Shel R.
Shel R.
Highlights
Pet care experience
a lovely friend to all
Hi there! I'm Shel! I've been pet-sitting and doing animal care projects on and off for the past 8 years or so. I was pet-sitting full-time for about a year in 2019-2020 while traveling in New Zealand, Australia, the UK, and the US — I have sat dogs, cats, rabbits, and guinea pigs — and I have pet sat here and there after settling back in Massachusetts since then. I also have several months experience volunteering at animal sanctuaries, working with animals including cows, goats, sheep, pigs, miniature ponies, rescued foxes, dingoes, and a cockatoo, in addition to dogs and cats. I love all animals deeply and I have definitely gotten to know a lot of different animal personalities, ranging from huge and excitable to tiny and timid, and I know how to care for each very different animal's needs. Through this work, I have experience walking and playing with dog breeds of all sizes and temperaments. I also have experience giving medication to animals. I'm used to monitoring any changes in animals' moods and behavior and am prepared to handle anything that comes up. I'm currently only accepting requests for overnight pet-sitting.
Qualifications
Safety, trust & environment
When I pet-sit, I spend some time getting your pets acclimated to having me in the home, and once we develop a comfortable rapport, I will start activities with them, or simply be with them peacefully in their space — whatever your pet prefers. I like to send photo updates once or twice a day.
Ratings and reviews
Shel was great. Our lab and two kitties happy and healthy after our week away. Plants watered and house in great shape too. Thank you Shel!
Shel is a wonderful pet sitter. I love leaving my pet in such caring and capable hands that I never have to worry when I’m away about his welfare. My dog is also reactive and Shel manages it fabulously. I have hired Shel twice and will hire them again!
Shel did an amazing job house and cat sitting for our two kitties. The cats were clearly well cared for, had plenty of play time, and we got lots of photo updates. On top of that we came home to a house that was spotless! We highly recommend Shel for your pet/house sitting!
Shel is so wonderful. I only have positive things to say. So communicative, very respectful of my space and accommodating of my reactive dog. I hope I am lucky enough to hire Shel again, I felt so safe on my trip knowing they were here taking truly excellent care of my dog.
This is the second time Shel has dog- and house-sat for us. It was a longer period than usual (25 days). It is very important for us to know that our dog and house are in in good hands when we are oversea. Shel fulfilled their role impeccably. They sent us regular updates and dealt very efficiently with all the small house problems that arose in our absence. Our dog loves being with Shel and we found him in excellent shape when we came back. We also found our house in perfect order. Shel is someone who clearly loves pets and is both skillful and practical in household matters. Shel can be trusted one hundred per cent.
Shel has been a terrific dog and house sitter for the 10 days we were away. Chuckle is a large dog who is very sweet but can be difficult to handle when he meets other dogs. Shel agreed to meet us twice prior to their dog sitting so that they could familiarize themself with Chuckle and the places where we take him for walks. Shel and Chuckle bonded immediately and kept good company to each other throughout their stay. When we were away we received daily updates with pics. Shel also kept good care of our old house which has a lot of idiosyncrasies. Besides being a pet lover, Shel is a good mannered person with practical sense, ability to adapt, and fully trustworthy. We felt that our Chuckle was in very good hands and are going to hire them again!
Calendar and availability
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
Schedule
I work outside of the house 4-5 days a week on a typical week but can be back to give potty breaks every 4-8 hours. Otherwise I try to spend as much time as possible with your pet.
- Cats0 to 15 lbs16 to 40 lbs41 to 100 lbsover 101 lbsShel can host up to 1 pet per night
- It would be nice to know what activities they like, how they get along with other dogs, any behaviors I should know about, and any health issues they have.