House Sitting Heartside

“Melissa was phenomenal! She was so caring and compassionate with my pups and sent great pictures and updates! I will certainly be looking to her for future needs.”

Katie B.

“I do not know where to start other than Hillary went above and beyond for my furbabies Piper and Paislee. The night before Hillary was suppose to come stay at the house Paislee became very ill and was at emergency vet from 615pm until 6 am. I explained everything that was going on to Hillary and for not ever watching Piper and Paislee she was very attentive to Paislee as we had to leave 2.5 hours after getting her home to the airport. I cooked everything I needed and left all medications on the counter and let her know the times of next doses. She seemed comfortable with everything and I couldn’t have been lucky enough to find her. She used her best judgment and I couldn’t have been anymore blessed with her caring PIper and Paislee. I was able to get updates about every other day due to our traveling plans. I let her know many times how grateful I was. Then I came home to a beautiful letter and she washed all the blankets from the dogs, towels, and the guest room bedding. She do not have to do that but I am grateful. Hillary went way above and beyond caring for our dogs. Thank you Hillary from the bottom rny heart!!!!!!!!”

Jodie S.

“This was my first time leaving my dog for more than a day and my first time using Rover services so I was definitely nervous… but I didn’t need to be! Holly did great taking care of my boys and I can tell they were well cared for, played with, and cuddled. She was great to communicate with and left the house in great shape. I will definitely be using her again if I’m in need ◡̈”

Abigail S.

“Kelsey and Forrest were wonderful with our senior dog! They were incredibly patient, kind, and understanding of his special needs, which gave us so much peace of mind while we were away. They kept us updated with great communication throughout the stay, and it was clear that our dog was well cared for and loved. We couldn’t have asked for a better experience and would highly recommend Kelsey and Forrest to anyone looking for reliable, compassionate pet sitters!”

Brittany W.

“Lillie was great, and Gilligan seemed right at home with her. She made sure to provide updates and send pictures. I really appreciated her staying in touch and I plan to use her again in the future!”

Jane P.

“Jack was great! He took very good care of our old dogs with lots of quirks. He was extremely communicative, took great care of our home, and I could tell took great care of our pups as well. We will definitely use him again and would recommend!”

Brittany C.

“Andrea took such great care of my dog, who after the weekend was happily tired out and had obviously gotten lots of love and cuddles! Andrea was also respectful of my home, leaving towels hung up, and cleaning up after Enola in the back yard. 10/10 reccomend!”

Tessa W.

“Becki was super responsive and kept us updated with all the pictures during our week away. Arya was happy and well cared for the entire time!”

Abby & Joe S.

“MacKenzie was great, staying the night with our dog Maizie and cat Woody. We had to cut our trip short and she was very understanding. You can tell she loves animals and that's the #1 thing we would look for.”

Jon And Laurie B.

“Genevieve stayed at our house to watch Marlow for the weekend. She did a great job, was super communicative, and sent lots of pictures. Would definitely book with her again!”

Taylor D.

“Kate always takes great care of Max. He gets lots of walks and love. He loves when she comes to stay. Thank you Kate, we will continue to reach out!”

Sherri E.

“Alyssa does such a great job with my anxious dog! She sends me lots of updates and Milo always seems very well taken care of when I get home.”

Madde B.

“Brian is so attentive to our pets and intuitive about what they need. We appreciate the care he provides and are glad we found him! Definitely recommend.”

Tess A.

“Christina was responsive, polite, and left our house in perfect condition! She stayed with our dog for a couple nights and sent photos, took her on walks, and kept us updated throughout the weekend! We will definitely plan to have her stay here again.”

Amity & Alyssa L.

“Tayler was awesome with Stevie over a long weekend stay! There was a change in my cat’s health needs right before her stay and she took it in stride and made sure Stevie got all medications as directed. I felt Stevie was in good hands and all updates were prompt and thorough”

Mariah M.

“Great, couldn’t say more. Left my place cleaner than I left it and kept me informed throughout the weekend about how Murray was with pictures and updates. Highly recommend.”

Chili P.

About: I’ve dog-walked and house-sat for friends and families for over ten years. I have experience walking two dogs at a time, taking them to dog parks too, and experience with young puppies still house training and aging dogs with mobility issues. My mom ran a kennel and dog-walking service while I was at home (1st grade-12th grade years of my life), so I am very comfortable with all breeds and temperaments, from German Shepherds, Pitbulls, and Weimaraners to Dachshunds, Terriers and Schnauzers, along with mixed-breeds and rescues. I also have experience with cats, being a cat-mom for the last five years, and I've rescued and rehomed several cats over the last ten years. Working locally in downtown Grand Rapids allows me to visit pets, including my own, several times a day. Walking and physical activity are habits for me, so taking dogs out and walking them, running them at parks or in yards, is easy to fit into my schedule. I don't work a standard 9-5 so my hours are flexible and I can make visits at my own convenience. Dogs: I work to respond to the needs of the pet and the preferences/requests of the owner. Depending on that, care is case-by-case, but several rules I abide by are always: greet the dog calmly and warmly, and take outside first before checking on food and water. This gives the pup a moment to get the wiggles or nervous pees out, and diverts attention to sniffing and other senses so their energy calms slightly. We go back in to make sure food, water, and other elements requested by the owner are attended to. For the walk, I always bring a bag with poop bags, treats, and an extra collar. When we go further, like to trails or a park, I also bring a container and water as well as a towel for mud/wipe-downs, which I always do before we head back into the home, to make sure the dog is clean and won’t track in mud. I always practice basic commands as well, like sit, wait/stay, and come/here when we are at home, to build trust and reinforce the commands before going out. I always make sure to leave the home as it was, and check elements that the owner asked me to (i.e. water, food, mail, lights). I always leave a note on how the visit went and take a photo too so they know the doggo is happy and healthy. Cats: I work to respond to the needs of the pet and the preferences/requests of the owner. Depending on that, care is case-by-case, but several rules I abide by are always: call for the cat and then head straight to checking food and water, talking and calling for the kitty as I go. If they greet me, we pet/play for at least a half an hour. If they don’t greet me, I’ll look for them in the usual spots and speak gently and make sounds of play for them until they come out. I will not leave until I have set eyes on the kitty. I make sure to ask the owner what the favorite toys and types of play are for the cat. I then take care of the litter box. I always make sure to leave the home as it was, and check elements that the owner asked me to (i.e. water, food, mail, lights). I always leave a note on how the visit went and take a photo too so they know their kitty is happy and healthy.

“Jessica was awesome!!! We took a long trip out of state, all of our prior sitters were booked, so this was our first time with Jessica and we would highly recommend! We will definitely be using her in the future! We have very old dogs with lots of quirks and Jessica did great with them/cared for them very well. As requested, she stayed in our home with them so we know they got lots of attention. She gave frequent updates and pictures which was great and we felt very at easy knowing the pups were being taken care of well. Lastly she left the house very clean and orderly.”

Brittany C.

“Jade was excellent. Mose was very happy, and I could tell by the abundance of photos I was sent! My home was in great shape, and I trust her to watch Mose again any time. Very friendly, professional, and overall a great experience to work with. Thanks, Jade!”

Danielle W.

“I don’t have enough great things to say about Michelle! Our dogs are our heart and to know they were so well taken care of was an incredible weight off our shoulders while we were gone. She sent multiple pictures each day, and we could see our senior dog relaxed and enjoying her company. She was very responsive and treated our home as if it were her home - we were very impressed and cannot wait to have her spend time with our boys again soon!”

Holly D.