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Melissa M.

5.0 out of 5 stars
44 repeat clients
Profile image

Melissa M.

5.0 out of 5 stars
44 repeat clients

Contact for Drop-In Visits

from $28 per visit

Highlights

Basic background check
25 years of experience
Can administer medication
Special needs experience
Senior dog experience
Can provide daily exercise

Pet care experience

Compassionate Animal Lover

Animals are my passion. I love caring for and spending time with animals and routinely volunteer for animal welfare nonprofits. I have experience with taking care of large breed dogs, as well as smaller, toy-sized dogs (and everything in-between!). I have cared for special needs pets, and the vast majority of my clients repeat. I understand the patience it takes to care for an animal. I have experience administering medication, pills and injections (including insulin injections for pets with diabetes). WNED TV and Realtor dot com have both featured me in stories about pet-sitting through Rover. I have also written numerous stories on my experiences caring for animals and about animal advocacy that have been published globally.

Qualifications

44 repeat pet parents
92% response rate
Usually responds in under an hour
100% bookings with photo updates
Sends updates with Rover Cards
25 years of experience
Oral medication administration
Injected medication administration

Pets

Safety, trust & environment

I treat your home like my own and aim to leave it better than when I arrived. I am careful to follow your pet's schedule, with a lot of play and cuddle time mixed in, so that they can enjoy a stay-cation of their own. Because we have cats of our own at home, I only offer pet sitting and drop ins inside the pet's home.

Ratings and reviews

5.0
stars
115 ratings
Olivia W.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Drop-In Visits • May 11, 2026

Melissa was a great pet sitter for us! She was very prompt & accommodating to our schedule for drop in visits. Our pets really took to her, as I can tell from the daily pictures that she sent. Our pets were very well taken care of. I would highly recommend Melissa, and plan to book with her in the future. Communication was great, and I felt 100% comfortable with my pets in her care!

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Molly B.
5.0 out of 5 stars
House Sitting • Jan 31, 2026

Melissa was absolutely amazing! Abby and Melissa bonded immediately at the meet and greet. I was able to go on vacation and trust her with administering Abby’s insulin. It was such an ease to my nerves especially with her quick and professional responses! I would absolutely recommend Melissa to any family and friends who need help with pet sitting and I can’t wait to call her in the future! She was the best, thank you so much Melissa!!!!

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Diane O.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Drop-In Visits • Oct 23, 2025

Good job overall! Peanut warmed up to Melissa towards end of period. He his a tough one to win over.

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Warren F.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Drop-In Visits • Oct 14, 2025

I've never hired anyone to look after the cats before. I've always relied on my elderly mother to take care of them while I'm away. The thought of having a stranger in my home while I'm gone made me feel uncomfortable but I wanted piece of mind in knowing that if mom faced any health concerns that the cats would still get care until I return home. Melissa was at the top of the list, on Rover, for people in my area so I read the reviews left by her past clients and decided that she was worth a gamble. Before I went out of town, she came out to meet us and I showed her around the house. She was present at all the times we agreed on and sent a daily note and pictures of them when she could. (They used to be feral and love to hide from strangers.) I hope Melissa is available the next time I go out of town. I'm thoroughly pleased with her service and hope this review helps her to get more clients that may have a situation similar to mine.

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Jordan ..
5.0 out of 5 stars
Dog Walking • Aug 18, 2025

Very fast and responsive on rover. Took great care of my girl on short notice.

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Jade S.
5.0 out of 5 stars
House Sitting • Jul 15, 2024

Melissa was the best cat sitter I've ever had!! She sent plenty photos and made me feel so safe to leave home with her watching over nova. I'd recommend her to anyone looking for a sitter!

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Calendar and availability

Available
Not available
SMTWTFS
Available
Not available
SMTWTFS
SMTWTFS

Schedule

I work a remote schedule 9 AM-5 PM in fundraising for Harvard University. We moved to Lockport from the city of Buffalo about a year and a half ago.

Cats
0 to 15 lbs
16 to 40 lbs
41 to 100 lbs
over 101 lbs
Melissa can host up to 5 drop-ins per day
I like to know your rules and routines so I can stay consistent. If you have any commands, that is helpful for me to know and learn so that we can communicate effectively. I work quite often with "special needs" animals, which can be shy, aggressive or require extra care due to age or illness. Every pet is unique so it's important for me to learn anything you think could impact them while you're trusting me with them.
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.