Gretchen L.
Vista Del Monte, AZ
Lifelong Friend to All Animals!
Pet care experience
Hello! I have been caring for both dogs and cats for many years. Rest assured, your dog(s) and/or cat(s) will be treated as an extension of my family. I look forward to talking with you and meeting your pet family care needs! LGBTQ-friendly. I have been a dog lover for as long as I can remember, and an animal lover, in general, my entire life. I was timid with dogs as a child, but as an adult, I have grown to love their playfulness and companionship. A friend once said when I was adopting my dog - 'You will see there is nothing like the love and adoration of a dog.' - and she was absolutely correct. While I love and care for all dogs, I have a soft spot for older, geriatric dogs and bigger dogs like Great Pyrenees, Labs, Pit Bulls, and herding dogs like Heelers, Australian and German Shepherds, and Border Collies. I have been called a 'Cat Lady' and it is a moniker I embrace wholeheartedly. I love looking after cats in addition to dogs, and while I love all cats, older cats are my absolute favorite. And on occasion, I have even tended to birds (including chickens), fish, and snakes. Essentially, I will happily look after all sentient critters in and around your home. **In-home care/stays** I provide in-home care within a 10-mile radius of my home. While the primary focus is on the animals, my service is also about looking after your home while you are away and ensuring the safety of both your pets and your home. I am willing to sit beyond a 10-mile radius for an additional per night fee. **Boarding and Dog Daycare** I welcome dogs that are indifferent to and are calm around cats. One dog at any given time. **Home Visits and Dog Walks** I will only ever walk dogs from one household at any given time, and I am comfortable walking three dogs at a time. **A Word on Medication Administration** I have administered various medications orally, nasally, and subcutaneously, and I am adherent to medication regimens. Injections, pills, creams, ointments, fluids, inhalers - you name it, I have administered it to both dogs and cats. One dog I watched needed to have blood glucose levels checked twice per day, and I drew and tested the blood and documented the statistics per the owners request.
Reviews
Gretchen is fantastic. Easy to communicate with, sent me daily photos of my animals, and kept them on their routine. I was able to enjoy my trip knowing my house and animals were in such good hands with Gretchen. I’ll have her again for my next trip. Thank you so much!!!!
Gretchen was great with our dogs! We have younger dogs that have some fear and anxiety issues and they took to her very easily - both dogs even sleeping with her while we were away, which is rare even for us! Gretchen is super easy to work with and we entirely trust her with our home and dogs. And we loved getting the daily pictures and updates of happy pups!
Gretchen did a wonderful job watching our 18 year old dog, Winston! She was responsive, followed our care instructions, sent us pictures of him during our time away, and left our house spotless. I highly recommend her!
Gretchen is hands down the best Rover. She is flexible, accommodating, so kind, and excellent with our dogs. They don’t even notice when we are leaving because they are so excited to see her. We have an older dog and a 2 year old with very high energy and Gretchen is incredible at making sure both dogs very different needs are taken care of. She is communicative, asks questions, and always leaves our place exactly as we left it. Gretchen is great at sharing pictures and updates and we always enjoy the handoffs before we leave, often getting caught up in conversation on our way out the door because she is so pleasant to be around. The first time Gretchen sat for us, our younger dog had been in the ER with a slipped disc the night before and she didn’t skip a beat. She assured us everything would be fine, and kept in constant communication so we felt very secure leaving him with her. We returned to a happy, well rested dog who recovered just fine. The most recent sitting, our older dog had several masses removed and has had stitches for a few weeks. Gretchen has been great at making sure she takes it easy, while ensuring our younger dog gets the attention and exercise he needs. We are relocating to Colorado and very aware of how high the bar has been set for our next Rover. Both we and our pups will miss Gretchen immensely!
About Gretchen L.
Communication
Skills
Safety, trust & environment
I take excellent care of your home and adhere to your guidelines while in your home. Should your dog stay at my home, I request that they be respectful of cats - otherwise, they are allowed free access to all rooms, couch, and bed. I have a fenced yard, and am in walking distance to parks.
Information Gretchen L. would like to know about your pet
The things that are important for me are dietary restrictions, behavioral triggers, socialization with other animals, behaviors that are or are not permissible at home such sitting on furniture or sleeping on bed, and whether medications are needed.
A typical day
Extra house-sitting services My rate includes basic maintenance of the areas of the home that I am inhabiting (e.g., sleeping quarters, bathroom, kitchen, living room), and I will water plants, collect mail, etc. My clients often praise how happy their pets are and how wonderful their home looks upon their return. Please note - I do prefer to watch animals in non-smoking households.
Services
Gretchen can watch in your home
Availability
I work at home most days, so regular outdoor time and potty breaks are not an issue. Even when I do venture out, I’m not gone for large swaths of time.
About Gretchen L.
Communication
Skills
Safety, trust & environment
I take excellent care of your home and adhere to your guidelines while in your home. Should your dog stay at my home, I request that they be respectful of cats - otherwise, they are allowed free access to all rooms, couch, and bed. I have a fenced yard, and am in walking distance to parks.
Information Gretchen L. would like to know about your pet
The things that are important for me are dietary restrictions, behavioral triggers, socialization with other animals, behaviors that are or are not permissible at home such sitting on furniture or sleeping on bed, and whether medications are needed.
A typical day
Extra house-sitting services My rate includes basic maintenance of the areas of the home that I am inhabiting (e.g., sleeping quarters, bathroom, kitchen, living room), and I will water plants, collect mail, etc. My clients often praise how happy their pets are and how wonderful their home looks upon their return. Please note - I do prefer to watch animals in non-smoking households.
Location
Tucson, AZ
Pets
Gretchen L.
Vista Del Monte, AZ