We are/were first-time Rover users and found Mark when our original sitter fell through last minute. Mark graciously accepted our 18mo, 65lb Hound Mix for a 10-day stay within hours of our request. We were excited by Mark's reviews, listed experience, and kind communication while planning the stay. We stayed for about 45minutes at drop-off to confirm Mark's comfortability as well as our dog's. We provided toys, treats, a dog bed, even a typed out page listing our dog's quirks, known commands, etc. Everything seemed fine and we were reassured that Mark had experience with rescues and following owners' routines, but unfortunately this was not the case and we cut the stay short. On the second evening with Mark, less than 48hrs later, they were on a walk after midnight (?) and our dog wriggled out of his harness and escaped in an unfamiliar place. The communication from Mark during this ordeal was not great, but we could tell he cared and was stressed. Next thing we know we're 2,000 miles away and getting a call from an animal clinic that our dog had been found by a kind stranger who got his microchip scanned. Mark insisted on picking up our dog and continuing the stay, but later threatened to cancel if our dog slipped out again. We made other arrangements anyway, and Mark charged us a $250 cancellation fee without explanation or further communication. We were happy to pay Mark for his time, but no more than that. Something just didn't feel right, and we have concerns that Mark is not as comfortable with large breed dogs as his profile suggests. We don't feel Mark is a bad sitter, but perhaps inexperienced with dogs that are still learning to trust. We would have appreciated more questions from him, and not pushed if he wasn't 100% confident with the stay. Photos from Mark suggest he never removed our dog's harness within that first 24-36 hrs, even when inside, so it probably got loose and uncomfortable. Thankfully our dog is not aggressive, but he is still shy with new people. This was his first time with a Rover sitter and we were assured that Mark had the capabilities to keep him safe. Rover was helpful in getting the cancellation fee returned to us, and we will be more savvy in choosing a sitter for our dog in the future. Thank you for reading and best of luck to Mark.

My dog was instantly comfortable with Mark! I could tell he had a great time with lots of walks, treats, and love. I appreciated getting lots of photos and communication. So grateful to find this awesome sitter!