprinklers. He hibernates underneath the lawn during the cold months and pops up every spring to join the family fun!

Tuddly Deux

Tuddly Deux (above, with escargot cargo 😀 ) is our second box turtle who was given to us by a client who found her. She is a feisty one and will chase down Daniel in hopes of a food drop anytime she sees him peering over her canopy. Her favorite meals are snails and crickets. She is fast and assertive and keeps the other two on their toes!

Tuddly Huge

Tuddly Huge (above, looking skeptical ) is our most recent addition to the brood! He has his own unique look, with his red eyes and taupe shell. He loves chowing down on live crickets as well as cherry tomatoes. He is quite the escape artist and loves breaching the turtle pen fence to explore our back yard!

Murphy Lee

Update on our Murphy Lee: Sadly, our Murphy Lee developed a cancer that we could not combat. In November of 2019, he went on to his forever home. Our sweet pal. Our gentle buddy. Our “Puff Puff.” Our first… How we miss your meows and cuddles. You will always be with us, always part of our pack.♥

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Murphy Lee (above, enjoying the space heater 🙂 ) was our male tabby who loved to be baby-talked. We adopted him from a close friend who needed a good home for him when she could no longer keep him. He was our first, our eldest and most outspoken. He would hide from strangers but would warm up to people once he learned their voice and they had visited our home at least 17 times 😀 .

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Thank you for taking the time to read about our family! We look forward to meeting you and yours!

Best Wishes,

~ Duck & Turtle

Our Goal Is Your COMPLETE Peace of Mind.