Shamontiel is a three-time dog owner (one Lab crossbreed for 13 years; one German Shepherd for 9 years; and now the owner of a Hound mix). Dog walking and dog boarding weren’t career fields she intended to get into. She did it initially because her own condo board wouldn’t allow dogs, and she missed having a four-legged roommate. By the time she challenged the condo association board to do away with the no-pet rule, she accepted the nomination of being the condo association president and became a dog caregiver. The Wag! walker and former Rover dog boarder completed 578 walks, eight dog sittings and six dog boardings for 99 different dogs since 2019. On Juneteenth 2021, when COVID-19 hit and dog caregiving slowed down, she adopted a dog: Junee.
“Black Girl In a Doggone World™” (formerly “Doggone World” on Medium) is a place for her to share her experiences as a dog walker, dog boarder and dog sitter, along with chatting with dog owners about all bark-related activity. Because it is rare that these stories are told from an African-American pet owner or dog caregiver’s perspective, you will see the occasional post with her tying dog ownership to race and culture, too. Posts are written on a weekly basis.
Why Substack?
Shamontiel has written numerous online and print series since 2006. Some were with mainstream newspapers. Others were pretty well-known and lesser-known online news and lifestyle publications. Business decisions on her end were made, and she’s rebuilding. When she made the decision to start transitioning to Substack mid-2022, she crossed her fingers and hoped to regain her 4K followers plus more. Some have joined her, and she appreciates that. Will you come along for the ride on this Substack series and the other five?
SUBSCRIBE ($5 P/MONTH, $50 P/YR)
Check out exclusive weekly pet posts, and join the community to leave feedback for her and other dog-loving readers.
FOUNDER’S PRICE ($90 P/YR)
You’ll have full access to read and comment on all six publications:
“Black Girl In a Doggone World™” (one per week)
“Homegrown Tales” (one per month)
“I Do See Color” (one per week)
includes “BlackTechLogy” (one per month)
“One Black Woman’s Vote” (one per week)
“We Need to Talk” (one per month)
“Window Shopping” (one per month)
Join Shamontiel on each Substack social media account:
