Margaret S.
Margaret S.
Contact Margaret S.
Highlights
Pet care experience
From cats to dogs to elephants 🐾🐘
Hi, I'm Maggie! I have 20+ years' experience caring for dogs, cats, rabbits, and even snakes! I love caring for pets that require extra attention -- senior sweethearts who need help up and down stairs or taking medication are my favorite companions. I can't wait to meet your pets and shower them with as much love and attention as I give to my own cat, Izzy. :-) My calendar has been updated through August. About me: At the Cornell Wildlife Health Center, I use computers and GPS data to track elephants on African savannas. This means I travel a fair bit, but when I'm in town I'm able to work from home & stay with your pet most of the day. I love to share my work with clients too, so ask away!
Qualifications
Ratings and reviews
Maggie is the best! She's a great communicator (giving us lots of pup-dates) and she's so patient with our anxious dog, Toby. And Toby loves hanging out with her - enjoying lots of walks and zoomies at the dog park! Thank you so much, Maggie!
Great communication and companionship! It’s clear that she loves animals and is invested in their care. Highly recommend!
Maggie took great care of our cat and sent lots of pictures of him enjoying playtime and meals. And she left the house better than she found it - we couldn't open the light bulb enclosure in our refrigerator but Maggie figured it out, so future cat sitters will no longer have to sort through a dark refrigerator.
Margaret was so great with our pups! She sent lots of pictures and was an excellent communicator when she came for her drop in visits. Our dogs clearly love her!
Excellent care for our aging terrier! She was careful with outdoor heat exposure, kept us informed daily, plus pictures, and promptly let Rover know of changes in dates and number of dogs. She was sensitive to our recent loss of second dog.
Amazing and communicative sitter! Used multiple times now.
Calendar and availability
Schedule
I'm a postdoctoral researcher at Cornell, so while I have a few times a year that I'm unavailable (conducting savanna research in southern Africa or visiting family back home in Virginia), when I'm in Ithaca I'm able to work from your home. I just have to make sure that Izzy still gets care and attention, so while I'm free for house-sitting full time, I still need to leave and give her food, water, and lots of pets.
Where your pet will stay
Safety, trust & environment
At your home, I follow care instructions to the letter. Let me know what commands and hand signs you use with your dogs, so that I can properly continue any reinforcement & manage them as you do. During hot summers and cold winters I am particular about not leaving animals outside unattended for more than 10 minutes, for their safety.
Pets
A typical day
I like to take dogs on walks around their own neighborhood, as they usually know their favorite spots. If your dog is able to travel in cars, I do also love to go on walks on the Dryden Rail Trail. I'm also an avid knitter and some of my favorite evenings have been sitting by the fire or the TV with a dog, knitting my latest project.