Article from the Summer, never published (submitted here for reference).
Please check out our full review of Queenie’s Pets HERE, thanks!
This Summer, Queenie’s Pets pet sitting/dog walking service celebrated their eighth year in business and their first year in East Falls -and what a fantastic year it was! No surprise for spunky owner, Adina Silberstein, who laughed when she stated that she knew Queenie’s would fit in well here, considering how many of our streets bear her company’s royal namesake.
We sat down with Adina on a beautiful Sunday in Mc Michael park, to goof around with her two mutts, Melo Drama and Governor Monkey (I am not making those up), and get the low-down on how one formerly professionally-uninspired gal followed her instinct and passions to the now-success that seems like it just plopped right into her lap.
Only it didn’t, of course.
Adina worked hard to earn the trust and respect of every one of her company’s clients, and even before that, as a famously bossy matriarch-figure in shared housing just after college. She ran a tight ship, even back then, but she’s so darned funny and warm that her friends fell into line, and started calling her “Queenie.”
Some nicknames just stick — the really good ones take on a life of their own, like Queenie’s did. After teaching middle school kids in Louisiana, Adina moved back to Philly and fell into a diverse food service position, honing her management skills by day while serving dinner to regulars most nights of the week. It was Adina’s regulars who became her first handful of clients. “You make someone’s perfect martini every time they come in, they tend to trust you with other things, too.” Running between restaurant shifts to walk dogs, scoop kitty litter boxes and even spending the night at the homes of those on vacation, pet-care gigs quickly filled up her off-hours.
Before long, Adina’s side job started infringing upon her “real” job. In 2006, she quit the food biz to take a shot at running her own business in her home neighborhood of Mt Airy. Within nine months, she had more clients than she could handle solo. Today, Queenie’s Pets®, LLC supports 15 fully-vetted employees who cover Mt Airy, Chestnut Hill, Germantown/Blue Bell Hill, Wyndmoor, Erdenheim, Flourtown and our own East Falls.
As a devoted pet owner, Adina is committed to learning all she can about pet health and happiness. All of her employees only operate from a positive-reinforcement modality, and the company even strictly adheres to a no choke chain, no prong-collar policy for all dogs they walk. Adina is a certified Canine Massage Therapist, a Canine Nutritional Consultant, and boasts a wealth of information on behavior and socialization. Her staff receives regular, mandatory education to ensure every caregiver is on the same page — hers! She’s Queenie, after all. Her personal standards for home & pet safety have defined her business since she took her first client.
After years of bumping around the US and Europe, Adina craves a personal connection with the neighborhoods her company serves. She wants to make a difference, to foster a “village” of local sitters, trainers, vets, naturopaths, and so on — a network of support for responsible pet owners. As our East Falls Dog Park project moves forward, we appreciate the support of local businesses like Queenie’s, our first (and so far only) Gold sponsor.
Welcome, Adina — and congratulations on your first year here in East Falls.
Can’t wait to see what’s next for Queenie’s Pets!
Queenie’s Pets
215-248-9999
queeniespets.com
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