Sarah J.
Sarah J.
Highlights
Pet care experience
A Safe, Secure, Snuggly Loving Home-From-Home
Before we begin, please note that I do NOT take any Staffordshire Bull Terriers or XL Bullies. Thank you for clicking on my profile. I'm Sarah and I have been dog-mad since I was a wee young thing - apparently, whilst in my pushchair I'd point at passing dogs and go 'woof!' I've had different careers in my 40 years, including law enforcement and journalism, but have now settled on working with my oldest and dearest love - dogs. Whether you want a quick drop-off for a few hours, or a full-on summer holiday, I can fully cater to your needs when it comes to giving your dog(s) a loving, comfortable and suitable home from home. I’m fully experienced whatever the doggy weather, from administering medication to helping with behavioural niggles, and will happily continue any work that you’re already doing with your dog in your absence. Please book with the confidence that I will look after your dog as though they were my own. I know how hard it is to part from your pet, so I aim to provide your dog with what I'd want for my dog were I to leave them. And that means a gimmick-free welcoming and relaxed open-plan home with a fully enclosed natural grass garden, with plenty of toys and treats, spaces to snooze and snuggle, and most importantly of all, the place for them to enjoy the five following 'freedoms', as outlined by the RSPCA; 1 - Freedom from hunger and thirst 2 - Freedom from discomfort 3 - Freedom from pain, injury and disease 4 - Freedom to express natural behaviour 5 - Freedom from fear or distress Those are the principles by which I work, which places them front and centre of everything I do; their comfort and care comes first, every time. I do have my own dog, who I omit from my profile for security reasons, but they are clearly very much part of the pack and you are ever so welcome to meet us both for a meet and greet prior to a stay. I do row at the weekend, but this takes place horribly early, so by the time I'm back, your dog will just about be ready for breakfast! No other commitments take me away from them. I have a fully fenced back garden, enclosed on all sides, and all exits from the property are kept permanently locked. There are no holes for them to find their way out of! I keep a dog monitor going, so I can always monitor the house should I have cause to be away from it, and the front window has internal shutters that both provides privacy and quiet, and means nobody can see in.
Qualifications
Ratings and reviews
Sarah helped us out looking after Maud while we attended a local festival during our holiday. Using a sitter that you’ve not previously met is a leap of faith but Sarah’s reviews and profile as well as her thoughtful communication before the sit helped me feel confident - and this was well founded. She clearly put the dog’s needs first, took a very gentle calm approach and seemed to genuinely enjoy getting to know and care for Maud.
First time with Sarah, Barney had a lovely time meeting some new dog friends, loads of playing and socialising. I would definitely use Sarah’s services next time we need a sitter and would wholeheartedly recommend her to others.
Sarah and Lufra bonded immediately and it's clear our young dog had a very happy time with her. Lots of photos and great communication meantime were happy too. Excellent.
Before booking we met up with Sarah and were encouraged by her enthusiasm and approach to get to know our dogs. This gave us the confidence to book Sarah to look after our dogs for two weeks. During their stay Sarah gave us lots of updates on how they were doing and, although dogs can’t talk, from the photos you could tell how well looked after they were and what fun they were having! We were worried they would not want to come home! We would recommend Sarah and would have no hesitation in using Sarah for our pet sitting needs in the future.
Brilliantly kind and knowledgeable. First time I’ve felt happy leaving Dotty anywhere.
Would 100% recommend Sarah. We left our two dogs with her for two nights while we were at a wedding and as soon as we dropped them off I knew they’d be so well looked after. Communication before and during was great - I even got a few photos of them with updates. If we ever need a dog sitter in Shrewsbury again I wouldn’t ask anyone else!
Calendar and availability
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Schedule
All dogs have different routines and I work to ensure that your dog stays in theirs, to keep them happy and relaxed. I am also mindful of issues regarding safety, particularly regarding eating and exercise, and leave a healthy break between a meal and a walk. I row early morning at the weekends, so your dog will be left for a couple of hours, but I keep my house monitored with an app so I can check in with any time. Other than rowing, I am generally with the dogs all the time
Where your pet will stay
Home characteristics
Safety, trust & environment
I’m very experienced with a wide range of situations c behaviours and breeds, but I do not accept the following dogs; 1 - dogs with severe separation anxiety that manifests with either continuous barking or destructive tendencies 2 - dogs who are poorly socialised and do not get on with other dogs Please note I do not accept XL Bullies
Pets
A typical day
We are spoilt for beautiful places in Shropshire, so there are many different walks we do, such as Lyth Hill, Haughmond Hill, the Reabrook Valley, Shelton Rough, and many others.
- 0 to 7 kg7 to 18 kg18 to 45 kgover 45 kgUnspayed females accepted, neutered males onlySarah can host up to 6 pets per night
- Knowledge about any behavioural niggles, such as guarding, is always helpful so I can make sure that their stay works for them, whether that means separate food times, or keeping toys to a minimum. I don't accept intact adult males, but am very happy to work with young puppies, and those dogs who are chemically castrated. If they have any injuries or surgeries that require a more tailored exercise regime, I am happy to cater to that.