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Kathy C.

5.0 out of 5 stars
270 repeat clients
Profile image

Kathy C.

5.0 out of 5 stars
270 repeat clients

Contact for Boarding

from $65 per night

Highlights

Kathy has Star Sitter status!
Basic background check
40 years of experience
Has a fenced yard
Home full time
Can administer medication

Pet care experience

Dog Haven of Des Moines

I specialize in dogs 25 LBs or less. Fees are based on per night only. I offer discounts or free nights for bookings over 15 nights. Bookings need to be processed at the time of request/approval. Dog Haven is located just 10 minutes from SeaTac Airport. Dogs must be at least 2 years old. We send photo updates all during our guests stay, as often as you would like to see them. We are devoted to providing a healthy and happy home. We limit our ownership to three dogs.My passion for happy dogs goes way beyond just three. I provide "home away from home" confidence that a dog owner needs. We strive to provide our clients with a worry-free separation from their 4-legged family member. Basic "positive" dog training helps to make for a happy dog. Lifetime of dog ownership. My first dog came when I was 5 years old. At 7yrs old I got my 1st Black Labrador Retriever. That was the start of a life-time love of dogs. The sad part is that you out-live them. Buster, my Lab, until I was 18; Joey, a cocker spaniel to old age; 3 rescued German Shepherds during my 20's. until we found great forever homes for them. That was the start of our rescue history. 2 Yorkshire Terriers until old age - the oldest was Gonzo that lived past 15 years; Moki, a black Cocker Spaniel that was the love of our son's life until old age. Then a steady stream of rescues that we nursed through illnesses until healthy or until passing. A Great Dane named "Dane" had a short life of 11 years -which broke our hearts so we went back to caring for rescues. Our sweet Jackson - our Miniature Schnauzer for 13 years - passed from cancer and my darling Merlin - golden Shih Tzu - almost 15 years old - passed of old age. Every dog deserves kindness and a loving home. Our family always knows that their pets have a "home away from home" whenever they need. I do not have any pets other than our 3 dogs. I have a large securely fenced back yard, large cement patio for running, with a large flat lawn for play. An abundance of washable & durable dog toys. I am experienced with administering medication & have nursed several rescues with illnesses. We are comfortable with cooking their food if necessary, as well. I am retired from my our career life and home 24/7. We never leave any dogs alone. Our daily and weekly routine is our guests. All guests live with us as if they are our own. We provide all their needs, dog beds, blankets, food bowls, water bowls, kennel crates for those that are kennel sleepers and cabs for guests that prefer a cab. Bedroom sleepers will sleep with me - including small babes that are accustomed to sleeping on the bed. We try to do here exactly the way they live at home. Feeding times are twice a day (or a 3rd meal if that is client's instructions). Morning meal is between 8-9am and evening meal is between 5:30-6:30pm. All guests are separated for feeding.

Qualifications

270 repeat pet parents
100% response rate
Usually responds within a few hours
70% bookings with photo updates
Sends updates with Rover Cards
40 years of experience
Oral medication administration
Injected medication administration

Ratings and reviews

5.0
stars
526 ratings
Dana N.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Boarding • jun. 18, 2026

Kathy was gracious to accomodate Jackson at the last minute and he had a great time. She's great to work with.

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Jeremy K.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Boarding • jun. 17, 2026

What a great experience from start to finish! Rather than being rushed, our meet and greet was a chance for my two pups and me to meet and get to know Kathy, and spend some time seeing and exploring her home. Inside it's clean and comfy, and the yard--wow! It's spacious with plenty of room to run, plus a big hill to sniff and explore... it's a private park just for the dogs. And Kathy is wonderful, too. It's clear she has tons of experience caring for dogs, so there was no doubt they were in great hands during their stay. No doubt we'll be back soon.

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Dana N.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Boarding • jun. 06, 2026

Kathy was absolutely lovely! She clearly knows her dogs, what they need and how to best interact with them so the pet and petsitter have a positive experience. Jackson felt right at home, and he loved the big backyard. He lots of supervised freedom. Knowing Jack was in good hands allowed me to focus on my work trip without worrying about my little guy. Kathy called him a "dream boy." Of course, I agree. But more than that, I am glad they bonded and she made it easy for him to adapt to his new environment. 100% recommend!

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Madison B.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Boarding • jun. 24, 2025

Kathy takes great care of our Monty and Wylie. They love exploring and have a great time!

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Nani K.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Boarding • mar. 31, 2025

Our baby loves going to Kathy. We never worry about her when she comes to Kathy house. Mahalo Kathy for loving our baby like we do.

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Stephanie K.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Boarding • feb. 16, 2025

Kathy took great care of Tank my dog for a week at her home. He was well tea and loved every day.

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Calendar and availability

Available
Not available
SMTWTFS
Available
Not available
SMTWTFS
SMTWTFS

Schedule

Dog care is our daily & weekly routine. We have no need to try to fit it in our lives - Dog care is our lives. I start our day about 7am with playtime outside if weather permits. Morning meals start about 8am - 8:30am. Evening meals are 6p -6:30pm.

Where your pet will stay

Home characteristics

Lives in a house
Has a fenced yard
Non-smoking household
Has 3 dogs
No children present
Dogs allowed on bed
Dogs allowed on furniture
Potty breaks every 0-2 hours

Safety, trust & environment

Guests live with us along with our dogs. All dogs are in the same area as ourselves. They have lots of room to play both in and outside. Meal times are on a schedule.

Pets

A typical day

Lots of outdoor exercise is provided in my very large backyard & fenced hillside with trails cut through for running & play. We do not take dogs out to the streets for walks. I live in a secluded & safe neighborhood, but our property size allows for lots of exercise and play. All dogs sleep in a dog bed, dog pad or crate at the foot our bed. Some sleep on our bed if needed to make them feel at home. We want everyone close at hand if there were ever an emergency during the night. We have a well practiced emergency plan if ever needed. We are retired and work from home, so pets have our companionship 24 hours a day. (Hopefully we all get to sleep about 8 hrs!) We treat guest dogs as we do our own - which means lots of petting, cuddling, lap sitting, and playtime in the yard.

0 to 15 lbs
16 to 40 lbs
Dogs over 1 year old
Spayed and neutered dogs only
No females in heat
Crate-trained dogs only
Kathy can host up to 3 pets per night
2 things: What makes them happy & what makes them nervous or scared. I strive to make my guests visits feel like they are at home.
Each sitter joining Rover needs to pass a background check. And by booking on Rover, you can get photo & message updates, 24/7 support, and reimbursement for eligible vet care.