RIVERVIEW, Fla. — Margaret Taormina is certified to massage any animal smaller than a horse.
Her clientele is mainly dogs and cats, but there's been a ferret on occasion, too.
"All the benefits that humans get from massage, animals get them, too," says Taormina.
She spent decades in the newspaper industry before following her true passion: comforting animals. She is doing a lot of that these days as business is booming during the pandemic.
"I have about 30 active clients right now," Taormina says. "I'll put 100 miles on my car today and tomorrow."
She serves eight Florida counties. It seems both the two-legged and four-legged kind need to de-stress during these tough times.
"I think it's comforting for people that their pets are able to get release from some of the stress they're under as well," Taormina says.
She makes house calls, setting a spa-like mood with soothing New Age-y music created especially for animals. The speaker she uses is actually called iCalmDog.
One of her favorite clients is Hershey, an 11-year-old Lab. She's an older dog, so the massage is particularly good for her muscles.
"I have the best job in the world," says Taormina. "I get to leave my clients feeling relaxed and calm."
For more information on getting your pet a massage, click here.