HomeAbout

Meet the Founder

HI, I'M
SHARON.

Founder of HomeStayPaws, and the person who stays in your home, keeps your pet's routine, and sends you the photos while you're away.

Sharon smiling in a selfie with a happy dog outdoors on a sunny walk
Out on a sunny walk with one of the dogs in my care.

A note from me

Your pet, your home, my full attention.

I'm Sharon Goldhammer, and I founded HomeStayPaws because I believe pets do best where they already feel safe: at home.

When you trust me with your pet, I come to them. I learn their routine before your trip, follow it while you're away, and keep you in the loop with photo updates so you can actually enjoy your time.

I also know I'm a guest in your home. I treat it with respect, care for the everyday details, and leave it the way you'd want to come back to it.

The Story Behind HomeStayPaws

HE LOST
HIS WAG.

Growing up, we had a Standard Poodle named Trouble. He was everything the breed is known for — intelligent, expressive, and constitutionally incapable of hiding how he felt about anything. The tail was always going. The room was always better when he was in it.

One summer, we boarded him while the family went on vacation. The facility was beautiful — genuinely lovely, the kind of place you tour and walk away feeling reassured. I remember thinking he'd be perfectly fine.

We were wrong. When we picked him up, Trouble was quiet. The tail wasn't moving. He walked to the car without his usual fanfare, and over the next couple of days, we started to wonder if something had physically happened to him. But there was no injury. No pain.

He was depressed. Being left — even somewhere beautiful — had quietly dismantled him.

Eventually he came back to himself. But my family never boarded a pet again after that trip — and I never forgot what it looked like to watch a confident, joyful animal lose his sense of security in a matter of days.

That memory is the foundation of everything I do. Your pet doesn't need a beautiful facility — they need their own bed, their own routine, and someone genuinely invested in their wellbeing. That's what HomeStayPaws is.

"Your furry family member will never lose their wag on my watch. That's my promise to you."

— Sharon

How I Care, Day to Day

The ordinary moments are the job.

Sharon and a dog enjoying the sunshine together in a selfie
Soaking up some sunshine together during a stay.
  1. 1

    Their schedule, not mine

    Meals, walks, play and quiet time happen when your pet expects them. I follow the routine you show me.

  2. 2

    Walks they recognize

    Familiar routes and the pace your dog likes, so the day still feels like their day.

  3. 3

    Photo updates for you

    You'll get pictures and messages, so you can see how they're doing instead of wondering.

  4. 4

    Respect for your home

    I look after the household details and treat your space with the care it deserves.

Walter, a dog in Sharon's care, snoozing close to her on the couch
Walter, settled in for a couch nap.

WHAT THIS
MEANS FOR
YOUR PET.

Your home, always

Pets feel safety through familiarity. Your pet stays in their own space, with their own smells, their own bed, their own everything. No adjustment period. No confusion.

Their routine, intact

I follow your pet's schedule to the letter — feeding times, walk routes, quiet time, play time. The structure that makes them feel secure doesn't skip a beat.

Real presence

I'm not a drop-in. I live in your home for the duration of your trip. Your pet is never alone wondering when someone is coming back.

Credentials & Trust

FULLY INSURED.
CERTIFIED.
ACCOUNTABLE.

Trusting someone in your home is a big ask. I carry full pet care and in-home service liability insurance, I'm American Red Cross Pet First Aid certified, and I treat every stay with the same care I'd want someone to give my own animals.

HomeStayPaws has grown, too. I now work with two hand-picked sitters, personally trained to my standards: one offers overnight hosting for dogs in her own home — one family's dogs at a time, never a kennel — and one steps in for in-your-home stays when my calendar is full. Everyone on the team is fully insured. Every client is still personally matched, and every stay is held to the exact same standard — one family, one sitter, full attention.

Serving Ventura, Los Angeles, and Orange Counties — we come to you.

Pet Care & In-Home Liability Insurance

Via Pet Care Insurance

American Red Cross Pet First Aid Certified

Cat & Dog Emergency Care

Premium in-home service

Ventura · LA · Orange Counties

YOUR PET DESERVES TO KEEP THEIR WAG.

Let's talk about your pet, your home, and your next trip.