Rene M.
Rene M.
Contact for Doggy Day Care
from $40 per day
Highlights
Pet care experience
Doggies + Humans Happy to dog sit!
Howdy! We are two late 30s professionals living in Silver Spring with our dog Magnolia, a 7.5 year old Pittie mix who is very friendly with ALL DOGS and all people (but especially kids). We’re former dog fosters and have owned our own dogs for years. We’d love to care for your dogs, too. We also previously had a 16.5 year old Husky Mix named Iris, who sadly passed away in February 2026. I rescued Iris from the Washington Animal Rescue League (now Humane Rescue Alliance) while I was volunteering there, and we spent twelve wonderful years together. Magnolia is a COVID pup; we foster failed with her (through Lucky Dog Animal Rescue) at the end of 2020 after Iris decided that this is the dog she wanted to grow old with (that story is epic, but too long for a profile). We've been dog-sitting on and off for over a decade, and more frequently since January 2025, and have gotten to know many different breeds and dog personalities as a result. I work a pretty flexible schedule and work from home full time. My wife also works from home full time. Between the two of us we'll we happily take care of your pets and ensure they get stupendous care and adventures. For doggy daycare, we’ll make sure your dogs get morning and afternoon walks while they’re with us. Our home has plenty of space for dogs to to spread out or, otherwise, to interact as much as they’d like. While our front yard is unfenced, we've fenced off a portion of our backyard to ensure any dog has an enclosed space to play in. Our neighborhood is EXTREMELY walkable and safe. I personally walked Iris at midnight for 2-3 miles without issue. Magnolia prefers daytime walks, and loves to socialize with any dog or kid she sees. We live in a 3-bedroom house, so your dog(s) has enough space to lounge around by themselves, or cuddle with our two dogs on the couches. We previously fostered through Lucky Dog Animal Rescue and Iris took each of our former fosters under her wing. Magnolia has done the same as her big sister, and you can tell since her sister passed that she's doing her utmost to honor her big little sister. On the weekends, we're out and about and will happily bring your dog with us provided to dog-friendly locales. Alternatively, they can also stay home to rest with Magnolia. If you’re boarding your dog with us, we’d love to take them hiking, too! While your dog is with us, we’ll make sure to share photos and updates so you can rest at ease. Please note: if you are booking doggy daycare on a Saturday or Sunday, we will add a $15 surcharge to the advertised Rover cost. If you are booking doggy daycare for longer than 10 hours, we will need to add an extra $15 to the booking to account for the extra care and walks. We love your pets and want to make sure they’re well-taken care of!
Qualifications
Ratings and reviews
Great updates, scheduling flexibility and lots of activity for our girl!
Rene and Stephanie were fantastic with our dog Finn. They really took the time to talk through all our concerns and gave plenty of updates (and photos) during our visit. Finn came home happy and tired, a great sign :) We will most definitely be reaching out again for our next trip
René and Steph truly went above and beyond taking care of our dog. She absolutely loved staying with them, and it gave us so much peace of mind knowing she was well-cared for. She loved being with the other dogs in their care, and they ensured she got a ton of exercise, cuddles, and mental stimulation.
Rene M. cancelled a booking 1 day before it was scheduled to begin.
Rene was great, responded quickly, exercised Cricket's energy well and provided us with lots of photos. Cricket seemed happy when we picked him up.
Rene and Steph were amazing! Knowledgeable, took Leo on plenty of walks, and provided equally important downtime. Thanks again!
Calendar and availability
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Schedule
Both my wife and I work from home; our day typically starts with coffee for us, and breakfast for the dogs. Once coffee and breakfast is done, we'll take the dogs for a 20-45 minute walk. They'll get another walk as soon as we finish up work, then they get another walk before bedtime. Sometimes we'll also do a quick lunchtime walk. On weekends, we adventure, typically a hike with the pups.
Where your pet will stay
Home characteristics
Safety, trust & environment
We're both very attuned to the needs of dogs. Iris has arthritis, so we monitor her activities and don't let her go too crazy with zoomies. Magnolia has anxiety so we administer daily medication plus also encourage her to conquer her fears, and manage her anxiety whenever there's a thunderstorm.
Pets
A typical day
We live in a very pedestrian-friendly neighborhood. The park is across the street, and we can easily map out 1-5 mile walks in our neighborhood without ever hopping into a car. There's also plenty of neighbor dogs, so there are plenty of opportunities to socialize. We average 20-45 minute walks with our dogs, but can adjust based on your dog's needs. There's also a giant basket of toys that Iris and Magnolia are happy to share with doggy guests.