Kate A.
Central, MA
Experienced Owner, Trainer, Rescuer
Pet care experience
After being a Rover sitter in New York several years ago, I am now back and located in Boston! All my life I have been drawn to animals, and working with them has been my calling. This passion started in childhood, from my refusal as a toddler to sleep anywhere but with my dog, to the several persuasive essays I penned to my parents explaining why I needed, and how I would care for a pet (example, "Why I need a Turtle" Kate- Age 6). As an adult, this passion grew into rescuing, rehabilitating and now sitting other people's dogs, and I can't wait to meet yours. I have trained and worked with dogs (and cats) all my life, including with world famous Dr. Nicholas Dodman. I rescued and rehabilitated a Chilean street dog, who is now my best pal and faithful companion, and have experience with intense rescues and dogs with behavioral problems. I have also raised and trained puppies and I'm dog and cat CPR and first aid certified! You and your dog or cat will love me because I am responsible, mature, and dependable. I understand that pets are family (I'm an overprotective pet mom myself) and deserve the highest quality care. As an animal lover, seasoned caregiver, and passionate animal rights advocate, your canine and/or feline family member will be cared for as if he or she were my own. I work from home full-time and live just a couple of blocks from the Public Gardens. When I'm not pet sitting I can still be found spending time with animals. My best friend, Clementine, is never far from my side. We love hiking, walking in the park, playing fetch, and sitting at the outdoor patios of restaurants. I am also an avid horseback rider and owner. I can't wait to meet you and your beloved pet. Let's set up a meet and greet to see if we would be a good match!
Reviews
Kate was the BEST sitter for Marvel during our 2 week destination wedding/honeymoon! I was so worried to leave our pup for so long, it was the longest she's ever been away from everyone she knows. Kate was instantly understanding, accommodating, and had won our little Marvels heart over instantly. She is extremely comfortable with a variety of breeds, and seeing as we have an Olde English Bulldogge, not many people are as well versed in her needs as Kate was. She went above and beyond while she watched our pup. Took her to different dog parks, almost every single day. Monitored and cared for her when she got an upset stomach during the first few days of us being gone. Showered her with affection, love, and a lot more playtime than even our spoiled brat is used to. She gave us detailed updates, and when Marvel overplayed at the park and scraped her nail down to a bloody scrap she even pampered her at the doggy spa and had it disinfected! She worked on all of the tricks we had with Marvel, and even got her to fully learn "Lay" which we were just starting to teach her. She took into consideration all of our warnings about her fear of children, and worked with her to try and get her a little more comfortable in those situations. When we got back it was obvious that Marvel had enjoyed her own little pup-cation with Kate, and I look forward to letting them frolic and play again on our next trip!
I'm a new first time dog owner of 5 months. I had to go away for a week and found Kate here on Rover to watch my dog, Snoop. I was impressed by her profile and also wanted a sitter who had a dog because Snoop has a bit of separation anxiety and I thought another dog would make her adjust to me being away much easier. We met and Snoop and Clyde instantly fell in love and Kate was also very warm and friendly, and was not phased by any issues I mentioned about my dog. She's gone through and seen it all. I instantly felt good about leaving Snoop with Kate for a whole week, which was the longest I've had to be away from Snoop. After I left, Kate sent me regular updates and pictures. She could sense Snoop was anxious on her first night so she shared her bed with my dog to put her at ease. I did not expect any sitter to do this for my dog, but she did, and I can't say how much I appreciated that kind of care and consideration. On top of her initial anxiety, Snoop had diarrhea in the beginning of her stay and Kate made good judgements and ended up taking her to the vet. Snoop was back to 100% after a day or so. The rest of the trip went smoothly and Snoop looked very healthy and happy when I picked her up. The walk home was great - she didn't pull or get excited so I knew she was getting the exercise she needed. I noticed that she would sit at stoplights without me having to tell her to, and today I used the "drop it" command, which Snoop never really responded to before but it works now. I suspect Kate worked on these things with her. It's amazing to come home to a happy dog who is even more well behaved! I will definitely be asking Kate the next time I need someone to watch Snoop. We absolutely love her and Clyde.
Kate was a wonderful dog sitter for my pittie mix Mollie. She was easy to communicate with and very responsive. We met offsite from both our apartments for our initial meetings with both our dogs, and once we realized that the two were comfortable around each other, and that Kate and Mollie hit it off, it was an easy decision to leave Mollie with her for a week. I received daily texts and photos, and I was able to even call and check in and to ask questions. Kate kept me up to date on Mollie's sleeping and eating habits, which was also very reassuring. Kate has been around dogs her whole life and it shows! She easily picks up on dog behavior and body language and has amazing training and modification techniques that helped to give Mollie a sense of structure in my absence. Overall, Kate is one of the best "dog people" (including trainers and dog walkers) I have ever met. I will definitely use her again!
Kate was amazing! She came to our rescue with a last minute request to watch Molly for the day. Not only did she take a taxi to come to our house for a meet and greet the day before she watched Molly, she was flexible with our return time as we were playing tour guides to family that was visiting. Molly took to Kate right away and her dog Clyde was such a great playmate for Molly that we hope to set up more play-dates in the future!
About Kate A.
Communication
Skills
Home
Information Kate A. would like to know about your pet
General behaviors and mannerisms. What are their rules at their home? Allowed on furniture? Heels on walks? Sits and waits before fed a meal? What medications or health concerns does the dog have? All helpful to know so I can provide the dog with the best experience possible. Please note: my personal dog, Clementine, is only 8 pounds. For the safety of my dog and yours, dogs with strong prey drives, aggression towards or inexperience around small dogs will not be accepted. I do not leave dogs alone unattended together. They will be safely separated in the living room and my bedroom if I ever have to step out for any reason. I do not feed dogs near one another or leave any high value chews laying around. I always have two water bowls in the apartment to minimize any resource guarding.
A typical day
We'll walk through the Public Gardens and around Boston. We can take a trip out of the city and hike through conservation area trails and maybe find a pond or lake to go swimming, if that's your dog's cup of tea! We will also relax at home with some good toys and nap time. Training is always important! So if you want me to work with your pup on any obedience or tricks, we'll do that too. My building also has a beautiful dog spa with a big tub, shower hose, professional blow dryer, and grooming table. I am able to do baths and grooming, as well as basic face trimming for those pups with hair (doodles and other hypoallergenic breeds). I also am happy to continue whatever maintenance care you have for your dog, including but not limited to, teeth brushing, coat brushing, eye cleaning, etc. Please note: I am obsessive about safety! I ask that your dog wears a collar with identification and I always double leash on walks! If you do not have a second leash, I will provide one.
Services
Kate can host
Kate can watch in your home
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About Kate A.
Communication
Skills
Home
Information Kate A. would like to know about your pet
General behaviors and mannerisms. What are their rules at their home? Allowed on furniture? Heels on walks? Sits and waits before fed a meal? What medications or health concerns does the dog have? All helpful to know so I can provide the dog with the best experience possible. Please note: my personal dog, Clementine, is only 8 pounds. For the safety of my dog and yours, dogs with strong prey drives, aggression towards or inexperience around small dogs will not be accepted. I do not leave dogs alone unattended together. They will be safely separated in the living room and my bedroom if I ever have to step out for any reason. I do not feed dogs near one another or leave any high value chews laying around. I always have two water bowls in the apartment to minimize any resource guarding.
A typical day
We'll walk through the Public Gardens and around Boston. We can take a trip out of the city and hike through conservation area trails and maybe find a pond or lake to go swimming, if that's your dog's cup of tea! We will also relax at home with some good toys and nap time. Training is always important! So if you want me to work with your pup on any obedience or tricks, we'll do that too. My building also has a beautiful dog spa with a big tub, shower hose, professional blow dryer, and grooming table. I am able to do baths and grooming, as well as basic face trimming for those pups with hair (doodles and other hypoallergenic breeds). I also am happy to continue whatever maintenance care you have for your dog, including but not limited to, teeth brushing, coat brushing, eye cleaning, etc. Please note: I am obsessive about safety! I ask that your dog wears a collar with identification and I always double leash on walks! If you do not have a second leash, I will provide one.
Location
Boston, MA
Pets
Kate A.
Central, MA