Dog Sitting in Vineyard Haven

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!

Christina

Maryna was an excellent pet sitter and houseguest! Communicating with her was easy, and she always responded to my messages quickly. She was also incredibly self-sufficient! Moreover, Maryna graciously agreed to check on my neighbor's cat for a couple of days as well. My dog bonded with her quickly and was happy and healthy when I returned. The house was also spotless. I would happily have Maryna sit for me again!

Kara

Denise was by far the best pet sitter we have ever had! She watched our two pups while we were gone for 3 weeks and took amazing care of our dogs and home. She took the time to ask questions and make sure she understood each dog’s needs as well as how to take the best care of our house before we left. She sent videos everyday updating us on how the pups were doing. We were so happy to see how much quality time she was spending with them and how much they loved her. Our dogs were so sad to see her leave and we can’t wait to have her back. Denise made sure that the house was in perfect condition when she left and treated our home as if it were her own. If you are looking for a pet sitter, look no further. Highly recommend Denise!

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.

sara

Lisa and Matt were absolutely fantastic sitters for us and our dog, Moose.  
Not only were they flexible when our flight was changed last minute, they also were able to stay an extra day to accommodate the changes.  They communicated with us promptly during the scheduling and planning process for the housesit.  They arrived on time on the (re)scheduled day.  They acclimated to our dog very quickly and gave us piece of mind as we left by taking him on a walk to avoid his separation anxiety.  We chatted every day and exchanged photos of Moose playing at the beach and in the yard.  He was so happy!  No problems were encountered with the house.  Even our neighbors commented on how friendly and kind Lisa and Matt both were and how they really cared for Moose.  
The house was spotless when we returned.  Everything in proper order, better than we left it.  
We can't thank them enough for the excellent experience!

Courtney

Amara was a WONDERFUL sitter for our home and our dogs for the weekend. We were so comfortable with her being in our home, and she provided regular updates and photos of our babies. The house was clean upon arrival home - we would have no hesitation recommending her to others and hope she would consider coming back to spend more time with our dogs!

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.

Kathleen

Lisa was a terrific sitter for our sweet Rosie.  She arrived the evening before the sit, and we immediately could tell how much love and attention Rosie was to get.  She provided updates and pictures which we were delighted to read, and we could tell Rosie was happy and well-cared for with Lisa on their walks and fetching sessions, on their car rides, and during Rosie’s many daily naps.  Lisa left the house in great condition, she’s very tidy and clean. Lisa’s experience with dogs and her friendly, sweet personality makes her an excellent sitter taking good care of animals while also being easy to communicate with.  I would recommend her and would gladly invite her back.

Anne

The two-leggeds and four-legged members of this household give Tess a 5-star rating! We think she's one of the best sitters you will find - highly communicative, friendly, competent, reliable, and great with pets. Tess was also flexible about start and end dates to accomodate possible winter weather complications. For this sit, Tess was able to bring along her mom, Cathy. Tess introduced me to Cathy during one of our Skype conversations prior to the sit. It was a bonus to have her here with Tess. Their travel to Marquette was complicated by weather. A fierce winter storm swept across Michigan just before the sit. It took Tess and Cathy two days to drive here but they arrived, as promised, in time for us to fly out early the next morning. We even had time for a lovely dinner together and to introduce them to the dogs and house. We left the next day and never had a moment's worry while Tess and Cathy were caring for our pets and home. Tess sent us regular updates and photos. The dogs immediately accepted them as great new additions to their pack of friends - even our cranky, old chihuahua, Nike! We returned to happy pets and a spotlessly clean home. We plan to invite Tess (and Cathy if available) to return for future sits. Thank you, Tess and Cathy!

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.