Samantha S.
Long Valley, NJ
10+ years experience boarding!!! (:
Pet care experience
Hello! Please read fully as I provide many details in this description: Photo updates are done mostly via Instagram (@petsittingsam). Updates are made through Rover if clients do not use this social media platform. My mom worked for Dog Vacay for years while I was growing up in Long Valley, we would care for the dogs together and I gained tons of experience boarding. We had 5 dogs of our own and we would care for many dogs all throughout the year. Our dogs are family, they are not restricted in any way. We decided to stop because one of our older dogs became elderly and no longer enjoyed the excitement of having puppy visitors. I started dog sitting in Phillipsburg where my husband and I briefly moved before finding a house back in Long Valley (Hackettstown mailing address) closer to jobs, friends, and family. We then purchased my childhood home deeper in the center of Long Valley where I learned dog boarding to begin with! We have a lovely large fenced in back yard with plenty of space for playtime. In the summer, we set up doggy pools and sprinklers to ensure your pets vacation in a doggy paradise! My husband and I have flexible and opposing work schedules to ensure the house is very rarely empty. He is a home health aide who chooses his shifts providing companionship and care to elderly and I am a wildlife educator. He works a couple weekday mornings and I work sporatically as I just opened my own company, Zoophoria NJ. I graduated from Delaware Valley University with a Bachelor's Degree in zoology in 2021. I can care for any type of animal you have including dogs (of course), cats, reptiles, small mammals, birds, amphibians, invertebrates, barn animals, and even fish! Our meet and greets are brief but I do ask a lot of questions. I understand that, just as all humans are different, so are animals. That is part of the reason I became a zoologist! I ask many questions to fully understand your expectations for your pet's care and the environment your pet is most comfortable in. I uniquely offer access to my pet sitting Instagram for all of my clients! For Rover users who do not use this media platform, I send updates through Rover itself. I post daily updates to my Instagram story and individually highlight each pet that comes to visit so you don't miss a thing while you are enjoying your vacation/trip. Please view this public Instagram profile to see what daily life is like with us in our home (: My username is: petsittingsam Last minute emergency stays are $100, pickup included within a reasonable distance. One day stays are subject to an extra charge of $10 Please note that many of my clients are private clients I have inherited from my mother's previous business. I try to update my calendar with this clients so it is up to date but I may be fully booked without it showing on my Rover calendar. In the rare event that the house is briefly empty while your pups are in our care, we have nanny cams covering the whole house that notify my phone if there is any movement. They allow me to communicate with the dogs remotely, too! Dogs from different families are never left alone together when we are both out of the house, they are always separated by gates to ensure no quarrels occur. While we are home, the dogs have the choice to rest wherever they please. If you are considering having your pet stay, please reach out earlier rather than later! We fill up very quickly. First time using Rover? Use my promo code for a discount on your first booking: SAMANS42368 Pet care is my life, whether I am at work or at home. I work weekends but my husband does not. My husband and I have rotating work schedules to ensure your pets are rarely left unattended. In the rare instance they are, it would be for less than two hours. No dogs from different families are left together and we closely monitor them through nanny cams positioned all over our house. I have a fenced yard and dogs have access to the whole house. If your dog is crate trained, that's no problem and we can accomodate. We always suggest bringing your own crate so your pup has something familiar from home. If you do not allow pets on furniture, we can try to prevent them from going on ours but we usually allow them on furniture and in our bed.
Reviews
Sam’s just the best! Riley has a blast with her!
Our little Toby stayed with Samantha for four nights, and he couldn’t have enjoyed it more. He had never been away from home overnight without us and I really wasn’t sure how he’d make out. He did really well and didn’t hold the grudge that we were missing certainly the signs of a good time! we will be back again.
Our dog Demi stayed with Samantha for two weeks while we were out of country for vacation. She made some good friends during her stay and always looked so happy in all the videos! Demi can’t wait to go back!
Sam is just the best ! It’s awesome going away and knowing your pet is having a “vacation” of her own! Riley literally squeals with joy when she arrives :)
About Samantha S.
Communication
Skills
Safety, trust & environment
We are open to all pups but we want everyone to be comfortable. If we feel the pups already booked would not do well with your dogs personality, we are always open to boarding again at a different time. We also typically suggest new clients or first-time boarders do a "warm-up" visit in our home. This allows the pups (especially rescues) to get comfortable with us and our home while also understanding that when they come here, it is only temporary. Sleep overs work the best but even coming for a few hours can help ease an anxious dog's stress! We find that when a dog stays after a warm-up, they are much more relaxed than their first visit.
Home
Information Samantha S. would like to know about your pet
I prefer to address these topics during the meet and greet but my general inquiries are: Does your dog have separation anxiety? Is this the first time boarding your dog? Does your dog chew anything? Does your dog jump on counters? Is your pet okay with other dogs? Is your pet okay with children? (I don't have any but I like to know in case I have family visit my home) Has your pet had any past injuries (at all, even old)? Who is your current vet? What are your pet's favorite toys? Is your pet territorial/aggressive with toys/food? Is your pet allowed to have table food? Is your pet allowed on furniture? Is your pet comfortable with men? Does your pet have access to water all the time? What quantity do you feed, what times, and how often? Does your pet have specialty diet or allergies? (grain free, raw, etc.) Does your dog have any stomach problems? Does your dog typically eat when away from you? Does your pet take medication? If so, dosage times and quantities, please. Does your pet actively try to get out of doors while you are exiting? Does your dog recall well when you are trying to bring them inside? Is your pet spayed/neutered? Does your pet sleep in bed with you? Is your pet used to a yard or walks only? If yard, is it physically fenced or electric? Do you use a crate at all, is your dog crate trained? What is your preferred training/scolding method (some families speak different languages)? What day is best for drop off and what time? How flexible is the time? What day is best for pickup and what time? How flexible is the time? *I understand that with travelling, these times can change or may be unknown, no worries (: Where are you traveling? If you are leaving the country, an emergency contact is essential. Emergency contact: Name: Phone number: Location: Anything else you feel I should know? I am more than happy to go over these questions while we meet but if you would like the meet and greet to go faster, please bring a writeup with responses to them. You can copy and paste and send through a message in Rover, print, or handwritten is fine (: I prefer these responses during the meet and greet to allow a faster drop off (usually my clients are hard pressed for time preparing for their trips), and to ensure your pet and my family are a good fit. I want all pets to be safe, so some vaccinations are required and listed below. I also clean my house with Rescue (vet grade cleaner). Community toys and dog beds are washed and sanitized regularly, and water bowls are sanitized daily. Please bring your pet's: food bowl, toys, treats, dog bed or something that smells like your home (t-shirt, blanket, etc), crate if used, and medications. Please provide written feeding instructions with times and amounts of food as well as medication dosing instructions. I will go over this in the meet and greet but I like to have a written copy as well. Please bring a copy of your pet’s vaccination records or a picture sent to me is fine. Must have Rabies, Canine Influenza, and Bordetella vaccinations up to date. Flea and tick preventative is also a must.
A typical day
Our house is directly across from the Columbia Trail. I grew up using these trails as an extension of my backyard as we now live in my childhood home. I know private areas and where pets have the best time playing in shallow pools of the river. This is a fan-favorite during the warm seasons (: Details for this trail are found through a quick google search of Columbia Trail, Long Valley, NJ.
Services
Samantha can host
Samantha can watch in your home
Availability
Being that I just opened my own wildlife education company, I am home all week doing marketing and advertising. My husband usually does overnight shifts aswell so we are both home during the day, tending to the needs of the dogs in our care.
About Samantha S.
Communication
Skills
Safety, trust & environment
We are open to all pups but we want everyone to be comfortable. If we feel the pups already booked would not do well with your dogs personality, we are always open to boarding again at a different time. We also typically suggest new clients or first-time boarders do a "warm-up" visit in our home. This allows the pups (especially rescues) to get comfortable with us and our home while also understanding that when they come here, it is only temporary. Sleep overs work the best but even coming for a few hours can help ease an anxious dog's stress! We find that when a dog stays after a warm-up, they are much more relaxed than their first visit.
Home
Information Samantha S. would like to know about your pet
I prefer to address these topics during the meet and greet but my general inquiries are: Does your dog have separation anxiety? Is this the first time boarding your dog? Does your dog chew anything? Does your dog jump on counters? Is your pet okay with other dogs? Is your pet okay with children? (I don't have any but I like to know in case I have family visit my home) Has your pet had any past injuries (at all, even old)? Who is your current vet? What are your pet's favorite toys? Is your pet territorial/aggressive with toys/food? Is your pet allowed to have table food? Is your pet allowed on furniture? Is your pet comfortable with men? Does your pet have access to water all the time? What quantity do you feed, what times, and how often? Does your pet have specialty diet or allergies? (grain free, raw, etc.) Does your dog have any stomach problems? Does your dog typically eat when away from you? Does your pet take medication? If so, dosage times and quantities, please. Does your pet actively try to get out of doors while you are exiting? Does your dog recall well when you are trying to bring them inside? Is your pet spayed/neutered? Does your pet sleep in bed with you? Is your pet used to a yard or walks only? If yard, is it physically fenced or electric? Do you use a crate at all, is your dog crate trained? What is your preferred training/scolding method (some families speak different languages)? What day is best for drop off and what time? How flexible is the time? What day is best for pickup and what time? How flexible is the time? *I understand that with travelling, these times can change or may be unknown, no worries (: Where are you traveling? If you are leaving the country, an emergency contact is essential. Emergency contact: Name: Phone number: Location: Anything else you feel I should know? I am more than happy to go over these questions while we meet but if you would like the meet and greet to go faster, please bring a writeup with responses to them. You can copy and paste and send through a message in Rover, print, or handwritten is fine (: I prefer these responses during the meet and greet to allow a faster drop off (usually my clients are hard pressed for time preparing for their trips), and to ensure your pet and my family are a good fit. I want all pets to be safe, so some vaccinations are required and listed below. I also clean my house with Rescue (vet grade cleaner). Community toys and dog beds are washed and sanitized regularly, and water bowls are sanitized daily. Please bring your pet's: food bowl, toys, treats, dog bed or something that smells like your home (t-shirt, blanket, etc), crate if used, and medications. Please provide written feeding instructions with times and amounts of food as well as medication dosing instructions. I will go over this in the meet and greet but I like to have a written copy as well. Please bring a copy of your pet’s vaccination records or a picture sent to me is fine. Must have Rabies, Canine Influenza, and Bordetella vaccinations up to date. Flea and tick preventative is also a must.
A typical day
Our house is directly across from the Columbia Trail. I grew up using these trails as an extension of my backyard as we now live in my childhood home. I know private areas and where pets have the best time playing in shallow pools of the river. This is a fan-favorite during the warm seasons (: Details for this trail are found through a quick google search of Columbia Trail, Long Valley, NJ.
Location
Long Valley, NJ
Samantha S.
Long Valley, NJ