Maura & Joseph S.
Northeast, VA
Experienced sitters, new to VA!
Pet care experience
Maura and I have been petsitting through Rover since July 2018. We originally signed up because we were considering a dog of our own, but weren't sure about the type of pup we would be a best fit for. We learned we have the routine and skills for a variety of dogs, although we are partial to active breeds that have the energy to go for a run with Maura in the morning and then visit a brewery in the afternoon! When you read the reviews on our profile, you'll see that we focused on boarding in our home when we lived in Baltimore City. We're switching things up a bit in Virginia Beach with a focus on drop-ins, walks, and housesitting. However, if you need brief day-care to run errands, for example, we imagine we can plan a dog-friendly outing for your pup--we live right on the boardwalk! We have experience with young puppies, seniors, special needs, and rescues, but we are not a good fit for dogs with a bite history or severe leash reactivity. We don't have any breed or size restrictions, though! We hosted many different dogs from different households at the same time so we're skilled in handling resource guarding, pulling, timidity, pack dynamics, and mild separation anxiety. We're always happy to have a meet n greet to get to know your pup (or cat!) beforehand. For doggie meet n greets, we prefer to meet outside the home because "neutral" ground makes for a better experience. Whether that be your yard or a park is up to you!
Reviews
Maura and Joseph are awesome! They took such great care of my pup, she always enjoyed her walks with them!
It’s been a long while since Beetle has been with Maura and Joe but I realized I did not give a review for his last visit, which is a MUST because Maura and Joe are GREAT! We were able to leave Beetle with Maura and Joe last Halloween weekend and he had a blast, even went “trick or treating”! I’m sad to see them no longer located in the Baltimore area but I know they will make the VA Beach area pets feel at home and the pet parents reassured in any situation. 5 stars always!
Maura and Joseph are amazing with our corgi. They are great to work with and awesome at communicating. They take great care of our dog. We love that they take Rosebud on different dog friendly outings and we love that Rosebud usually has another dog or two to play with while at Maura and Joseph’s place. They really know what they are doing when it comes to dogs. I trust them completely with Rosebud. We have used them many times and will continue to do so.
Maura and Joe are fantastic people and superb dog sitters. Romeo runs up the stairs to greet them for his visits. They are flexible, accommodating, knowledgeable and experienced. I am so sad they are leaving Baltimore!
About Maura & Joseph S.
Communication
Skills
Safety, trust & environment
If you view our profile on a computer instead of the Rover app, you'll be able to see our "highlight" photos in addition to the most recent photos we sent during our stays. Our volume was getting a little too high so we've been watching repeat-clients only for the last year, which is why you'll see lots of familiar faces! We're going to miss our Baltimore pets (some we've been watching since they were puppies when we first started out!), but we're excited to get to know all the new personalities.
Home
Information Maura & Joseph S. would like to know about your pet
Let us know any special care instructions, quirks, or training rules. We are particularly interested in safety commands (we use the word "wait" at crosswalks, for example), medication information, heat & physical activity tolerance, and stressors (fireworks, loud cars, men in hats, etc). Any additional information is always helpful!
A typical day
We're looking forward to exploring Virginia Beach and establishing a new routine! The pandemic changed some of what we do for fun, but taking pups to dog-friendly restaurants or breweries, long walks to play Pokemon Go, and trips to the dog park are still our favorite activities. We became very proficient cooks and bakers over the last year, and our dogs loved being our little sous-chefs.
Services
Maura & Joseph can host
Maura & Joseph can watch in your home
Availability
For drop-ins and walks, we are able to accommodate when given a window of time instead of a specific time. I am currently working remotely with a good bit of flexibility. Maura is in Newport, RI for the summer and will be joining me in Virginia Beach when she finishes her officer training.
About Maura & Joseph S.
Communication
Skills
Safety, trust & environment
If you view our profile on a computer instead of the Rover app, you'll be able to see our "highlight" photos in addition to the most recent photos we sent during our stays. Our volume was getting a little too high so we've been watching repeat-clients only for the last year, which is why you'll see lots of familiar faces! We're going to miss our Baltimore pets (some we've been watching since they were puppies when we first started out!), but we're excited to get to know all the new personalities.
Home
Information Maura & Joseph S. would like to know about your pet
Let us know any special care instructions, quirks, or training rules. We are particularly interested in safety commands (we use the word "wait" at crosswalks, for example), medication information, heat & physical activity tolerance, and stressors (fireworks, loud cars, men in hats, etc). Any additional information is always helpful!
A typical day
We're looking forward to exploring Virginia Beach and establishing a new routine! The pandemic changed some of what we do for fun, but taking pups to dog-friendly restaurants or breweries, long walks to play Pokemon Go, and trips to the dog park are still our favorite activities. We became very proficient cooks and bakers over the last year, and our dogs loved being our little sous-chefs.
Location
Virginia Beach, VA
Pets
Maura & Joseph S.
Northeast, VA