Dog Sitting in Benevola

Gregory

Due to a family emergency, I had to leave the country earlier than I had planned, and needed a sitter to fill in the gap between my departure and another sitter. Michele responded within minutes of my posting the sit, and then we spoke and confirmed the sit within hours. Her husband, Israel, was coming from Mexico to France, while she and her kids were to come from Sweden. When Michele’s travel plans changed, and she wouldn’t be able to come with her children, she assured me that Israel would still come to look after the house and dogs. To do this, for a stay of only five days, he flew to Paris, and then to the south of France, where he rented a car and drove the rest of the way to my place. As I was already traveling, the previous sitters filled him in on the various things that needed to be tended to: caring for two dogs, tending to hens, watering 90 young olive trees daily, as well as other things. The place is big and it took me 3-4 weeks when I first moved in to figure out where things were and what to do. Israel mastered everything upon his arrival, sent me daily updates with photos of my two VERY happy dogs. In addition to all the upkeep, he managed to hike with the dogs daily. I arrived home to find everything perfectly maintained, two fit and and Israel’s guest house cleaner than it was when he arrived. Immaculate. I cannot even express my gratitude for to both Michele and Israel for such a sacrifice and commitment to do that for me. It was a very difficult time, as I was dealing with the loss of both my son and my mother. I did not worry for one second while my dogs and home were in Israel’s hands. Thank you both, so, so much. You’re welcome back anytime, with the entire family, even just for a visit, maybe just a well-deserved holiday, with no dog- or house- sitting!

Jeff

My dog had a medical emergency while in John’s care and I credit him with saving my pup’s life. You couldn’t ask for a better sitter in a pressure situation. He also communicated regularly during the stay, keeping me posted on how my pup was doing. Would recommend John to anyone who needs a sitter they can trust.

Allyson

Susan and Jim were exceptional pet sitters for our 2 pups and cat! From the start they were communicative and asked thoughtful clarifying questions that made us feel comfortable immediately. 
We spent time together the evening before we left for vacation and it was clear that they had read our welcome doc and instructions. They referenced animal behaviors that were noted and confirmed details. They arrived about an hour before we left and gave us all plenty of time to feel comfortable with being in our home. 
Throughout our vacation, Susan sent photos and updates of our critters and let us know how they were spending their time together. Susan was quick to respond to my messages via WhatsApp any time I reached out. 
Susan and Jim stayed at our house until we landed at the airport and let them know we were safely on the ground. They fed and walked the dogs and let us know they would be gone before we got home. It was great knowing that had our flight been delayed, they would have stayed at the house until we were safe driving distance away. 
We came home to a sparkling clean home, a thriving and happy garden, and well cared for animals! Susan and Jim left us detailed notes of their stay and even gave us lots of instructions on how to keep our garden happy! What a treat! All our linens were washed and replaced and the house was immaculate. 
Thank you Susan and Jim for choosing our home and furry family to spend your time with! You were the best first experience we could have asked for and would love to have you back again!

Michelle

Brian was a wonderful sitter for our 11 year old dog and also took great care of our home. He sent me pictures every day and let me know how Macklin was doing which always helps ease my mind. Our home was clean and tidy when we returned and everything in its place. I'd recommend Brian to anyone looking for excellent care by a friendly person!

Nicole

We’re so grateful for the love and care Vanessa gave our two dogs while we were traveling for a weekend. During our trip, she sent us pictures and our dogs always looked happy and at ease. Even during a thunderstorm she cared for our scared older dog who unfortunately had a little accident, and she cleaned up with no complaint. We didn’t have to worry at all which let us truly enjoy our weekend away knowing our dogs were in the best hands!

Vanessa was clean and tidy. We returned home to a neat house and happy pups! She even did the laundry without us asking.

We would highly recommend Vanessa as a sitter for anyone. Thank you so much!!

shelly

Jerry gets a five star in every area! We actually connected on the phone before he ever arrived but once he got here, it was like we known each other forever! He was very thorough and how he was going to take care of the dogs and the house!! very friendly with the dogs, and they immediately connected with him!! dogs know when they are💖💖 he arrived early so he could become familiar with Circus and tinker and the house and we had a meal together and quickly became best friends! He sent pictures while we were away and updates. Every day. He was gone by the time we came back, but it honestly looked like he had never been in the house. Everything was perfect just like we left it.❗️❗️❗️ so if you’re looking for a Pet Sitter that is reliable in every way, and you know for sure is going to take good care of your pets this man is the one you want to have come to your home❗️❗️ you won’t be disappointed and I can promise you that💖🎉

Leslie

I’m sure most folks say the nicest things about their sitter, but honestly, if there were a “super star” status available then Denise would win the prize as sitter of the year!

From the start, Denise was an excellent communicator.  While we were still in the decision phase, Denise was always available to chat either by FaceTime, telephone or text.  It was so easy to choose Denise; as you can see from her countless 5 star reviews, she truly is the only pet sitter you’d ever need and the one everyone hopes to have.  

Denise came to our house eager to meet us, our pets and the quirks of our house.  Denise has an excellent sense of humor and immediately put us all at ease.  Our pets took to her as if she was a long lost friend (even our finicky Siamese cat was loving on her from the start).  

While we were gone, our dog had a non-emergency health issue come up and just like that Denise was taking her to our vet, and administered the dog’s meds like a champion (Denise is also a nurse BTW).  Additionally, Denise brought our pup to her scheduled groom appointments and even made future appointments for us to make our return home as seamless as possible.

Denise was even above and beyond helpful to our neighbors and they appreciated her giving them access to our refrigerator when theirs broke down on Thanksgiving Eve!  

When we got home we were super impressed by how perfectly immaculate our house was!  Most sitters leave the house clean, but Denise met and may have even exceeded our military standards of clean and orderly.  Seriously, our house felt like we never left it.  Everything was spotless, shinny and clean.  She didn’t miss a beat!!  Our pets were so happy to see us but honestly, I felt like our pup and kitty were disappointed when we walked in the door (I believe they were expecting to see Denise!).  Haha.  

If you are ever fortunate enough to have Denise apply for any of your sits then I can’t recommend her enough.  Seriously, you can stop reviewing applicants and just go with Denise.  She was awesome in every sense of the word and I hope she’ll come back and stay with our pets again.

Cassandra

Jim sat for my extremely shy rescue pup and new kitten for two weeks -- my pup struggles with new people, and is very fearful of men in particular. And yet, Jim was more successful with her than any sitter I've ever had: I can't recommend him highly enough. He has wonderful patience, a calm energy, and is a great communicator. He consistently updated me with photos and videos of my sweet girls enjoying the world with him, taking my dog on hikes and adventures to her favorite streams. He went above and beyond both for her (in meeting her needs and taking the time to get to know her personality), and also in caring for my home. I returned to such a cozy environment, a repaired wood stove, an organized wood pile and an at-peace dog and cat. Choosing Jim as a sitter is ensuring that your pets and home are getting the best of care, and his actions exemplify his kindness, generosity and thought taken in consideration of others. I hope to have him return many times in the future; the experience was a privilege both for myself and my pets.

Sarah

Stephanie, Brian and baby Martin took fabulous care of our home and pets for two weeks. 

From the outset, communication was quick, smooth and friendly and it was clear that both Stephanie and Brian are reliable, professional and warm sitters who take all the various elements of a sit seriously.

They kept us up to date with photos and messages, dealt proactively and competently with any unexpected issues that popped up, and most importantly showered our dogs and gerbils with attention and care throughout the time we were away. We returned to a spotlessly clean home (with thoughtful touches of fresh milk, bacon and bread waiting for us) and happy, settled pets. 

In short, we would recommend Stephanie and Brian to anyone looking for reliable, attentive and proactive sitters for their pets and home. We would be delighted to welcome them back for another sit, should they ever find themselves in the area again.

cookie

Ranji was a wonderful pet sitter for my dog Zoe and was very easy to communicate with and kept me informed.  She took wonderful care of our condo and wouldn’t hesitate to have her in my new home in NJ if she wants to check out a new area.