Dog Sitting in Bath

MaryAnn is definitely a pet and house sitter you can trust to be there for you and your pet. We video chatted with her before her sit and felt very comfortable with not having to meet her in person before we headed on our travels. It was obvious she fell in love with our cat Stella enjoying all the cuddles especially at the end of the day. MaryAnn sent photos of our cat everyday and texted right away if there were any concerns. She left our home clean and cozy just as we left it. We feel so fortunate to have had MaryAnn in our home with our cat and would highly recommend her!

My scheduled sitter had cancelled close to my departure date, and Diane stepped up and offered her services. So much appreciated. I was able to visit my grandchildren!!! Diane (Bogie) gave EJ lots of attention and took him for many many walks during my absence. She also froze some of the leftovers that I had prepared so that I would have food upon my return--again, much appreciated without having to go shopping immediately. Her compassion did not go unnoticed!!

Ed and Laura were great pet-/housesitters! They were organized and communicative. We returned home to a spotless house, thriving plants, and a happy cat.

This was not the first time Karrie sat for me, and just like before I knew my fur babies and home were in good hands. Karrie was on time, attentive to my kitties and respectful of my home. I look forward to Karrie sitting again in the future and know she is taking care of things while I am gone. Highly recommend Karrie to all!

Not all dog lovers can care for the large breed dogs. You can't just pick them up to fix a problem. And they tend to drool. Betsy was just marvelous with Byron. He likes to get out to walk or ride around in the car. He is a nosy thing. Betsy was able to find his best self. She sent lots of pictures. The house looked the same as we left it. I could not ask for more. We appreciated all she did to allow us to take a vacation without worry.

Margie and James flew from Michigan and rented a car to get to my home to care for Deegan. I am so glad they came. Delightful couple and they loved to take of Deegan. They took him for many for many walks and rides in their car. House was neat and clean. I mixed up my dates and came back a day early. We spend a fun night together sharing stories.

Tammy was incredible with communication. She asked and took daily photos and texts of our pets while we were away. We came home to an immaculately cleaned home (I can't even clean it to the level we came home to!!!) Tammy had dinner ready for us when we arrived home. The night we got home my dogs were calm and confused where to sleep, hence I KNEW they loved her being with them. I cannot recommend her enough! We were truly blessed to have her care for our dogs, chickens and home.

When we select a sitter, we read every review in addition to conducting some sort of video interview. We really rely upon the experiences of past hosts, so that’s why I believe it important to be honest in this review. I love giving out 5 star reviews and do quite frequently, but I also need to share any less-than-positive experiences as well for those hosts who rely upon reviews such as we do. As such, I’m a bit ambivalent about writing this review of Katie, as there were some really good things Katie did while here. She is a lovely, energetic woman who responded immediately to the concerns I voiced to her during the time she watched our pets; however, the “negatives” we experienced speak to the heart of the importance of having a dedicated pet sitter. For the most part, our home was left tidy and neat – which is no small feat as ours is a large house and I appreciate the care Katie took in ensuring we walked into a clean home. That said, Katie failed to notice my dogs had urinated in both of their dog beds and on the floor of our downstairs office, which we believed happened in the first part of the sit and resulted in the downstairs smelling of stale urine. Further, because she didn’t notice the urine, my pets, when downstairs, had to either sleep on the bare floor or in wet beds, neither of which is a satisfactory option. Also, my dogs don’t generally urinate in the house as they have access to a doggie door, and this seemed more a sign of their distress or discomfort. I believe this incident was part of a larger problem I experienced with Katie and that was in the manner in which she approached this sit. I advertised dates of July 6 – July 22. We generally ask our sitters to come in a day or two early as to walk them through the schedule for both our animals and our many plants, as well as to give them time to get to know the animals and experience a little of the town we live in. We also provide a very detailed introduction and welcome guide which outlines our expectations. Katie came in late in the day on the 7th, without personal transportation, which necessitated us picking her up and then my neighbor taking her to a rental cart company the next day because we left very early on the morning of the 8th. This abbreviated introductory time didn’t allow us to fully prepare Katie for the sit and allowed for some apparent “misunderstandings.” The “issue” for me was for the first five days of our 13-day trip, Katie was away from the house for up to 13 hours at a time – leaving our two, older rescue dogs, who have some separation anxiety - alone and with an extended time between meals. It was clear Katie was using this opportunity to visit many of the beautiful areas which surround where we live – hence using our home as more of an Airbnb to vacation – than a house sit dedicated to caring for our animals. Our dogs are fine with being alone for up to six hours but even that, for multiple days in a row, is, frankly, distressing to our animals and to us, as owners. To Katie’s credit, when I called and brought her daily, extended time away to her attention and reiterated my wishes the dogs not be left for more than 6 hours, she changed her schedule and while still gone every day, capped her time away at six hours. And, as I said, she is cheerful and responsive; hence, the ambivalence is positing my concerns with this sit. I think if Katie is provided with very clear expectations prior to the sit and understands exactly what is needed and expected, she will absolutely deliver. For whatever reason, from the start, this sit was rushed, there appeared to be too many misunderstandings, and it ended up being frustrating for us in ways other sits have not been.

Claire was the best! She took great care of our pups and house, communication was great and we felt totally confident that she could handle our three dogs, one of which has some stranger danger/aggression issues. She even flew out a day early so she could come meet him before we left. Happy to recommend her!

Jenn & her girls are the ABSOLUTE BEST!! They will take great care of your home, pets & plants. Highly recommend her! She was great for us, and we appreciated her help. :)