Dog Walking Johnston

“Ezequiel R. exemplifies what it means to be a dedicated and compassionate pet sitter. His approach goes beyond the basic responsibilities of feeding and walking pets; he takes the time to understand each animal's unique personality and needs. Ezequiel engages with the pets through play and affection, ensuring they feel loved and secure while I was away. His attention to detail extends to maintaining routines, whether it's administering medications or sticking to specific dietary requirements. Additionally, Ezequiel values open communication with pet owners, providing regular updates and photos to reassure them that their furry friends are thriving. With his responsible and warm-hearted care, Ezequiel R. truly stands out as an exceptional pet sitter.”

Xam O.

“Sara was great with our dog Finn! She was very easy to work with and took care of our dogs needs.”

Will H.

“Corey was timely, communicative, and friendly. Cory responded to a last minute request quickly, and with a lot of Grace and openness. I am very grateful for Cory's service and look forward to booking with him in the future!”

Lewis C.

“Jessica was great! She took time out of her night to come visit Koda the night before she walked him and see how they did with each other! She was also a great walker and was willing to just hang out with him outside of his kennel and play with his toys! We will definitely be going back to Jessica again!”

Zach E.

“Angela has been awesome! She is super personable and it’s very clear that she absolutely loves animals! She’s taken great care of Kora and gone above and beyond!”

Christopher W.

About: I have a soft spot for the quirky or misunderstood animals. I pride myself on making sure your pet is comfortable and feels free to be themselves. I have experience with mildly aggressive dogs, senior dogs, puppies, and the medically challenged. I am typically available after 4pm monday-friday, and on the weekends I am fairly flexible. Working with animals is a passion of mine and does not feel like a job. :) I have a fenced in yard, and a spacious first floor in my home so I have plenty of room for your pet to run around or play.

“Great communication!”

Diana E.

“Brad did a great job walking our Mini-American Shepherd last week. He was on time and patient with our bundle of energy dog. Appreciate the good work!”

Cassandra H.

About: I’m an animal lover and cat owner who will love your pets as if they were my own! My primary work is remote from Johnston, but my work schedule is extremely flexible. I am able to make my own schedule, which means I am able to care for your pet whenever they need some quality time! I also have experience with caring for pets that have a variety of medical needs, including injections (I have been trained by a vet to provide injections to my own cat). I strive to maintain pets’ routines and care, whatever their needs may be. I am comfortable learning about your pet’s health and how I can best support it while you are away! My goal is to treat each animal with the compassion, dignity and respect that I show to my own fur babies! (Note: pets with significant medical needs may require increased rates based on the level of care they require.) With more than 14 years of pet-sitting experience, I am confident I can fit your house-sitting or pet-sitting needs and keep your fur babies healthy and happy. I am comfortable with almost any pet you may need care for, and have experience with dogs, cats, rabbits, hedgehogs, guinea pigs, fish, or other small animals. I have two cats of my own and I work remotely with a flexible schedule. That allows me to structure my schedule around the needs of your pet! I believe that you know best for your pet and your home! I am here to make your life easier and ensure your furry family members are healthy, safe and happy. I try to leave every environment a little better than I found it, and that includes your home! Rest assured that any requests will be followed precisely and your space and belongings will be treated with the utmost respect.

About: Interacting with animals has always been the highlight of my day. I have a decade of professional experience with pet care, primarily dogs and cats, but small animals and exotics as well. I have a beloved senior dog and a giant day gecko at home, but I grew up around a large range of animals, including dogs, birds, lizards, frogs, rodents and sugar gliders. I also have a bachelor's degree in biology with a particular interest in animals and plants. As a result, I have the experience, knowledge and passion to provide the high-quality care you're looking for. I currently have a very flexible schedule, which means that I am able to devote plenty of time and attention to your animals. I will keep in touch with you while your precious pets are under my care, so you won't have to worry about their safety and comfort. I am happy to provide detailed updates and photos of the time they spend with me. I would love an opportunity to work with your family! I'm between jobs right now, so I'm able to provide even more time for your pets. When I do find my next job, I will be sure to give advance notice to any clients potentially affected by the change in addition to updating my profile. I will respect any rules and routines of your household so that you and your pets will be as comfortable as possible. I am always careful when opening doors to prevent escapes and take any specific safety concerns for your individual pets into account.

About: My experience in the dog industry goes beyond just boarding or sitting. I have the knowledge, skills, and experience training dogs of all ages and breeds, including service dogs. I currently work part time teaching group classes, leaving quite a bit of my time available to do other things involving dogs. In addition to a safe and friendly place to stay, your dog will get daily enrichment activities and, if needed, house manners training (go to place, leave it, keeping all 4 paws on the floor, going in/out of doorways). I work part-time training group classes, which allows me to have the time needed to care for the dogs staying with me. I'm available for boarding during the week, weekends, most holidays, single overnights and extended stays. My availability for day time sitting can vary but my calendar will always be updated with those times. All interactions between dogs are supervised to ensure those interactions are a positive experience and a safe experience. I don't have a fenced in yard so each time going outside is on leash, so leash manners will be worked on. I have crates and exercise pens for dogs who get crated at night. During meal times dogs are separated from each other as a precaution to prevent resource guarding. I do have a "gated community" inside my house to prevent mischief in the kitchen or going upstairs to bedrooms.

About: Hey there! I’m Rachel and I’ve had a family dog for as long as I can remember. But now I have a family of my own- my partner and I have 4 kids and a mini zoo with 1 bunny, 2 ball pythons, 1 bearded dragon, 2 dogs, 4 cats, 6 mourning geckos and 6 aquariums with fish, snails, dwarf crayfish and shrimp. So, I have a lot of experience with a wide range of animals. Since I’ve started pet sitting on Rover I’ve also gained experience with raw feeding cats and dogs, chicken wrangling, mini home repairs, tree moving, raspberry picking and goose whispering. I used to volunteer every day at the local animal shelter while I was in highschool where I got tons of experience with all types of dogs and frequently helped out the neighbors with their escape artist husky! I previously worked as an assistant dog trainer. I’ve gotten tons of experience with how to better read animal’s body language, create and maintained presence control and facilitate healthy play. While most of my experience is with dogs, I am a true animal lover. One of the biggest perks of having me as your sitter is that our whole family helps take part. My 15 year old, Bella, is usually heavily involved in the care of the animals we sit. My other 3 younger kids also absolute love to take care of and play with all the animals. If your pets like to hang out and play with kids, get attention all day long… your pets are in for a treat with us! (For boarding) We truly strive to give dogs a home-away-from-home experience where they just jump right into our routine. Most of the time they end up sleeping in bed with one of our kids, playing with us outside, getting loves on the couch- all the stuff a family dog can expect. We stand proudly in our family beliefs of qualify pet care and don’t want to be a boarding spot where they put your animal in a kennel, let them out twice a day and charge you extra for playtime or potty breaks. We do generally keep our own dogs separated from our rover dogs just for everyone’s safety and ease. For repeat dog clients that we know well & think would play well with our dogs, we do let them play together. We have a neighbor who lets us use their fenced in quarter acre yard so we do a little meet and greet there in neutral territory. (For pet sitting at home): We do come and go more often when we are sitting pets at their own home but we still make it a family affair. We make sure to drop-in frequently to check on them, feed them, let them out and play with them! Bella loves to hang out with our pet clients and play with them. Sometimes I bring a different kiddo to stay the night with me each night so that they all get a chance to give individual attention to the animals we are watching. We also watch over the house and property. At one pet sit, there was a storm that ran through and a massive branch broke into the pet parent’s driveway, front yard, sidewalk and street! After we notified the owners, Bella and I got it moved out of the way of the street and sidewalk so the pet parents didn’t have to worry about it until they got home. We understand that pet sitting is more than just watching the pets at home and we like to provide a holistic approach. My wife, Leigh also cleans and manages houses when she isn’t at home with our kids. She was the manager and trainer at a locally owned high-end home management company for many years. If you want your house cleaned or you have an organizational project you want completed while you’re gone, let me know! Leigh would be happy to chat with you, figure out what you’re wanting accomplished and get it done while you’re gone. She’s got a plethora of clients who continue to be impressed with her work and ask her to come back as proof of a job well done- so it’s not just my (possibly biased) opinion. 😉 WINTER UPDATE : I have carefully curated my locational availability to be where I am comfortable taking care of pets. I do still accept clients outside of that area if we can manage it BUT I do plan to charge an additional $10+ for clients who are outside of our Rover limit to account for extra gas & travel time. Winter adds extra stress with the extra hazards of driving on snowy and icy roads and the extra time of scraping my vehicle off, driving slower, etc. Please keep in mind with any pet sitter (for house sitting or boarding in particular) that you are literally paying them to be working & on-call, driving to and from your home for many hours & compare that to what you expect from an hourly job. 🤍 I try to keep my prices as reasonable as I can while also respecting and protecting myself. I work as a school bus driver primarily so it leaves my summer & most major holidays pretty open! When I am at work my wife is usually home with some or all of the kids, so even when I’m busy- we have the ability to care for pets. I am pretty flexible but my main priority is making sure I am respectful of your space as much as I would want someone to be respectful of mine. Taking photos and communicating heavily with pet parents is top priority for me. If you wish to have less communication, just let me know so I don’t send too many cute pictures of your pets! I know what a big deal it is to leave my pets in the care of someone else and as a result, I take the responsibility very seriously myself. We have a very large unfenced yard. We do not use any pesticides on our yard to protect the environment and animals of all kinds. 🌎🐝🦋 In the warm months, you’ll see lots of native plants, wildflowers and butterflies in our yard as a result. Please note: While we welcome pets of all kinds, we do not allow pet parents into our home. We want to make sure we are protecting the privacy and security of our children and their space. Also: we have 4 kids (see: mini-zoo reference above) it can be a mess up in here sometimes! 🤣

About: As a dog mama myself, I understand that our dogs are more than just our pets. They’re an integral part of our family! I strive to provide them with the necessary care they need, but also the enrichment they need to thrive and live a happy life. I love to play with them, take them out for walks, and provide them with love and pets. It’s important to me that they are not just physically cared for, but they are mentally stimulated through play and emotionally cared for at every visit. I'm always mindful that all pets should be greeted with a slow introduction, that does not come off as intrusive, or threatening. Even the most social pets, can behave differently when an unfamiliar person enters their home while family is not present. I always take that into consideration upon each visit, as I get to know your dog/cat, and build a trusting relationship. Whether your pet goes out on a leash, uses a fenced in yard, or requires potty pads to go to the bathroom, I'll follow your instructions as discussed through the Rover app, or during our initial "meet and greet". Requested information about your pet -Medication schedule -Behavioral issues that may affect walking your pet on public sidewalks, history of biting or aggression while being fed. -Ongoing medical conditions -Vet number and/or emergency contact I currently work on a hybrid schedule - 3 days in West Des Moines and 2 days at home in Ankeny. I have a flexible schedule where I can pop around to your pet when needed. I have a heart for animals along with the patience needed to give quality pet care. Your pet will always come first and I would treat them as if they are my own.

“Wonderful with my active Irish Setters. Always on time and dependable rain or shine!”

Lynn P.

“Kent is amazing! He goes above and beyond for my dog. He is an excellent communicator and keeps me informed with anything I may need to know about my dog. He cares deeply for animals and is so trustworthy and genuine. I highly recommend Kent and we are so lucky we found him!”

Kristen M.

About: I have worked as a Supervisor at Wags Pet Resort and Hotel in Ankeny, IA for 5 years in October! I have worked with all different personalities, types, ages, sizes, and behavior of dogs. I have gained a lot of knowledge about dogs and the best ways to work with them based on their personalities and behaviors! I have experience with administering medication, baths, and caring for injuries. I would love to set up a meet and greet and understand your dog and your expectations of my visits! I am currently a Direct Support Professional and Personal Care Assistant in Iowa city! I also volunteer at the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital! I have pretty open availability on the weekends and randomly throughout the weekdays! I will be as flexible as possible and willing to work with your schedule! I have a dog of my own so I understand what it takes to care for an animal inside a home. I would let your pet out multiple times during the day and stay outside and play with them to help wear their energy out. I think it is important for your pet to be outside and running around or just getting attention depending on their behavior and moods! Due to my experience I am able to see what a dog needs and wants based on their actions and I am willing to spend time with them multiple times throughout the day!

“This is the second time Karly has been our walker for Bella. The first time was a 5 week hire while we were out of town. The second time was a short notice two day walker stint. Always punctual through both terms, and always caring. We felt very comfortable knowing Karly was watching our Senior Labrador Bella. Bella loved it too!”

Kevin/Beth D.

“Ashley was very easy to communicate with and followed directions exactly and was great with my dog! She provides lots of photos as well! Would recommend her 👍”

Aki O.

About: My family has had pets my whole life, and I spent a lot of time taking care of them. I’ve always had an ability to connect with animals of all sizes (and attitudes)! One of my strongest suits when meeting a new cat or dog is to evaluate and understand their own specific body language. They can tell us what they need, we just have to listen! I know some pets take a little longer to feel comfortable around a new human, and I always give them the space and patience that they need. I work during the day at a school, so I’m mostly free outside of school hours. I am also off work during school holidays. I do have some evening and weekend activities, but I still have plenty of time to take care of pets. Routines are very important for animals, so I will do what is needed to keep those routines in place and make them feel happy in their own home. As long as I know what the expectations are, we are good to go!

“I was able to book Troy on short notice, which was very helpful. He was prompt, friendly, and my dog was instantly comfortable with him. I’d definitely recommend Troy and plan to book him again in the future!”

Jessica F.