We can no longer recommend this host as a responsible and reliable sitter. There were many issues with our last service. When we picked up our dog it appeared he was not fed dinner per the instructions we sent as extra food was sent back. Our dog always finishes every meal. He also was panting heavily and quite warm when we picked him up. It appears he was possibly in a crate or alone for a long time. There were no updates or photos or any communication from the host during this stay. Lastly, this host's roommate has been used for drop offs and pick ups for approximately half of the dates we have arranged. While this is acceptable occasionally, we are contracting with Bhairvi for services, not her roommate. Based on conversations with the roommate, it sounds like our dog was in his care for much of the stay. When I texted Bhairvi asking for insight and an explanation for the last visit, we did not receive a reply. This experience is not consistent with the services we have come to expect from using other providers and the issues appear to be an ongoing issue based on other recent customer reviews.

My dog stayed with Bhairvi on two occasions and overall I was disappointed with our experience. During our most recent experience my dog stayed with Bhairvi for a week. Based on our previous experience I knew that my dog had some classic signs of anxiety, which I was expecting, so going into this experience I prepared very detailed care instructions as a way for Bhairvi to navigate any issues that may come and establish my expectations for communication. It was clear that Bhairvi did not review my instructions or possibly disregarded them. I reached out to Bhairvi on the day of drop off because I was working on some things and wanted to see if she were open to a later drop time. She shared that she had planned to go out to dinner that night with friends. I ended asking her if she’d prefer to pick my pup after her dinner. She picked up my dog at 10:47 which wasn’t an issue for me as I was packing for my trip; however, had I dropped my dog off at the original drop off time she would have been alone for 3-4 hours after arriving to a still unfamiliar place. During the exchange Bhairvi mentioned that my pup may have to stay longer on the return date because she would be running a marathon that morning and wouldn’t be able to accommodate the noon pick ups time I originally set. This was the first time I had heard of this concern and I mentioned possibly picking up my dog right after returning to town if that would be easier. I received my first update around 9 am the next day. It was nice to receive something first thing in the morning but this update like the others I received lacked information. I got a picture and no message. In my care instructions I asked to be updated on how the dog was feeling, eating, drinking, sleeping, and going to the bathroom. I never got updates on those and the one time I asked directly about food consumption she simply said “all good” but my pup ate about half the food I packed for her when I packed just enough for her stay. I know when my pup gets anxious she is less likely to eat but I put tips and tricks in the care instructions to address this issue and had it been communicated to me I would have helped to troubleshoot. There was one day where I hadn’t gotten an update and I checked in to see how things were going I didn’t get a response until the next morning I’m assuming because it was late in the evening. The next morning Bhairvi had told me things were “good” but then asked me if my pup normally chews on things. I noted “abnormal behaviors” in my care instructions one being chewing or destroying things. Shockingly my pup had chewed through the bed in her crate and a phone charger. This is extremely out of the ordinary for my dog and it was my indication that she was very stressed. When I had mentioned this incident to my mother she said, “how long did she leave her alone” out of shock because it so uncommon for my dog to destroy things. At this point I also made the realization that every phot update I had received my dog was wearing her harness. I asked Bhairvi if she was taking off the harness and she said only at night when sleeping. I’m sure this contributed to my pup’s discomfort. I reached out Bhairvi on the day I was returning to Madison to let her know that my flight was set to arrive in Madison earlier than I had thought. I originally thought I’d arrive around 11:30 but I was actually set to arrive at 9:30 pm. It would be about a 20 minute drive from the airport to pick up so possibly 10 pm. Bhairvi was planning to go to bed early in preparation for the marathon. She suggested having her neighbor bring my dog to me for pick up the next morning when she was supposed to be at the marathon. I told her I wasn’t comfortable with that because my dog is not to fond of men and I imagined that would make things more challenging. I attempted to find a friend who could pick up my pup before my flight arrived because at this point I was extremely uncomfortable with my dog staying with her any longer especially if she was going to be out for several hours. It made no sense to put my dog through the stress of being alone in a stranger’s apartment when at that point I would have been back in town at my home just up the road. At 11 am on Saturday I said that I would reach out to a friend. I touched base with a few people and even thought about arranging another sitter but had no luck. Around 7:30 just before my final flight I updated Bhairvi saying that I couldn’t find someone but I was open to other options whether that was picking up late at night or early in the morning before her marathon. I didn’t hear back. My flight was slightly delayed so I landed around 10:30 pm and at that point I assumed she was asleep. I figured I’d wake up early and follow up with her. I sent a follow up text at 7 am but got no response. I assumed she was at her marathon and that my dog was sitting alone in her apartment. I finally heard back at 2:45 pm on Sunday meaning 24 hours of no communication. She said that she had been in the ER with food poisoning that morning. She said she would refund me for the day not sure if she has put in that request with rover because I haven’t received anything. She said my dog was with her at all time but not sure how a dog can go with you to the ER. When I finally picked up my dog she was extremely lethargic and panting. I could tell she had been very anxious. Bhairvi asked me if the dog “ran hot” because she wouldn’t stop panting throughout her stay and put a fan on her the entire time. I shared with her that panting is a sign of anxiety which I noted in my care instructions. Overall I would say Bhairvi is limited in her care experience and while my dog liked her I can’t say that she was particularly considerate of the additional care that comes with supporting an anxious dog. Also rather than seek support and feedback from my instructions or me directly she carried on at the expense of my dog’s comfort and wellbeing. I’m disappointed and hope that this will be a growing experience for her but I will not allow my dog to stay with her again.