How do I know I can trust these sitters and how do I know they will take care of my furbabies?

Rover takes great care to only approve and keep the best sitters on their site. Unlike classifieds or craigslist, all Rover sitters undergo an application process, and many opt to have a background check completed (indicated by a badge on their profile - a check mark in a shield). All reviews of our services are public and in the order they've been left, and while we can write responses, we can't censor unfavorable reviews. Rover uses algorithms (which take ratings, response time, and a number of other factors into account) to put the best possible matches for your needs at the top of your search results.

Of course you can never be 100% sure of the service a sitter will provide, but I highly encourage you to be an active participant during meet and greets with potential sitters and ask any and all questions you need. In my experience, the sitters listed on Rover seriously care about the animals they care for.

I agree with both of these answers. However, even with the meet and greet, background checks, gut feel, etc., there is no foolproof 100% way to know that these sitters are who they represent themselves to be. I had an negative experience with a sitter that I truly trusted (at face value), only to find out on our return that the house was filthy, there were remnants of pee and poop in the unfinished part of our basement, most of the food in my pantry was gone and some of my kitchen utensils were missing (I didn't realize this until several days later), but my dogs seemed 'no worse for the wear'. However, I have a gut feeling they probably didn't get much quality time from this person. So I'm not sure how one gets comfortable with trusting 100% that the individual will be honest, trustworthy and reliable and that your pets will be taken care of the way you take care of them. By the way, like the person asking the question, the sitter I hired was staying in our home for the visit. Not really encouraging, but hope this helps.

You have to go with your gut, the reviews and of course a Meet and Greet. I have so many dog parents that come to me and say that their precious dog was attacked at a sitters home. I cant believe that people let that happen but believe me it happens more than you think. Make sure you are checking out where your dog will stay, do they have clean water for the dogs, if the place smells like a dog potty then I dont know how much pride they will take in your dog. I have watched lots of dogs and the one thing people always say is "wow your home does not smell like an apartment that has 4 dogs staying here" that is wonderful, of course I have dogs that come in with stomach ache or just nerves and I make sure they are cleaned up and then the carpet. Its not an issue, the accidents will happen, Also do they have a second door so that your dog just does not run out the front door. Will they use a harness so your dog cant get out of his collar and run away to look for you. These are some of the small measures I have taken to ensure that I give the best possible care and no missing dogs. Again just going with your instinct and meeting the person and seeing where your dog will be. I send tons of pictures during the stay cause pictures do not lie. So be aware of sitters that dont take pictures and dont have a CPR Pet first aid cert. Because they might be in this for the money and not have any respect that this is your most TREASURED COMPANION.