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Chris D.

Spring Branch, TX

5.0 out of 5 stars
•121 reviews
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Experienced Cat & Dog Sitter

Pet care experience

June 2022 Folks, let me be very clear: I am not at your beck and call. If I tell you I am in a week long class or I am at my National Guard training, you need to understand that I will respond to you when it's convenient for me to do so. I have other commitments that I am responsible for. This specifically addresses information exchange before I take care of your animal. However, I will remind y'all that I do not always give live updates when I visit or otherwise take care of your pets. I send photos and updates either when I return home or have access to Wi-Fi in another area. Thank you for your understanding. Howdy, Folks! Effective immediately, I now have two new policies in place and some other areas of concern. Please read. Due to the large number of last minute requests I have received lately, all boarding, walking, and visit requests that are less than 72 hours out (three days) will incur a 20% surcharge. That amount will be manually input and will modify your booking total. I am not trying to dissuade any clients from booking with me and I understand sometimes last minute emergencies do occur. However, this appears to be a trend and not one-off anomalies. I am trying to encourage more and better planning on either end. Known situations with previous clients will be taken into consideration. Visits with incontinent animals will incur an $20 cleaning surcharge. This includes puppies less than 12 months old, elderly animals, cat or cats with multiple, major furball issues, animals that like to tear up toys, garbage, food bags, etc. and similar situations. Please be aware that the surcharge does not extend my visit time with your animal. I will clean up the messes to the best of my ability with the materials on hand within the time limit of the visit. I am not a professional cleaner. Pet parents should expect to do additional deep cleaning upon their return. I also need to address apartment logistics. If I am visiting an animal that stays in a large, rambling, and/or multilevel apartment complex, please be aware that the 30 minute visit time begins once I arrive at the property, whether waiting for the gate to open, finding a parking space, or walking across courtyards to access the individual apartment. It seems that some clients like to 'hedge their bets' after they query me for a booking request and we discuss details for a few days; then they cancel last minute. Understand that I have likely turned away other clients because of accepting your booking request. Because of this, I have adjusted some of my cancellation policies. Thank you. Fall 2021 update: Salutations my wonderful clients, current and prospective! I am now returned from my overseas military deployment and available to walk, visit, or board your furbabies. Currently my calendar is wide open, but I don't expect it to stay that way for long. Also, I am fully vaccinated and adhere to strict CV19 protocols including mask during my visits and meet & greets. Fall 2020 update: Howdy current and prospective clients! I am so sorry, but I am unable to book any more walks, visits, boarding, or other services at this time. Before the end of the year, I will be on an overseas military deployment. I look forward to providing great care for your furbabies early next fall 2021. Thank you for your patronage! I do a Meet & Greet with all new clients. Usually, we visit for about 20 minutes for familiarization and to learn the animals' routines. Because of a number of no-shows, I now charge a nominal fee for all Meet & Greet visits. The fee is 100% applied to your first service; if you choose not to book with me, I keep the fee. It is unfortunate that I must do this, but I have had several potential clients disrespectful of my time. Additionally disrespectful are the (few) clients that care to quibble over the exact amount of minutes I spend with their animals. Rover bookings for walks and drop in visits are blocked off for 30 minutes. Does this mean I will spend thirty minutes playing with or walking your dog? Unfortunately, no, it does not. I wish I could play with each pup or kitty for that long, but other matters need to be attended to. Picking up poop, scooping cat boxes, wiping muddy paws, getting harnesses on & off, training sit & stay & wait, feeding the animals, brushing them, checking the mail, all of this takes time. If I am able to give a pet relief and ensure they are fed and all other tasks are completed in less than 30 minutes, then I leave the location. I do not dawdle there. Regrettably, I must also mention my prerogative when it comes to outdoor temperature and the heat index. One would think that all Houstonians realize the dangers of heat, but alas it is not so. With two tours in Iraq, one tour in Kuwait, and 25 years in Houston, I am well acclimated to the heat! It does not bother me and I am always prepared with water and a sweat rag, lol. However, our dogs and cats are much different. I will never endanger the animals under my responsibility when the temperature or adjusted index are high, usually 95 degrees or above. If this means shortened walks, or backyard playtime that is less than 30 minutes, that is my call. If you do not agree with this, please do not book me. While I do provide updates for every visit, they are not always in 'real time.' I have a limited data plan on my phone and must wait until I arrive home or at a wifi area to send updates. Additionally, I am very wary about enabling GPS tracking on my phone for safety reasons. You may not get a Rover card because of this, and if you do, the location likely will be stationary depending on where I leave my phone during the walk. Sometimes, I visit your furbabies enroute during errands, to events, or visiting other animals. This means it could be a few hours until you hear from me. If you require immediate, on demand updates, or do not agree with any of my policies, please choose another sitter. I live in Spring Branch and can easily service 77055, 77080, 77043, 77024, 77079, 77057; I will consider other areas on a case by case basis and additional mileage surcharges will be applied. I am right down the street from VCA Spring Branch and a quick trip to VERGI 24-7 on Katy Fwy. Have more than one furbaby of your own? No problem; multiple animals are okay by me. Depending on the time of year and the size of dog, I may host more than one guest pet at my place. I always inform the pet parents that dogs other than my own will be present. With or without pets, I also can check on mail, newspapers, shades / curtains, lights, and water plants while you are gone. I have cared for animals since I was a child. Currently, I have six furbabies! Three small dogs: a Chihuahua-Terrier mix, Finn; a blind senior Yorkie-Poo, Summer; and a Chi-Weenie, Olive. The cats are Charlie, Bissonette, and Sarah. I have been pet and house sitting for many, many years for several neighbors and relatives. I am not squeamish and have cleaned up plenty of pee, poop, puke, and hairballs. Odo-ban is my friend! I am a retired Harris County Master Gardener, volunteer with SBISD, and a Warrant Officer in the Texas ARNG. I graduated from TAMU in 2007 (BS) & 2008 (M Ed); in 2016, I graduated from TWU with my MLS. I am currently pursuing certification in genealogy. Why I love dog sitting Many years ago, I was doing dog food demos at Petsmart when they had adoption week. I had two cats already, and hadn't had dogs since I was a kid. Well, I saw Rex being offered by the Houston Humane Society. I said to myself, if he's still available by the time my shift is over, I'll apply for him. I still can't believe nobody else wanted him. After that, what's another two? My experience administering medication I can do topical, oral, and eye medications. I have not done intravenous or subcutaneous injections.

Reviews

Carla N.
Drop-In Visits • Mar 08, 2024
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Chris is fantastic with my dogs. She helped me out during my wedding night, and again when I had a last minute trip. She is detailed and really enjoys being around dogs. Her energy is great and the dogs love her. Thank you Chris!!

Toni S.
Drop-In Visits • Jan 30, 2024
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Quick response and great interaction with my dogs!

Maria C.
Drop-In Visits • Dec 29, 2023
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Chris is amazing. She took incredibly good care of my cat, she sent me pictures daily. She went above and beyond with her care. I would 100% recommend her.

Daniel S.
Drop-In Visits • Nov 27, 2023
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Great drop-in experience for our two cats while out of town. Chris is a very nice lady you can trust with your home and pets while you’re away. She followed our care instructions sent pictures and tidbits of what the cats were up to. Thank you, Chris!

About Chris D.

Communication

40 repeat pet parents
100% response rate
Usually responds in under half an hour
100% bookings with photo updates
Sends updates with Rover Cards

Skills

25 years of experience
Oral medication administration
Senior dog experience
Special needs dog experience
Can provide daily exercise

Safety, trust & environment

I live in a condo with a small patio garden which has a six foot tall fence. The property is a gated community with greenspace. Our street has low traffic and sidewalks.

Home

Lives in an apartment
Has a fenced yard
Non-smoking household
Has 2 dogs, has cats
No children present
Dogs not allowed on bed
Dogs allowed on furniture
Potty breaks every 2-4 hours

Information Chris D. would like to know about your pet

I think a meet and greet before hand is a good way to determine an animal's personality and quirks. Dietary needs, exercise regimen, and health information is important, as well. No breed preferences, but I do love when I can pick them up in my arms!

A typical day

Time I'll spend with your dog Morning visits will be between twenty and thirty minutes; evening visits between thirty and forty five minutes. Multiple animals and additional tasks will increase my time at your place; prices will be adjusted accordingly. Extra house-sitting services Yes, I can make your place look more lived in while you are away.

Services

Boarding
in the sitter's home
$28per night
House Sitting
in your home
$32per night
Drop-In Visits
visits in your home
$20per visit
Dog Walking
in your neighborhood
$20per walk

Chris can host

0 to 15 lbs
16 to 40 lbs
Dogs over 1 year old
Spayed and neutered dogs
No females in heat
Crate-trained dogs only

Chris can watch in your home

Cats
0 to 15 lbs
16 to 40 lbs
41 to 100 lbs
over 101 lbs
Dogs over 1 year old

Availability

I work from home on a flexible schedule. When I do leave to run errands or for other tasks, I am not gone for more than four hours.

Available
Not available
SMTWTFS
Calendar last updated 2 months ago
House Sitting Cancellation Policy:

About Chris D.

Communication

40 repeat pet parents
100% response rate
Usually responds in under half an hour
100% bookings with photo updates
Sends updates with Rover Cards

Skills

25 years of experience
Oral medication administration
Senior dog experience
Special needs dog experience
Can provide daily exercise

Safety, trust & environment

I live in a condo with a small patio garden which has a six foot tall fence. The property is a gated community with greenspace. Our street has low traffic and sidewalks.

Home

Lives in an apartment
Has a fenced yard
Non-smoking household
Has 2 dogs, has cats
No children present
Dogs not allowed on bed
Dogs allowed on furniture
Potty breaks every 2-4 hours

Information Chris D. would like to know about your pet

I think a meet and greet before hand is a good way to determine an animal's personality and quirks. Dietary needs, exercise regimen, and health information is important, as well. No breed preferences, but I do love when I can pick them up in my arms!

A typical day

Time I'll spend with your dog Morning visits will be between twenty and thirty minutes; evening visits between thirty and forty five minutes. Multiple animals and additional tasks will increase my time at your place; prices will be adjusted accordingly. Extra house-sitting services Yes, I can make your place look more lived in while you are away.

Location

Houston, TX

Chris D.'s Neighborhood

Pets

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Chris D.

Spring Branch, TX

5.0 out of 5 stars
•121 reviews