Cynthia was a perfect pet sitter for our little kitty. We knew from her extensive experience with cats that Nala was in good hands. She was extremely responsive via texts when we were away, ensuring us that the 2 of them were having a great time. She went absolutely above and beyond by scrubbing our bath and toilets to remove our mineral deposit rings that we haven't been able to get rid of! She even left the name of the product she used so we can get more in the future. The house was cleaner than when we left. We'll have her back anytime!
Anna was an excellent sitter - she took great care to understand all of the intricacies of taking care of the house and cats, asked lots of questions, and arrived on time and ready for the sit. During the trip, she checked in with updates, and upon returning home, left the space tidy and clean. The cats were happy and healthy, and seemed to have had a great time during the sit. Thanks Anna!
Our review is written by Steven (house owner, host + my father) + also by Kim (the daughter). Written by Kim: This was our first house sit since the passing of my mother in late Dec 2023. I was helping my father Steven (whose profile it is) manage all the emails + try + find a great house sitter + came along Gretchen’s profile! Not only is she a cool cat + someone you might want to get to know, I found myself quickly talking to her. I shortly found out her profile is just a glimpse of how interesting she is but talking to her was so much better! She is a world traveler with many experiences + stories to share. We quickly became conversationalists who could talk forever + probably will continue to do so! Thank you TH! She is easy to communicate with + continued the consistent communication all along our journey of having her as our *first* guest after my mom’s passing. It was clearly a time filled with anxiety + sensitivity so there were some sensitive topics to go over + Gretchen got it right away. A few of our rooms in the house were off-limits (as they housed my mom’s things) but we reassured her the house has ample space for her to enjoy + there are many lovely outdoor spaces to boot! When she arrived she felt she was in paradise + really relished in the outdoor beauty + the indoor coziness. We were happy to share it with someone who appreciated it so much! She also was very understanding with the fact that both my dad + I would both be involved as we both handled different parts of the stay. Me, writing + setting up the Welcome Guide + would go over the situation but then upon her arrival my dad would take over + answer any questions mostly during her sit. The good part of having 2 people is she had accessibility to us both, in the case she needed it + sometimes it came up! She juggled all the communication oh so well. My mom usually handled most of the logistics so this being our first time we were nervous something would come up we might not know but it didn’t! It was new territory for us + we wanted to make sure she had everything. Gretchen handled it all with such ease, seamlessly, really respecting our wishes/desires + taking all the information into her hands + making it seem easy on her end to do so. She was easy to coordinate schedules with! There was a gap in her 1st + 2nd sit but everything went seamlessly even when my flight had a day long delay. She was able to coordinate schedules with me arriving in between, then leaving, my dad arriving different days + us extending the trip too. It all worked out! We were all a good team! She absolutely loved our older cat, Benny + he fast + furiously fell in love with her oh so easily. When I saw him, he looked oh so loved + after saying hi to me went over to ‘her’ bed + slept there waiting for her to come back. She sent many pictures, videos + even cute creations + toys she made for our Benny + it was obvious the house + our Benny were her first priority. She even asked us if she could help prune our flowers/shrubs, something my mom used to do + honestly it was an honor to hear her ask that. She was welcome to set up her art studio + play away. She was very communicative when our house cleaner, landscape gardener + house manager showered up for different reasons. When I arrived back for a short stint before she came back the 2nd time our mail was so well organized it was an assembly line! She also offered to take down our xmas tree (as we were a bit behind in taking down our xmas decorations) + she was sensitive to the fact that we were adjusting to a new normal. Thank you so much Gretchen! You made our first sit in a long time so seamless + such a relief that we are ready now to host again. We only wish we could have more Gretchen’s! (She’s also a super talented artist!) Written by Steven: Overall, Gretchen has been an absolute treasure. She has fulfilled our goals for a house sitter perfectly - she took good care of the house, great care of our treasured pet, Mr. Benny + took care of the grounds such as watering a few plants + trees. She excelled in all the above + is welcome back anytime I will be out of town in the future.
Young was the perfect house sitter for us. From the moment you meet her, you can tell she is animal person and is detailed oriented and will take great care of your house and pets. She exudes a peaceful and grounded energy. She was comfortable with each our pets from the high energy dog to the shy skittish cat. She played with the dog in the yard every day and took him on walks. And she was also very attentive to our cats and figured out how to maintain the equilibrium in the relationship between the cats and dog. She is an excellent communicator; she asked questions when our directions weren't clear and kept us updated on the pets. She is also an amazing photographer. She sent us pics of our pets every day that totally captured each of their personalities.
Stefany helped me out big time by stepping in when I asked. She's a local sitter and I wasnt' having any responses so I contacted her and she fit me into her schedule even during the holidays and right after another sit across the country. She took great care of my two cats and home and I very much appreciate it!
Daniel and Vasylyna were incredible house sitters and we would welcome them back to sit for us again any time they are available! They were fantastic communicators, making sure to work out details far in advance and they sent frequent picture updates of our animals which made us so happy while we were away. When the power went out in the neighborhood while they were here leading to a technology issue with our alarm system, they handled everything well. Upon our return, the house was clean, the garden was thriving and well cared for, and our dog and cat were clearly very loved while we were away - in fact our dog was sooooo sad to see them leave! I had the pleasure of getting to know them a bit before I left, and they are such a kind, adventurous, and great couple. I would highly recommend having Daniel and Vasylyna take care of your house, plants, and animals!
Florence is everything you want in a cat sitter! We have two cats that need a lot of human attention. One takes multiple medications twice a day and they both are used to eating on their own schedule and having people around so it is always very important to us to find a pet sitter that will be spending a lot of time in the apartment and that doesn't mind being very attentive. We were able to meet Florence before our trip and felt 100% confident that she would take great care of our cats. Florence is comfortable giving medication, she sent us photos and updates and left our apartment spotless. We were so happy that we had her come back the following week when we went away again for a short trip! We will definitely contact Florence again whenever we travel and hope that she is available!
Jinnie was an excellent house sitter for me and my cat Felix. Completely responsible and reliable and helpfully flexible. She was willing to work with me as I dithered on whether I was actually going to go on my trip (which was dependent on good weather), and when I finally decided on making my trip one day shorter. House was clean and organized on my return, and, more importantly, my cat was calm and relaxed on my return. I would happily have Jinnie come sit for me and Felix again.
Steven was a great sitter for our black lab Souris and cat Pinot. They were well looked after and really liked Steven. Our house was in good order when we got back and Steven was kind enough to give us a lift to and from the airport. He was very flexible, arriving day early so we could show him around.
Kristi was an exceptional house / pet sitter and we appreciate her being so flexible as were not sure how long our vacation was going to be. She was prompt, courteous, and even drove up the weekend before to meet with us. She took great care of our house and our dog snd cats loved her. I would highly recommended her.
Is it better to board cats or leave at home?
Veterinarians advising to leave cats at home with a pet sitter who will stay overnight in your home, boarding is not recommended for cats as they are stressed in a new environment, you can find a sitter who will care for your cats and home for free at Zeewoi.
How much should you pay someone to watch your cat?
At least $20 per visit, $60 per overnight watching in your home or $40 for a cat boarding, otherwise you can find a free sitter at Zeewoi.
What do people do with their cats when they go on vacation?
Inviting a cat sitter to your home, boarding the cat with a local business, asking a friend, family or neighbour to feed and check the well-being. The most efficient way to leave your cat during your vacation is with Zeewoi cat sitters for free, in this way, you will save cat sitting costs and make vacation not only for you but also for your cat sitter!
Katherine is great with my 2 dogs, one of which is very anxious. My anxious dog goes with her willingly (and usually won't go with anyone else willingly), and I get pictures and updates about them. I know she takes great care of them and they enjoy being with her. I really feel like I don't have to worry about them when they are in her care.
Kat and her husband put their all into what they do. They take wonderful care of all who boards with them and Kat is an exceptional trainer. She truly has a gift. If you're in the area and want the best care for your pet, this is the only way to go!
Katherine has the best dog handling skills. She truly loves animals. I'm very fortunate to have met her.
Their listed website is nothing but a bunch of spam/virus ads that try to seize up your browser. No thanks.
Always wonderful!
Luna has been a Jax for years and we couldn’t be happier. Luna is a rescue who generally is not fond of men or cowers but she absolutely LOVES Tanner. She also gets so excited to see Lou in the mornings. Between these two employees it’s why we stay at Jax. Their adorable nicknames for her and their love for her are priceless. On top of that she has made many friends and even the little love of her life , Mango. I love seeing the adorable photos and activities on Instagram. Lou is our favorite and is doing an amazing job communicating with me as a parent. I always know Luna is in the best hands at Jax. Bubble days are amazing!
Super friendly and very professional staff. They care details about your dog and treat them like a family. I trust Lou as a dog expert and professional trainer. My dog (Pluto) was very shy and not social type of dog since she come from rescue. But since we met Lou and Jax Dog Drop staff, Pluto transformed and she plays with friends with a big smile!! THANK YOU!!
We have taken our 10 month old puppy to Jax for a few full days now. The staff has been very friendly and informative about the process. It is very easy to schedule a drop-in as well. Anytime he’s there, he comes home all tired out which is such a relief.
Jax is amazing! I 100% recommend bringing your dog here! I was so worried my big dog wouldn’t fit in because of his leash reactivity and made sure everyone knew his background and they made sure he had a slow intro and they said he did amazing! My little dog also loves it here! She’s been to daycare before and she is definitely more comfortable here than where she was going before! I give Jax 5 stars! Attentive, caring, compassionate, and staff is super friendly and informative!
We had an escalating health scare with our dog that meant we had to change boarding plans several times. Jax was with us every step of the way and were very empathetic when we ended up cancelling our trip to stay home with our sick dog. We will not hesitate to board at Jax next time we need dog care.
The services of Jax Dog Drop are very helpful to have (used them several times when needed during trips or house remodeling periods), and the dogs seem very happy here! I rate four stars rather than five, for only one downside: dogs will occasionally come back smelling mildly like urine (maybe one in five days), with some other dog’s urine dried to their bodies and/or heads. With very small indoor dogs, cleanliness is extremely important and so this requires that they be fully bathed at home after picking them up (which adds a lot of time and effort to an already expensive ordeal). Overall, our dogs still seek to enjoy it here! But, it still is an issue worth mentioning, and one which I have not had elsewhere at some other dog day care locations (though I am not sure why). If they addressed this issue in some way (perhaps they could offer a service where they quickly bathe your dogs at pickup time, or figure out some other way to keep larger dogs from soiling smaller dogs near by) I’ll happily update this review to five stars.
Our husky has gone to Jax for a few years now. He loves it there! He has lots of friends, he has plenty of space to run and play, and the handlers take good care of the dogs. The supervisor Linnea is amazing! She's so sweet, and is incredible with the dogs.
We've recently started taking our dog, Cannon to Jax Dog Drop and he absolutely loves it! Our first experience was boarding Cannon for a two-night-stay and it went smooth! We saw photos/videos of Cannon thru their social media, which kept us at ease. At the end, we received a "report card" which detailed Cannon's stay! From then on, we've utilized their daycare services at least twice a week. Every time we pull into the parking lot, Cannon's behavior becomes ecstatic and he is evidently thrilled to go inside! We appreciate the staff here as its obvious that the dogs are well cared for!
My big dog loves going to Jax!! Lou knows my dog so well and makes sure to give me updates and fun stuff about my dog when at daycare. We have been going here for years and can’t imagine what we would do without them!
We love Jax!! We've taken our dog Barry here for daycare several times and he just did his first overnight and he LOVED it. He was hesitant the first few times we took him for daycare but he warmed up and now wants to go back. The staff is always very courteous and the animals are obviously well cared for. Best part: I just found out they post pictures to their Facebook page and I found this great picture from a few months back!
We love bringing our dogs to Scampers! The staff aren't just knowledgeable and professional, they genuinely care about the well-being of your pups and work with you to ensure your pup enjoys being at daycare. The best place to bring your dogs for a fun day of daycare!
We got our pup King T’Challa during the pandemic and we were stressed out about socializing him - but we found our forever home at Scamper Bellevue and Kirkland. I love this place and so does my husband! Our dog has been going since be was a pup. The daycare feels like a family and I completely trust our little baby with their care from boarding to day camp!
My dogs love it here! They literally start to whine and bark as soon as I park. They scurry in so fast without even looking back at me (haha). I feel like my pups are in good hands here and I don’t have to worry.
Great place to bring your dog to daycare. Bruno loves all the staff and the fellow dogs he meets. We haven't tried boarding yet but nice they have a services like that. Also they offer grooming/nail trims once or twice a month. Very friendly and happy to keep bringing our pup😄 …
Don't bring your dogs here. Exceptionally rude customer service. After spending easily 20k here i'm blown away at how rude their staff is to customers. Also they don't know how to handle dogs. My dog had her head yanked through a crate door because they reached in and dragged her through. When I tried to talk to them about it the owner refused to let me speak and just got incredibly defensive. We came here for 3 years. 2 1/2 we were told our dog is wonderful and behaves so well, then they changed their staff and all of a sudden my dog was treated badly and were told it's her behaviour. Meanwhile they send home report cards that say no incident. Also staff straight up say "you shouldn't bring your dogs here". I would avoid this place like the plague. There's plenty of other places that we've brought our dog without incident. Really went downhill last 6 months.
Our dogs LOVE coming to Scampers! The initial meeting was super quick and then they got a larger report card of their first day. Both my dogs get super excited as soon as they see the building because they know it’s daycare! Staff are very friendly and give attention to the pups! I know my dogs are safe and well cared for while I’m at work. Scheduling days is easy through the Gingr portal!
My dog loves the Scampers Bellevue branch. The handlers are incredibly friendly. The co-owner that primarily runs this branch is super kind. My dog is ALWAYS pooped after a long day here. And if your pup develops any quirks while coming here they do an amazing job at communicating with you and trying to find the best way to help your pup and you. I highly suggest them. :)
I have been bringing my dog, Kenny, to Scampers since he was a pup. The staff is great - so friendly and attentive. I just love everything about this doggy daycare and so does Kenny
This is an excellent place to leave your dogs. They are friendly and are very attentive. My dog does a lot of playing and gets tuckered out, which is great because she is very high energy. I also board her here whenever I go out of town. They are very trustworthy and it is nice to get the report cards, while I am out of town.
Scampers is an amazing place for dogs; the people there are super nice and caring about your dog; I like that they give a report card, my dog has stayed overnight and loved it. The day care goes until 7 pm. It is clean and bright with space for dogs to romp around!
Our dog has been with Jessica on multiple occasions now from boarding and also training. She’s so sweet with them and takes them on all sorts of fun adventures! Our pup’s a bit dog and human reactive, but Jessica has been nothing but understanding and helping her get over her anxious tendencies. She is also great and teaches us how to handle and continue training our dog to be calmer. We love getting the updates and seeing our puppy run around with the other dogs and look so happy. Jessica is an absolute joy to work, super understanding, and our dog now wiggles her little tail whenever we drop her off. Cannot recommend her enough!
We’ve worked with Jessica over the past year, who continues to blow us away with her amazing talent for nurturing and training our sweet girl, Pippin. From the very beginning, it was clear that she is a true expert in dog training. Pippin has had issues with reactiveness, and Jessica approached these challenges with remarkable gentleness and responsiveness. Her methods not only addressed Pippin's reactivity but also ensured that she remained the sweet, cuddly dog we've always known her to be. Throughout our sessions, and boarding with Jessica, she demonstrates an impressive depth of knowledge and a genuine love for animals. She tailored her approach to Pippin's specific needs, creating a safe and supportive environment where she could learn and grow. Thanks to her patience and expertise, Pippin has made significant progress, and we have seen a remarkable improvement in her behavior. Of course, dog training is a partnership, and it is imposant that we uphold the routine and structure that Jessica has provided Pippin when she’s at home too. Jessica made it super easy, by offering transfer sessions when we pick her up, one on one training, and helpful tips when we’re feeling a bit stuck! I am incredibly grateful for the positive impact Jessica has had on Pippin. Her dedication and skill have made a world of difference, and I wholeheartedly recommend her to anyone in need of a top-notch dog trainer. Thank you, Jessica for your outstanding work with Pippin! It’s safe to say you’ll always have a special place in Pippin’s heart as well as ours! ❤️
Jessica is a joy to work with and has exceeded all expectations. My 3 year old GSD blue heeler mix rescue was challenging and exhausting. He was anxious, stubborn, and extremely dog reactive. We went through four other trainers with zero results. When we met Jessica for the first time, she spent over an hour with us observing his behavior and talking about our challenges and goals. I could already tell by her handling skills that she was the real deal. We decided to move forward with a three week board and train. By the end of his stay, he was able to be off leash with one of her dogs! Through our continued work with Jessica, my guy has become more confident and life with him is so much easier and enjoyable.
Excellent customer service and super helpful with my dog Raven. Jessica knew how to calm my dogs nerves and it’s a complete 180 from how wild he was before signing up Jessica’s service.
Our first visit with Jessica was about 90 minutes. She met Teddy, our 4-year-old Golden Doodle, and observed him as we discussed our goals for the training. Jessica put together a 10-day program tailored to his (and our) needs. She kept us aware of his progress with videos and phone calls throughout his stay. On the final day, we had a 60-minutes training session where Jessica gave us the information we needed to continue the improvement he had made. We recommend Jessica Apperson to anyone looking for a dog trainer.
Sent our 5 month old puppy to a 10 day board and train program with Jessica at MDI and had a wonderful experience. Being our first dog, we knew that getting a strong foundation of good behavior was important. We got updates every 24-48 hours, and our pup came home with the baseline that we could reinforced. We appreciate Jessica and will certainly use her again.
Jessica and her team were a joy to work with with our puppy. Our goal was to have a well behaved puppy, that’s what we got after our in home boarding with Jessica. We are thrilled to have a puppy that responds to the basic commands (sit, heel, down, off). Thank you for your gentleness, consistency, & hard work with our dog.
Jessica always provides top quality training to the dogs in her program, including dogs who have been kicked out of other training programs. You can't find a more knowledgeable trainer in the great Seattle area.
Jessica is very knowledgeable about everything she does and takes excellent care of your dogs!
Good
My dog Max loves Dogtopia!! He literally pushes his way in the moment they open the door. When he sees the staff his whole body wiggles in excitement. To me that’s how I know he loves it here and I have no hesitation taking him here for boarding and daycare. So lucky to have found this place. And the owners and management care so much about all the dogs (Allison always calls them her babies) and their own dogs do come here occasionally for daycare as well. It’s always impeccably clean and the app/webcams are great as well. Highly recommended.
Can’t say enough about this place! Every single staff member is so kind and I can tell genuinely care for my pup. It’s very clean, the communication is great and best of all, my dog is exhausted after each day she’s there! My dog is newly adoptee and has quickly settled in and made friends with everyone. Thank you everyone for the great care and love you give Stella!
I started taking my pup Duke to the Bellevue location this summer and love the friendly staff, clean rooms and fresh atmosphere! All of my questions were answered at my meet and greet and they continue to be helpful if I have questions along the way no matter how silly my questions may be (they are very patient with both pups and their humans) I love that my pup gets socialization and the chance to play while I'm at work and feel he is in great hands, always happy to see me at pick up!
Our dog was bit by the other dog while day care visit and brought into ER. The explanation from the owner about this incident doesn’t assure me that they operate the facility as they advise (e.g., they focus on health and safety, dogs are separated into playrooms by size and temperament, rigorous vetting process to screen out problematic dogs.) I regret I have taken our dog there for the last 6 months. Our Pomeranian dog was bit by the other dog during his routine day care visit. He was bleeding from hind legs and dark color bruise were all over the legs. ER vet told us that there were two puncture points in the inner side of hind legs and some parts of skin might not survive and requires possible skin removal surgery. Fortunately, he has been recovering very well and primary care vet told us no extended treatment or medication is needed on a follow-up visit a week after the incident. Dogtopia provided a report made internally two days after the incident. This report includes the timeline of incident and what they talked with the other dog’s owner about the dog’s behavior. However, it doesn’t include the observation if facility has been operating under due care. I asked further explanation to Dogtopia’s owner but the owner repeated general statements such as “We have rigorous standards.” and none of our specific questions and concerns were answered. My husband was initially told from Dogtopia staff “the other dog has a habit of nibbling on other dogs”. But this existing habit was not included in the report. I asked the owner if Dogtopia noticed some problematic behavior but let the dog play with other dogs despite the size of the dog (my Pomeranian dog is 7lbs. Other dog bit him should have at least 20 lbs based on the breed we were informed in the report), but answer was not given by the owner. The report also says there was the first altercation and it was broken up by the canine coach however the other dogs reacted and while the coach was dealing with these dogs, second altercation happened then my dog got injured. I wondered why the other dog was not put into crate immediately at the first altercation. Major injury is in his back legs but ER vet noticed that there is scar on our dog’s neck as well (it is small and no treatment was needed though). I wonder why Dogtopia couldn't stop the aggression until it got to the degree especially they knew the other dog showed some problematic behavior. The statement I got from the owner is “Scuffle happens.” “Dog changes behaviors suddenly.” “Coaches did their best as much as they could.” I decided to stop talking with them as they only give us general statements and I just rather absorb the $1,900 medical expenses on my own.
I want to start this off by saying that if you’re sending your dog to Dogtopia, you’re making a mistake. Don’t get me wrong, MOST of the Canine Coaches LOVE your pets, me included. But some of them are only there for the money and it shows. We’re constantly told by Giselle, the manager, to LIE to pet parents when a scuffle occurs, and state that it was just “escalated play” even when it was caused by a purely aggressive dog. And trust me, we have SEVERAL dogs that should not have passed their meet & greet, but we’re allowed to join Dogtopia solely because it’s a greedy, money hungry corporation that at the heart, doesn’t care about your dog. And like I said, most of the canine coaches adore your pet, but we’re always so over shadowed by the things management makes us do, or by the canine coaches who are just there for money. There was a canine coach caught on camera dragging dogs by the collars, and even spraying a corgi in the face with citronella spray after he did nothing wrong. That canine coach received little to no reprimands and later quit. That’s right, she wasn’t fired for her abuse, she quit. And going back to management making us LIE to pet parents, to YOU, if your dog was ever in a scuffle, chances are HIGH that it wasn’t “escalated play”, either your dog went after another (oftentimes unprovoked), or your dog was attacked by an aggressive dog. Multiple times I was bitten by several of the dogs at the Redmond and Bellevue location, and it was always swept under the rug. And I know for a FACT that several other coaches have been bitten and received the same treatment that I did in regards to it. The ONLY people who ever really cared about if you were bit were some of your fellow canine coaches, and a few of the shift leads. Management there is ABHORRENT and ABUSIVE. Allison doesn’t know how to run a company and should not be in charge of ANYTHING, let alone the lives of dogs. Giselle is cruel and awful to work with if you don’t bend over backwards to her every beck and call. By the way, were y’all informed that the ceiling collapsed in the toy box while dogs and coaches were inside?
Our dog is a frequent visitor to the daycare, attending three days a week. It's reassuring to be able to monitor his activities through their live camera feeds. The staff provides excellent care, contributing significantly to his socialization progress with other dogs. We've also experienced their bathing services, which utilized high-quality products.
No. I worked here. If I say too much it’s will be deemed a lie by corporate. It’s packed, coaches are overworked and tired. Puppies are stressed from maintenance on the building, and packed rooms with one coach. Your choice, but I wouldn’t risk it.