5.0

I have been a pet parent since 2001 when I adopted my lab mix puppies Belle and Bailey. They were my kids, my constant companions, my number one priority. The girls passed in 2014 and 2016. I currently have a black lab/greyhound mix named Zelda and three cats. My cats are 14-year-old Camden (adopted from animal control in Houston TX), 11-year-old Carly (a semi-feral from the streets of Florida), and 5-year-old Willow (adopted after landing on the kill list at a shelter simply because they were out of space). I have 25 years of experience caring for my own dogs and cats - their needs and safety ALWAYS comes first! - and for shelter/foster animals and feral cats thanks to my lifelong involvement with animal rescue and Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR). I do NOT have human children but I am lucky enough to be a stay-at-home pet mom. This allowed me the luxury of being home full time when Belle and Bailey were having senior health issues. And it allowed me to adopt my current dog Zelda who has liver disease and inflammatory bowel disease; she'd been living on a concrete kennel floor in a shelter for eight months. (I knew I’d be able to give her what she needs because I'm home full time - four small meals throughout the day to lighten the load on her liver and home cooking to keep her inflammatory bowel in check!) The fact that I'm home full time also means that I have a really flexible schedule and am available all day to drop-in on your pet(s). I am a worry wart when I leave my pets with a sitter. Here are just some of the things that cross my mind: Will the pet sitter watch to make sure Zelda poos before she leaves all day for work? Will the sitter go outside with Zelda to make sure she doesn't jump the fence? Will the sitter go outside with Zelda at night to make sure there's no wildlife in the yard? Will the sitter check to make sure a utility or lawn care person didn't leave the gate open? Will the sitter be super careful when she lets the dog in/out so the cats don't escape? Will the sitter check the screens if she opens a window to make sure the cats can't get out? Will the sitter be diligent about not leaving empty cat food packs out that the dog could eat? Will the sitter be strict about not giving Zelda people food that could upset her IBD? If the sitter has a friend over, will she make sure her friend is careful and follows the pet rules? You will not have to worry about these things when I care for your pet! I know what I want in a pet sitter and it's probably the same things you want - someone who pays attention to detail, thinks things through, is overly cautious, and communicates with me during my absence (in a timely manner!). I'm happy to do drop-in visits to care for your cat or dog in the comfort of their own home. I will send very detailed updates and pictures each visit. CANCELLATION POLICY: I have a very flexible cancellation policy. I've had to cancel my plans and vacations many times at the last minute and understand you might have to too. Life is busy and unpredictable, especially if you have senior pets or pets with health issues or kids. I get it! As long as you cancel before I make a trip to your house, I'll have Rover refund you. COVID-19: Please don't hesitate to let me know if there are any safety precautions you'd like me to take like wearing a mask or gloves in your home, using my own leash, etc.