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rehabilitation and socializing.” The exclusive alternative to tra- ditional boarding evolved from Peter- man’s busy pet sitting business, which she started in 2005. Driving around to care for the pets of vacationing clients became overwhelming when Peter- man’s academic studies in holistic methodologies such as homeopathy, acupressure and clinical herbalism grew more demanding. “While I was putting myself through school, I decid- ed to work smarter by taking the dogs to my home, so I could study and care for them all in one place,” Peterman explains.


When her grandmother died last


REBEKAH OF Sunnybrook Farm


Holistic Pet Care and Boarding, Down-Home Style by Linda Sechrist


ebekah Peterman lives on Sun- nybrook Farm. While her 2.8- acre homestead bears no visual resemblance to the storybook farm cre- ated by author Kate Douglas Wiggins in her classic American children’s novel, Peterman is every bit as magical, in- sightful and creative as Wiggins’ central character, Rebecca Rowena Randall. An imaginative young woman


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with indomitable spirit, Peterman has been an animal lover since she left her mother’s womb. The visible evidence of this endearing quality is the hospitality of her one-bedroom home, which is enjoyed by canines in need of boarding or specialized care. “I gutted my home and turned it into a doghouse,” jokes Peterman. “I have my bedroom and the dogs have the rest of the house for


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year, Peterman moved inland, 30 min- utes from the Encinitas coastal home where her business began, into her grandmother’s house, now Sunnybrook Farm. “I miss the beach, but what I have to offer clients here in my amaz- ing space, with its own private pine tree forest and dog park, makes up for the loss,” notes Peterman, who still enjoys occasional beach time before she picks up her new four-legged friends. Clients give her dog paradise high praise on the Internet rating service Yelp. Peterman has worked extensively in pet stores and veterinary clinics, gaining comprehensive exposure to pet maladies and treatments. These experiences inspired her to study non- invasive, safe and healthy ways to work with their traumas, such as separation anxiety and depression and chronic diseases, including allergies, arthritis and cancer.


Depending upon the condition, this holistic animal practitioner is as likely to treat her furry clients with a diet of brown rice, chicken and lo- cally grown carrots, parsnips, collard greens and sweet potatoes as she is with probiotics, Reiki, herbal tinctures, warm herbal tea fomentations and aro- matherapy. “I do individualized diets, because each animal has a different di- etary need, and many dogs I work with have allergies, but when we change their diet, their body is allowed to heal itself,” Peterman advises.


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