4.9

They let me know when there is something “off” with my cats

I chose Joseph because his profile highlighted experience working with animals, including in shelters, which gave me confidence that he would be comfortable caring for dogs with different personalities and anxiety levels. Before the stay, we scheduled a meet-and-greet. We have three rescue dogs with very different temperaments, including one very energetic dog and one dog with significant anxiety from past abuse. We were completely transparent about their personalities, routines, and needs. We also provided a detailed four-page care guide covering feeding schedules, walking, sleeping arrangements, behaviors, emergency contacts, veterinary information, and anything else someone caring for them might need. We wanted to set them up for success. We also let Joseph know that we have indoor Ring cameras in the dog room and living room for the dogs' safety while we're away. One thing that surprised me was that, although Joseph was the sitter listed on the Rover account, it appeared that his partner handled almost all of the care. She was the one feeding the dogs, walking them, cleaning up after them, and managing most of their daily needs, while Joseph was minimally involved. This wasn't necessarily a problem on its own, but it wasn't what I expected when booking through his profile. Unfortunately, our experience did not meet our expectations. Our dogs are on a very consistent routine and normally wake up between 6:00 and 7:00 a.m. every day, which we communicated multiple times. During the stay, I received Ring alerts showing they were not let out or fed until nearly 11:00 a.m. on at least one morning, despite our clear instructions about their schedule. We had also just opened a new 50-pound bag of food that normally lasts our three dogs about three weeks, along with a new bag of treats that typically lasts about a month. After only 3.5 days, nearly all of the food and treats had been used. The excessive feeding resulted in all three of our dogs developing severe diarrhea, which continued even after we returned home. I was also uncomfortable with how some behavioral challenges were handled. One of our dogs was anxious about eating, which isn't unusual for him when we're away. Rather than giving him time and patience, he was placed alone in a room for about 30 minutes where he cried and scratched at the door. I also heard Joseph repeatedly tell him, in a harsh tone, to "eat." There were also comments made that if the dogs didn't stop jumping or didn't eat, they would be put in their crates. Our dogs' crates are their safe spaces, not a form of punishment. All three are rescues with difficult backgrounds, and we've worked very hard to build trust and create a calm, positive environment. We do not use yelling, cursing, or the crate as discipline, so it was upsetting to hear those approaches being used. The most distressing part of our experience happened on the final morning. Our extremely anxious rescue dog had an accident in the house, which I believe was a result of the overfeeding. Through our camera, I watched her being scolded, talked down to and cursed at for an extended period after the accident. Given her history of abuse and anxiety, this was heartbreaking to witness and not how we expected her to be treated. I understand that every sitter may not be the right fit for every dog, and I appreciate that caring for three dogs can be challenging. However, based on our experience, I do not believe Joseph was the right match for dogs with anxiety, rescue backgrounds, or special behavioral needs, and I would not book with him again.

Kept me up to date on my cat’s worsening condition

Joseph and Meg were fantastic! They were always responsive and took great care of our dog and cat. I had our house professionally deep cleaned before our 2 week trip when Joseph and Meg would be staying at our house. When we got back, it looked EXACTLY the same! They were very respectful of our space and I will most definitely be using them again.

Always reliable personalized service

The only sitters we will use from here on out!