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Mary V.

New York, NY

5.0 out of 5 stars
•221 reviews
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Loving companion for fur babies!

Pet care experience

I love all animals! Even the ones people say are creepy looking are cute to me. I miss having my own pets but my landlord won't allow any so, I've found taking care of other people's to be the perfect solution. I just love the random joy and laughter they bring into my life! Unless your pet doesn't need me between 11am - 6pm, I only service mid to lower Manhattan and NW Brooklyn because of my regularly scheduled walks and check-ins in Tribeca-Battery Park City-Soho during weekdays roughly between 12:30pm - 4pm (which could take between 2-4.5 hours depending how many I have each day and their distance from your home). Since I work online (preparing property valuations), when I’m taking care of your dog or cat (or ferret or bunny or anything fluffy!), I can be there to give them lots of love, cuddling, tummy rubs, and attention, take them out frequently for walks, play time, and potty breaks, as well as monitor them closely if they have special health concerns. (*rate details 4 paragraphs down) Most of my experience is with small to medium breeds, but I will take your well-behaved, gentle giant as long as they are properly trained (e.g. don't pull on the leash, lunge, or jump on passersby) as I am only 5'1" and 110 lbs myself. The largest dog I've sat was 100 lbs (or two at once who were 130 lbs combined), but I have found over the years that it is my skill and technique not brute force that allows for safe, effective handling. Whether rambunctious and active or laid back and chill, I can meet your pet's level of energy. For those who are used to sleeping in the bed with you, I love snuggles, but will, of course, respect your preferences if yours is an off-the-bed or furniture household. Just let me know. I usually respond right away but if it's taking an hour or so I'm most likely in a yoga or dance class or something where I can't be on my phone. I keep my calendar updated though. Once your pet is in my care, I am reachable any time you need me. If you are sending a request and/or trying to negotiate a new sit, however, please respect reasonable business hours (roughly 8am - 7pm on weekdays and after 10am on weekends) as Rover forwards messages from the site or app directly to my phone as texts. I need to sleep and eat and do other normal things just like anybody else. :) *Since it doesn't seem to be as clear on the phone app, overnights are $125/day for adult dogs, $145 for puppies still potty training or with destructive tendencies who must be watched constantly or incontinent adult dogs (e.g. unhousebroken, indoor marking, intact females in heat, potty breaks spaced less than about 4.5 hours apart) or dogs/cats requiring frequent/forced oral medications (pill pockets or mixed into food doesn't apply) or near constant hypervigilance, $60/additional dog, $95 for cats (who don't require care between 9am - 6pm otherwise will be charged the same as dogs), $35/additional cat, plus $10 on holidays with the exception of winter holidays incurring the same rate no matter the type of pet. These flat rates apply to any start time (no earlier than 10am) on the 1st day up until the next morning whenever their breakfast and 1st walk are completed (NOT 24 HOURS FROM START TIME) and do not include baths which cost $75 extra per bath. Stays beyond late morning up to early afternoon (around 12:15pm) are an additional 30% of the daily rate for the last day, up to early evening (around 5pm) is 60%. Longer than that is my full day rate since I would not be able to book an overnight with another pet at that point. You will always have a chance to approve the additional amount before making your payment. Bear in mind I cannot hold tentative dates so please be ready to book within a few days of meeting. **IF YOUR PET CAN'T EVER BE LEFT ALONE I unfortunately can't accommodate them since I need to go back and forth between your pet and the dogs I walk or check-in on, go to yoga, get food, etc. ***I do not offer early morning arrivals or walks/drop-ins. With back to back sits, as I often have, I need time to finish taking care of my last pet before coming to take care of yours. This is why 10am is my earliest start time. ****Service area can only be selected by radius in full miles so, even though the map shows that New Jersey is covered, I don't actually go over there. ***** Si, par hasard, votre chien ou chat ne comprend que français, je peux parler avec lui dans sa langue de préférence soit en anglais, soit en français.

Reviews

Stephanie P.
House Sitting • Jan 14, 2024
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This is the second time Mary has stayed with our dog, Leo. It almost feels silly to do a review for someone as good as Mary. She's more than a dog sitter. She considers our dog like she is his mom - she considers our house like it is her own. We trust her completely to care for Leo, and she is constantly going above and beyond and always in touch with pictures and updates. Our dog goes through a little withdrawal when she leaves, looking around for her for a couple of days. Not only that, our doormen, and our neighbors have approached us in the days following commenting on how nice she was and how well she was caring for Leo and what a pleasure it was to have her in the building. Not that we didn't already think she was excellent. You're a very lucky pet parent if she's able to spend time with and care for your pet!

Robin F.
House Sitting • Dec 30, 2023
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Meow

Lalena L.
Drop-In Visits • Nov 26, 2023
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Great communication and great care!

meredith s.
Drop-In Visits • Nov 26, 2023
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Mary was great watching my cat over thanksgiving! She was very communicative, punctual, and clearly cares a lot about animals. Would rebook!

About Mary V.

Communication

85 repeat pet parents
100% response rate
Usually responds in a few minutes
100% bookings with photo updates
Sends updates with Rover Cards

Skills

12 years of experience
Oral medication administration
Senior dog experience
Can provide daily exercise

Safety, trust & environment

I can only offer in-your-home petsitting (rather than boarding in my home) and maintain the same routine as you do with them as described in your care instructions so please fill out that portion in detail. Please note that I require a real bed (not a sofabed or air mattress) and clean linens to stay over with your pet. Please disclose to me if you have any cameras and where they are located if you do not allow me to turn them off while I'm home with your pet(s), so that I don't do yoga in full view of them or at certain angles and am mindful of how I am dressed or the way I sit and lie down to preserve my own modesty. I do not consent to audio recording though since I need to make phone calls involving sensitive information. If I discover hidden cameras you did not inform me of or in private places, like the bedroom or bathroom, this is grounds for immediately terminating the sit.

Information Mary V. would like to know about your pet

I'd like to know about their feeding and walking routines, health, temperament, socialization with other animals and people, bite history, habits, and any other issues that would enable me to give them the very best care. It is very important that you're forthcoming with me about your dog's reactivity to either other dogs or people (particularly strangers in your home) even if you do not view this behavior as aggression so I can avoid potential problems and keep everybody safe. WHEN SENDING A REQUEST, if you could include the SPECIFIC TIMES you need me to arrive the first day and stay until on the last day, as well as your CROSS STREETS that will help me look up my availability more efficiently. I need to map out travel times between my other bookings if any. I WILL NOT SIT PETS WHO ARE NOT ALLOWED FREE ACCESS TO WATER TO DRINK AT WILL. This practice of restricting water intake to minimize peeing indoors is dangerous and cruel so, I can't, in good conscience, bring myself to participate in this kind of regimen. I would rather take them out more frequently and at odd hours of the night than do that to them. According to the cops I spoke with down the street, it's actually illegal to not allow pets unencumbered access to water under the NYS Animal Cruelty laws. Here are a couple articles detailing the variety of problems it could cause: springforthdog. com/providence/blog/restricting-water-intake/ dogfoodadvisor. com/canine-nutrition/water-most-neglected-canine-nutrient/

A typical day

Depending on your pup’s mood, I’ll accompany them on leisurely or active walks thru your neighborhood and nearby parks while they say hi to their friends, old and new, and satisfy their need for exploratory sniffing to their heart’s content under my watchful eye. I also take them out with me to brunch or dinner or running pup friendly errands. Back at home there will be all the tug-of-war, keep away, fetch, and cuddling as your pup wants. Kitties I will allow to warm up to me in their own time because I want to pet them so very much but know better than to force it. I am robustly healthy and physically fit myself with a regular 3-5 day/week yoga practice so, if your dog has lots of energy to burn I can definitely keep up while also exuding a calm energy. I adore the pets that I take care of and shower them with all the affection and concern as their owners would. One of my clients even calls me her puppy's 2nd mama. :) Some of my regulars book me 10 months in advance or won't book their travel until first checking my availability because they don't trust anyone else. I would never tether your precious pet, unattended outside a shop (because it only takes a brief moment for something to go wrong), neglect them for long hours, or do anything to put them at risk. I prefer to supervise one-on-one play dates with other dogs, if both owners consent, to dog parks where I cannot control the environment or who shows up. I have experienced first hand and read too many horror stories about irresponsible dog owners/handlers to feel dog parks are a safe option. A note about keys: I do not retrieve keys from lock boxes that are attached to places that can get peed on. If you can leave them at a Key Cafe (https://www.keycafe. com/keyexchange -Rover doesn't allow me to post links so google it), with a trusted neighbor or nearby shop, if not your doorman/concierge or mine, that would be fine although I do prefer to meet in person beforehand for a key handoff usually.

Services

House Sitting
in your home
$125per night
Drop-In Visits
visits in your home
$38per visit
Dog Walking
in your neighborhood
$38per walk

Mary can watch in your home

Cats
0 to 15 lbs
16 to 40 lbs
41 to 100 lbs
over 101 lbs

Availability

What started out as a nice way to get to cuddle with animals more often ended up taking over my life in a way I never could have anticipated in my wildest dreams! I'm so happy and proud to be a full time pet sitter. I fit whatever admin work I do in between my pet care duties, not the other way around so there will never be Zoom meetings or courses that would get in the way or pull my attention from your fur baby for extended periods. I'm only available for walks or drop-ins between 1pm - 4:30pm, overnights no earlier than 10am (but later if I'm coming from another pet that booked extended care into the last day) and only within about a 15 minute radius of Soho (unless you keep your regular midday walker or have cats who do not need me between breakfast and dinner), EXCLUDING New Jersey. For non-overnights the latest I will stay is 9pm so that I can get home safely and get to bed at a reasonable time that doesn't disrupt my own sleep cycle.

Available
Not available
SMTWTFS
Calendar last updated 18 hours ago
Dog Walking Cancellation Policy:

About Mary V.

Communication

85 repeat pet parents
100% response rate
Usually responds in a few minutes
100% bookings with photo updates
Sends updates with Rover Cards

Skills

12 years of experience
Oral medication administration
Senior dog experience
Can provide daily exercise

Safety, trust & environment

I can only offer in-your-home petsitting (rather than boarding in my home) and maintain the same routine as you do with them as described in your care instructions so please fill out that portion in detail. Please note that I require a real bed (not a sofabed or air mattress) and clean linens to stay over with your pet. Please disclose to me if you have any cameras and where they are located if you do not allow me to turn them off while I'm home with your pet(s), so that I don't do yoga in full view of them or at certain angles and am mindful of how I am dressed or the way I sit and lie down to preserve my own modesty. I do not consent to audio recording though since I need to make phone calls involving sensitive information. If I discover hidden cameras you did not inform me of or in private places, like the bedroom or bathroom, this is grounds for immediately terminating the sit.

Information Mary V. would like to know about your pet

I'd like to know about their feeding and walking routines, health, temperament, socialization with other animals and people, bite history, habits, and any other issues that would enable me to give them the very best care. It is very important that you're forthcoming with me about your dog's reactivity to either other dogs or people (particularly strangers in your home) even if you do not view this behavior as aggression so I can avoid potential problems and keep everybody safe. WHEN SENDING A REQUEST, if you could include the SPECIFIC TIMES you need me to arrive the first day and stay until on the last day, as well as your CROSS STREETS that will help me look up my availability more efficiently. I need to map out travel times between my other bookings if any. I WILL NOT SIT PETS WHO ARE NOT ALLOWED FREE ACCESS TO WATER TO DRINK AT WILL. This practice of restricting water intake to minimize peeing indoors is dangerous and cruel so, I can't, in good conscience, bring myself to participate in this kind of regimen. I would rather take them out more frequently and at odd hours of the night than do that to them. According to the cops I spoke with down the street, it's actually illegal to not allow pets unencumbered access to water under the NYS Animal Cruelty laws. Here are a couple articles detailing the variety of problems it could cause: springforthdog. com/providence/blog/restricting-water-intake/ dogfoodadvisor. com/canine-nutrition/water-most-neglected-canine-nutrient/

A typical day

Depending on your pup’s mood, I’ll accompany them on leisurely or active walks thru your neighborhood and nearby parks while they say hi to their friends, old and new, and satisfy their need for exploratory sniffing to their heart’s content under my watchful eye. I also take them out with me to brunch or dinner or running pup friendly errands. Back at home there will be all the tug-of-war, keep away, fetch, and cuddling as your pup wants. Kitties I will allow to warm up to me in their own time because I want to pet them so very much but know better than to force it. I am robustly healthy and physically fit myself with a regular 3-5 day/week yoga practice so, if your dog has lots of energy to burn I can definitely keep up while also exuding a calm energy. I adore the pets that I take care of and shower them with all the affection and concern as their owners would. One of my clients even calls me her puppy's 2nd mama. :) Some of my regulars book me 10 months in advance or won't book their travel until first checking my availability because they don't trust anyone else. I would never tether your precious pet, unattended outside a shop (because it only takes a brief moment for something to go wrong), neglect them for long hours, or do anything to put them at risk. I prefer to supervise one-on-one play dates with other dogs, if both owners consent, to dog parks where I cannot control the environment or who shows up. I have experienced first hand and read too many horror stories about irresponsible dog owners/handlers to feel dog parks are a safe option. A note about keys: I do not retrieve keys from lock boxes that are attached to places that can get peed on. If you can leave them at a Key Cafe (https://www.keycafe. com/keyexchange -Rover doesn't allow me to post links so google it), with a trusted neighbor or nearby shop, if not your doorman/concierge or mine, that would be fine although I do prefer to meet in person beforehand for a key handoff usually.

Location

New York, NY

Mary V.'s Neighborhood

Pets

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Mary V.

New York, NY

5.0 out of 5 stars
•221 reviews