April Y.
April Y.
Contact for Boarding
from $65 per night
Highlights
Pet care experience
Senior & special needs pro
I raised two beloved rescue dogs of my own (had one for 13 years, the other for 15 🥲) in addition to 10+ years' experience fostering and volunteering with dog rescue organizations. Throughout fostering and pet sitting, I've hosted pups of all ages, sizes, and abilities (e.g., blind, tripod, recovering from surgeries, etc.) and have training in dog behavior and socialization. Through caring for my own dogs, I have experience with IVDD, collapsing trachea, eye ulcers, chronic arthritis, age-related incontinence, and more. Awarded "Foster Home of the Year" in 2016 by renowned Chicago animal rescue One Tail at a Time! NOTE: I treat every pet I care for like they're my own and provide **individual attention** rather than booking dogs from multiple families at once. As a long-time single pet owner myself, I've always tried to keep my rates approachable. Please get in touch if cost is a barrier, I can make adjustments on a case-by-case basis and want you to get the best sitter for your unique pet.
Cat care experience
April also cares for cats. Learn about their cat-specific care experience.
Qualifications
Ratings and reviews
Great experience! They were able to accommodate my last-minute booking and were very flexible with my special requests. Communication was great, and they went above and beyond to make sure everything was taken care of. I really appreciated how accommodating and helpful they were. Would definitely book with them again!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Finally, a sitter we trust with Aria! We have a hard time leaving Aria with anyone, so handing her over for the weekend was a big step. From the moment we met April, we could tell our sweet girl was in good hands. Aria was happy, relaxed, and well cared for the entire time. April kept us updated without overdoing it, which was the perfect balance. We got the reassurance we needed and were free to relax and actually enjoy our weekend. She went above and beyond, too. She even cleaned up after herself and left our home in better shape than she found it. That kind of thoughtfulness is rare. We'll absolutely be using April again and again, and we're already recommending her to friends and family. If you're nervous about leaving your pup, don't be. Highly, highly recommend!
April is an animal lover and provides great service. Our cat immediately warmed up to her❤️
April was an amazing sitter. She took excellent are of all my fur babies and left my home in excellent condition. She went above and beyond by vacuuming the living room before she left. I especially loved the card she left for us on the counter. Would absolutely use her again and highly recommend her for other prospective pet parents.
She was amazing with my dog and his special needs!
Great meeting you and look further to further visits with Lyla.
Calendar and availability
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Schedule
I quit my former day job after a tumultuous year and am now pet-sitting full time! My partner Ryan works out of the house several days of the week but he may also be present during your dog's stay (if boarding). We have lived in NWI for less than a year so I still have a lot of availability for new clients! NOTE: I'm happy to travel for confirmed bookings but starting September 2026 I will request $1 per mile for meet&greets/intros and for any booked mileage beyond 8-miles from my home.
Where your pet will stay
Home characteristics
Safety, trust & environment
I am a homebody and happy to stay in and snuggle with dogs that have separation anxiety and/or don't do well in public settings. My own dog is old and very used to having other dogs around if yours would like a buddy while you're away (a lot of solo dogs benefit from this!) For housesitting, no other human or pet will enter your home without your express permission.
Pets
A typical day
Would discuss what you're comfortable with before taking your dogs out of the house and of course give them all the pets and scritches they could ask for! We have a large fenced-in yard for off-leash play but I also enjoy going on walks for dogs who prefer it.
- 0 to 15 lbs16 to 40 lbs41 to 100 lbsover 101 lbsSpayed and neutered dogs onlyNo females in heatTakes only 1 client at a timeApril can host up to 2 pets per night
- Do they have a specific feeding/walking schedule; are they allowed on furniture in their home; are they sensitive/allergic to any foods so I can provide appropriate treats; what skills, if any, can I help reinforce while I am watching them? (e.g., a trick you are working on, or a behavior you are trying to nip.) Do they like being handled/picked up? Do they have any sensitive areas I should avoid? (e.g., my big dog had arthritis so I was careful with touching his hips.) Where do they usually sleep?