Brenda Baer and friends. (Photo by Cyndy Karon)

The fictional Dr. Doolittle may outdo Brenda Baer and Judy Bourgeois of Bren-Lin Farm Pet Sitting when it comes to literally talking to the animals, but not by much. Baer and Bourgeois are local favorites of assorted furry, feathered, and scaly customers, as well as their two-legged owners.

Baer has provided pet-care services in Harvard and surrounding towns since 2004. “We specialize in whatever the client needs,” she said, emphasizing the broad scope of her services.

Baer’s regular customers include dogs that need midday walks and cats that require regular insulin shots. She provides short- to long-term boarding and in-home care for family pets, including dogs, cats, birds, and small rodents. Baer joked that Bourgeois rounds out the team’s pet-care capabilities nicely since, despite her love for animals, she can’t quite muster Bourgeois’ affection for snakes and reptiles.

Baer said she arranges for preliminary “meet and greets,” so that she’s not unfamiliar to animals that may already be stressed by their owners’ absences. She provides detailed notes on her charges’ behavior, and keeps journals for recurring customers. Baer is available to accompany pets to vet appointments. She has also supported families during geographic moves by boarding their pets until the human members are in place in their new location, and then handling the paperwork and legwork required to ship their pets, both domestically and abroad.

Bren-Lin Farm customers are effusive in their praise for the team’s care of their pets. Nicole Connolly of Fairbank Street uses Baer’s in-home pet-sitting for her dog.

“She always comes ahead of time to re-introduce herself to Shiloh,” Connolly said. “We’ve been just thrilled with the care she’s provided. She’s very professional. Just as important, she has a lot of kindness for animals.”

A “horse person” since childhood, Baer offers classes in horse care and riding, as well as regular and episodic care. She offers birthday parties centered on horse themes. Baer also cares for livestock, including sheep, pigs, and llamas. Citing her flexibility in responding to customers’ requirements, she noted that she’d recently used her horse trailer to transport a llama to an animal eye specialist and delivered lambs in a farmer’s absence.

Both women emphasized that pet care is not just a job for them, but their mission. “We have an eye for the animal,” Bourgeois said.

Both women emphasized their close attention to the animals entrusted to them and said they’re often able to draw on their broad experience to make recommendations for care.

Sharon Kerns of Bolton Road regularly relies on Baer to care for her two geriatric dogs, two cats, and 20 show sheep.

“Taking care of the animals is a job, but she also loves the animals. She’s very dependable. She watches and calls if anything’s wrong. For example, she noticed that one of our ewes was sick, let us know, called the vet, and was there when the vet arrived. She does it all and very, very well,” Kerns said.

Bourgeois brings special expertise in animal communications and behavioral training to the Bren-Lin team. She left a career as a process engineer to devote herself to improving bonds between pets and owners by supporting resolution of behavior issues. “Our main goal,” she said, “is to make animals and owners happier together.”

Bourgeois said that it’s important that pet owners understand animal behavior. Dog owners, in particular, may require coaching in how to establish themselves as their pets’ “pack leaders” and how to discipline so that dogs understand and respond positively.

Bourgeois noted that puppyhood is a socialization period that offers a critical window of opportunity to shape a dog’s behavior for life. Such training must include family members to be truly effective.

“Dog training is not just something we do,” she said. “We want to teach you to do this.” Uninformed human-animal interactions can result in unwanted dog behaviors that are hard to break, once established, she said.

Betty Zakheim of Boxborough credits Bourgeois’ and Baer’s behavioral training skills with saving her 95-pound dog. Adopted in a weak moment during a fundraiser for a Cape Cod shelter, the 95-pound, mixed-breed Lola “was exactly what we were not looking for, and we were completely unprepared,” Zakheim admitted. “You can’t talk to a dog and ask what her history is, so we decided that what we really needed was to find someone who understood dogs better than we did. Judy was able to explain what the dog was telling us,” Zakheim said. “By observing the dog and watching her interact with other dogs, she could tell that Lola was just unsure of the world.”

Thanks to her owners’ improved understanding of dog psychology, socialization with other dogs, and regular exercise, “Lola’s more fit and intellectually and emotionally happier,” Zakheim said. Bourgeois’ and Baer’s care “was absolutely instrumental in making Lola a happy dog,” Zakheim concluded.

In addition to her work with customers, Bourgeois volunteers with area animal shelters to evaluate and work with animals that have been given up because of behavior issues. Millions of abandoned animals are destroyed annually, she said, but could be saved through proper training and care. In many cases, Bourgeois reported, she’s able to modify such animals’ behaviors through consistent direction, and to prepare them for successful adoptions.

Fostering normal animal behavior is also the purpose of the dog “play dates” Baer and Bourgeois offer.

“Dogs are pack animals and being together in a pack does so much for them, mentally and physically,” Bourgeois said.

After assessing dogs for compatibility with each other, Baer and Bourgeois take these packs for hikes and beach trips. Dogs that lack human companionship during the day are especially in need of such stimulation.

Baer said that she and Bourgeois are so tied into the community that they’re good sources of information. They can make recommendations as to what type of pet will best fit a particular family situation, or what animal-care providers offer special services. At times, they’ve been able to place animals whose owners can no longer care for them.

Baer said that although advance notice is preferred, especially during busy vacation periods, she’s not averse to last-minute calls for pet care. As examples, she noted situations in which snowstorms kept pet owners from making it home, and family emergencies where no advance notice is possible.

Baer said that her fees are commensurate with those of other pet-care providers, and are adjusted, based on the level of service required. She can be reached at brenlinfarm@charter.net or at 978-430-9236. Bourgeois can be contacted at judybourgeois@charter.net or at 978-732-4487.