Dog Sitting in North Petersburg

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!

Alaina

Sharon was an excellent sitter who I knew was taking great care of my two dogs while away. She walked them, was a clean guest, and sent regular pictures and updates. I’d recommend her to anyone.

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.

Velia

Care and compassion for my dogs was at the top of the list of John's attributes. He was the first sitter I have used through zeewoi that was close enough to come meet the dogs before the sit. John not only came for an initial meet and greet, but he made time to meet the pups a second time prior to my departure to better familiarize himself with both the dogs and my home. Having put the fear of God in him about Penny's reactivity (I might have been a bit over the top, but better more attentive than less!), he was cautious with her in the beginning. Later in the sit, they trooped off to the beach on multiple occasions - all good! My 10-yr-old was on some meds for a serious battle with arthritis, and John managed Cooper's needs beautifully. John even made a call and a trip to the vet to re-up Coop's prescription when it was clear he needed to continue the protocol. I received daily updates by  text, including photos and video; communication is hugely important to me. I feel blessed to have had John care for my fur-babies.

Linda

They took very good care of my pets which involved feeding cats twice daily, fish once or twice a day and filling up fountain for birds. Animals were healthy and happy when I returned. Nothing was lost or broken, and Diane even found a lost grinder part that had fallen into the cats food while I was using it. They are a pleasant couple. 

They were invited from Wednesday to Sunday.  They arrived on Monday so had 3 days instead of one to learn the pets routine. They also informed me that they wouldn't be leaving until Monday morning, but that worked out well since I was mistaken about the end date of my cruise and couldn't get home until Monday. Everything was left neat, but I had minor housekeeping to do (clean sink, fingerprints off glass table, sweep floor). They are older than stated on the profile, which they said only allows 65 as a top age. 68 and 73. Bruce has health problems that requires he sleeps sitting up in a chair that has a leg lift, which luckily I had, so he slept in my living room. They are fine caring for cats, but my friend with a dog decided to find another sitter rather than leave him with them (she was going to pay) because they seem somewhat frail.

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.

Sidney & Larry

Oh my Goodness!  Where to begin.  Linda was the perfect house sitter for us and the perfect pet sitter for Olivia!  She is one of the nicest people you will ever meet.  When we returned from out two week vacation all our plants were alive, the garden was alive, the birds and fish had been fed regularly, and the dog was alive and happy!  What more can you ask for, right?  Well with Linda you get all that and more.  Updates as you request - even videos of her morning walks with Olivia.  The house as spotless as we left it, maybe even better! Even the porches were clean!  Linda is a genuine treasure and our recommendation would be 10 stars if there were that many!!

Katherine

Angela was fantastic.  She came a day early to meet us and our dog Bella and to get the lay of the land and we so enjoyed meeting her and getting to know her!  She took care of our home and Bella with the utmost care and attention.  She was great to communicate with throughout the sit and we felt confidant being away knowing our dog and home were in such good hands! We returned to a clean house and she even prepared dinner for us!  It was clear that Bella was happy, well taken care of and very fond of her!!  We would definitely recommend Angela.  She was a reliable sitter and a delightful person all around!!

Teona

Alia is truly the most wonderful, loving and kind dog sitter I have used.  My husky LOVES her.  Not to mention whenever I travel and return home, my apartment is neat and orderly.  She even baked a treat for me on my return! I highly recommend Alia.  She has sat for me several times and I can't wait to use her again. 
Thanks Alia! Me and Grey love having you:)

Ruth

You could not ask for better house and pet sitters than Ken and Jane! 

Before the sit: Communicating with Ken and Jane prior to our scheduled week went smoothly. They were proactive about planning. They came out to the house prior to the sit and spent a couple of hours going over things about the house, meeting the pets, and getting familiar and comfortable with everything. They were delightful people to meet; I was wishing for a couple of days to just hang out and play tourist with them!

During the sit: Ken and Jane sent me daily updates and photos of their outings with my pups and with their interactions with my kitties. I appreciated how they chose the sit partly because of their love of exploring rural areas, because that's what I have here! They were perfectly suited to my home and pets. Ken absolutely loves cats and is an intuitive and experienced kitty-handler. Jane really bonded with one of my kitties; both of them made great progress with all three of my cats, each of which is pretty shy at first, and one can be a real problem child. They worked very hard to give love to each pet and ensure that each felt calm, happy, and cared for. They spend tons of time outdoors with my border collie/retrievers. The dogs had daily "spa time" after walks and outdoor playtime, having their long fur brushed on my front porch (which the dogs love!). They sent me happy photos every day. If anything came up, they just handled it. They really seemed to enjoy their adventures and the pets each day, which made my time away that much more enjoyable.

After the sit: I was thankful to have some time with Ken and Jane when I returned from my trip. All the pets were calm, happy, and healthy when I got home. Ken and Jane had left me a detailed note about that last day to make re-entry easy. They sweetly left a thank you note and a bottle of wine on the kitchen table also (a very sweet and unexpected surprise!). They seemed quite sad to leave my "kids;" Jane left with tears in her eyes, saying goodbye to my dogs. We've kept in touch since the sit. My whole house really misses them. Oh, and the house was immaculate and plants all watered (inside and out) when I got home! 

If you're looking for kind, competent, caring, organized and responsible people to care for your home and pets, invite Ken and Jane!