Shelly R.
Mystic, CT
Fun and Love for All Pets
Pet care experience
***Times have to be a little flexible as my bookings change daily but I do the best I can to come at your most desired time. If I feel I cannot make it to your home within 30 minutes of your requested time I will inform you prior to confirming your booking.*** ***Meet and Greets are preferred prior to the first booking. It will help us determine if I am a good fit for you and your pet. Initial meet and greets are free up to 30 minutes; this is my investment in our future relationship. For meet and greets over thirty minutes or if a second meet and greet is desired, the 30 minute visit fee will be applied.*** Having pets myself and loving to travel I fully understand the need for petsitting. My big male kitty gets horrible anxiety anytime we travel and it's heartbreaking for me. I have realized that despite my own personal anxiety when I have to leave them overnight, having a petsitter is much less stressful on my fur babies. I will do anything I can to make you and your pet feel comfortable in the process of having to leave them for an extended period of time. I will play with your pet, love it, and take care of it as if it were my own. About this sitter: Whatever you and your pet need me to do I can do it. If your pet needs extra exercise I love exercising. I am a long distance runner so I am certain I can exercise as long as your pet needs or wants. If they have never slept alone before I have no problem sharing sleeping space. I also have no qualms enforcing the rules that they must abide by in your home if that means the bed is off limits. I do my best to adhere to their routine because I know that is what will keep them the happiest and most comfortable in your absence. I also send multiple pictures and updates each day so you can see that your pets are having a ton of fun during their time with me. I have worked and volunteered with many animal rescues and at many animal shelters in the past. I worked at Charleston Animal Society in SC for three years where I was able to take dog handling/interaction workshops. My interaction with and exposure to all types of dogs and other animals is extensive after so many years in animal shelters. I have always had pets since I was very young and I am very comfortable around them and them me. Why I love dog sitting I have loved dogs or any type of animal for as long as I can remember. I have volunteered at shelters for many years and because I love animals so much I do it full time. Working at the Charleston Animal Society as an adoption counselor was a blessing. Pet sitting is also a blessing. I enjoy walking dogs and playing with pets as well as the downtime I get to spend with them. Meet my pets At any time I may have 4-6 cats of my own. I adopt seniors that are at risk of euthanasia and provide them a loving home at the end of their life. About my yard I live in a condo currently and do not have a yard. My experience administering medication If administration is thoroughly explained I have no problems with this. I have to give my animals medication regularly and I have administered medications/vaccinations to animals on a daily basis in my time at the animal society for both cats and dogs. I also have experience administering fluids and insulin to cats. Pet care is my full-time job. I usually have regular midday dog walks between 10 to 2 Monday through Friday but accept bookings all day and into the evening if I’m not overbooked or on vacation. I don’t work every evening and I don’t work every weekend. I will block off free evenings and weekends as the others fill up each month in order to have some time off. I book on a first come first served basis. I do not board animals at my home. I define housesitting as up to a 24 hour period of care in your home. I am not picky about what time housesitting begins and ends. If I need to be at your home at 7 AM the initial morning that is no problem and the fee includes care until 7 AM the following morning. If I need to come back later that day for a midday walk or dinner, that is no problem. Additional dog walk or drop in fees will apply in that case. I do have regular midday walks Monday through Friday approximately 10-2; your pet will need to be able to be alone for 4 hours. I do not do off leash walking; I take an abundance of caution in that regard. I have no problem driving to a nearby park or trail for exercise but we will not generally interact with other animals during the time that I am caring for your pet.
Reviews
Shelly is always dependable and does a great job taking care of our dog.
Very reliable and an excellent walker.
Wonderful experience. Highly recommend. She arrived on time and stayed the full amount of time. Excellent communication. Would absolutely hire again.
Shelly was great! She was able to accommodate a walk for Beau super last minute and sent pictures of the walk! Really appreciate her help!
About Shelly R.
Communication
Skills
Safety, trust & environment
I do not care for pets in my home at this time as I live in a condo association. I keep to your pets schedule as best as I can when house sitting.
Information Shelly R. would like to know about your pet
I would like to know about their temperament or any quirks the animal may have. Do they have any resource guarding tendencies or barrier/leash reactivity etc. How active is the dog and what are their favorite things to do? Mostly I need to know their routine so I can stick to that while you are away.
A typical day
We will stick to their routine as much as possible. If that’s playing ball in the yard or if it means a car ride to the trails we can do those things.
Services
Shelly can watch in your home
Availability
Pet Sitting is my full time job. I do train regularly for long distance relay races and marathons. Some of these races will require me to be racing on Fridays 3-4 times a year. I do group training runs each week also; if I can schedule your booking around a training run it is best for me but if there are time constraints that is completely understandable. I most often try to fit my long training runs in early Saturday mornings. I still take bookings on these long run days but when I start hitting 16-24 mile runs it can affect how many morning bookings I can accept so it’s best to book early. These runs occur approximately 10 Saturdays a year.
About Shelly R.
Communication
Skills
Safety, trust & environment
I do not care for pets in my home at this time as I live in a condo association. I keep to your pets schedule as best as I can when house sitting.
Information Shelly R. would like to know about your pet
I would like to know about their temperament or any quirks the animal may have. Do they have any resource guarding tendencies or barrier/leash reactivity etc. How active is the dog and what are their favorite things to do? Mostly I need to know their routine so I can stick to that while you are away.
A typical day
We will stick to their routine as much as possible. If that’s playing ball in the yard or if it means a car ride to the trails we can do those things.
Location
Mystic, CT
Pets
Shelly R.
Mystic, CT