Dog Sitting in Esopus

Jerry and Michelle are so great! From viewing their profile and reviews, I knew our dogs would be in great hands while we were out of town. Communication was smooth and reliable throughout the whole process, from the initial zoom to when we made it back to our respective homes. During the house tour on the first day of the visit, we were very comfortable and got along great. We received photos of the pups each day, usually with funny captions and usually with the dogs under their blankets. The house was super tidy when we got back, and we appreciated the fresh sheets after our 9-hour drive home. We would not hesitate to have Jerry and Michelle come back again - hopefully with nicer weather next time!

While it's nice to have someone at the house while the owners are away, the most important thing for pet owners is someone to care for their pets. If I could give Elvira 10 stars for loving my dog and giving her special attention, I would! Elvira also texted me with daily photos and comments about the "walkies" my dog enjoyed. Plus, Elvira took on the additional task of conveying my dog to the groomer, and afterwards dosing her with flea/tick medication and a heartworm pill. Elvira and my dog look forward to seeing each other again, probably next spring when Elvira thinks she'll be back in the area.

This is the second sit that Lisa and Jim did for us, so that tells you right away that we liked them enough to ask them back! They are a fun and personable couple whose company we have enjoyed. They stay in regular contact with pictures, and upon our return home the cat is healthy and happy, the house is clean, and they even left a lovely meal for us, truly over and above. We highly recommend Lisa and Jim as pet sitters.

Christy and Eric were absolutely amazing! They cared for our 2 dogs and cat exactly as we had hoped (and even did extra). They took them for walks and rides and administered oral medication to both dogs. Christy and Eric communicated throughout our 2 week vacation and gave us updates on the pets and the house. Christy and Eric were both very easy to talk to prior to the sit and they arrived on time as scheduled. They kept the house EXTREMELY clean and it seems as though we came home to a cleaner/tidier home than we left them. Christy and Eric were amazing pet sitters and we would definitely be more than happy to welcome them back into our home any time!

Dominik was probably the best pet sitter I have had (out of 10+). He was very flexible and gracious (when I changed the sit), a great communicator and very responsive. He kept my house clean and followed directions to the tee. Dominik asked if it was OK to take my dogs for runs, which he then did every day of the sit. A+ sitter. I hope to have Dominik again soon.

I was very happy with Sabrina and Niles as our cat sitters! They arrived a day early to make sure there's enough time for us to show them everything, and they made sure to note down everything for later. Also, a huge thank you because our regular cat food and litter delivery was due during their sit and while it usually arrives in one go, this time it came split into four or five individual deliveries with one ending up at our neighbours. Sabrina and Niles made sure that everything was there and also went to the neighbour to pick up the last piece, and in the end build a nice cardboard box space that the cats absolutely loved (one of the boxes is still alive and is being used every day). We received daily updates and pictures too which I'm always super grateful for as it's the highlight of my day when I'm away. I can absolutely recommend Sabrina and Niles and would not hesitate to invite them back. :-)

Rigel has sat for me twice and has done well.

I was delighted when Naomi came back again for another sit with Mr B. So kind, so calm - such a wonderful sitter in every way and kept me up to date at all times. A lovely person, so glad we met and Naomi is always welcome.

Milton was the perfect dog sitter for Aldo. We would have him back anytime! Caring, organized, great communication. Took Aldo on amazing walks and activities. He is such a happy dog!! 10/10 from us.

Shelley is a dangerous and incompetent housesitter. She should never be entrusted with anything more valuable than a houseplant. Her pet care was terrible. On the 2nd day she left our 2 dogs outside in the backyard, unattended on a 83-degree hot, humid summer day with no water for 90 minutes while she left our home to go out for a walk. We saw this on our Ring camera and immediately reported this to zeewoi (full complaint currently under investigation) and let her know directly how concerning this was for us. Not only was it unsafe to leave the dogs outside while she left the home, but it also went against clear instructions that were communicated to her in person during the handover and in writing about what to do with the dogs anytime she left our home. She repeatedly had trouble following basic instructions that were communicated verbally, in writing and in text reminders. She was incapable of following basic pet care requirements. We asked that only one of our 2 dogs be walked once a day (I did not want her walking the other stronger dog, because during the handover we went on a walk together and Shelley DROPPED our dog's leash). We use Fi collars, so we know that over the course of 11 days, Shelley brought our dog for only 4 walks. We did a phone interview with Shelley and never did she inform us that our medium sized, 40 pound dogs would be too much for her to walk. Additionally, Shelley traveled with her sister who clearly is unwell (likely dementia or some sort of developmental disability) and also was afraid and nervous around dogs. She never informed us of this, and it was clearly a huge safety issue. Shelley's sister let our INDOOR cat out multiple times (at least 4 times are seen on outside cameras). Sometimes our cat was left outside for 20+ minutes without Shelley or her sister realizing. This is so, so dangerous- we are on a main street with a lot of traffic. We are lucky our cat didn't get lost or killed under her "care." Shelley and her sister left our home in a terrible, and honestly gross and unsanitary, condition. A paper bag with human feces was found in our bathroom and made the entire 2nd floor of the house stink for days. The rug in my office was covered with urine- which makes me wonder if she locked my dogs in this room for extended periods of time. Our dogs are fully house trained and have never had any potty accidents. The kitchen was filled with flies, milk had been spilled in the refrigerator and never cleaned up (a gross film had formed by the time we got home). The blender was put away in the cabinet unclean. The recycle bin was filled with dirty trash- so much so that we got a notice from the city. She carelessly used metal utensils and scratched our Le Creuset dutch oven (which will now void its lifetime guarantee). Three brand new bars of soap were taken from our home, like they were some sort of hotel amenity. Shelley went into our basement storage freezer (which she had NO need to access) and took home 3 gallon bags (about 20lbs) of frozen tomatoes I had harvested before our trip from our garden. When I addressed this with her, she claimed her sister packed them by accident (which, if true, & your sister is so unwell that she's packing things from someone's home that are NOT HERS, she should not be allowed to travel with you). However, I don't believe that's the case- 20 pounds of tomatoes aren't really something that just sneaks by your consciousness- it's A LOT of tomatoes. Shelley was offended I accused her of stealing, but that's what she did. She ultimately returned them, knowing full well she was in the wrong. I'm not sure what else she might have taken from our home, as I didn't think I needed to take an inventory of our belongings and supplies before we left. Ultimately the sit ended when our one of our dogs ate some of a marijuana plant in the backyard (she had never shown interest before and we did not know the plant- with no flowers on it- was dangerous). We do not blame Shelley for that (even though it was probably from a time the dogs were not adequately supervised in the backyard); having the plant where dogs could access was our mistake, and one that will never be made again. The part that is extremely concerning is that it took Shelley nearly 2 hours to get our dog to the emergency vet from discovering the first symptoms (she first texted me at 6:26pm that our dog was unwell and "having seizures" and did not leave for the hospital until 8:12pm). And I am certain she never called the zeewoi vet emergency line. She eventually reached out to my mother (our emergency contact while we were in Europe) and my mom told her to go to the vet ER immediately. Afterwards Shelley stated via message, "I cried, prayed & hugged her throughout the incident." So, instead of getting prompt medical care for our dog (emergency vet was clearly listed in our printed out home instructions), she prayed for her. Unhelpful, incompetent and incredibly dangerous. I'm not sure how she has previous good reviews. We were shocked by the incompetency and complete inability to understand and follow simple, clear directions- there are, sadly, many more examples I could include here. We are grateful our girls survived having her stay in our home. I would hope no one else ever has to deal with such a horror. To finish things off, disapproving of the legal marijuana plant in the backyard and probably of our rainbow flag displayed on the front of the house, Shelley texted "You need prayers. Find a Bible based church to go to and get healed. I pray for your soul."