Shelly S.
Shelly S.
Highlights
Pet care experience
We’ll love your dog the way you do!
We know firsthand how stressful, and how nerve-wracking it is to find a dog sitter on the internet, and then drop off your beloved doggo at a stranger’s house even if it is based on maaaaaaany good reviews. Let me be the first to assure you that we are definitely not axe murderers hiding behind a friendly facade, and that your sweet dog will NOT be left neglected, alone in a yard or a dark room somewhere. Your pup will be our pup, and very much a part of our family-and our daily routines. Your dog won’t just be fed, watered, and walked. He will be loooved. We’re the type of family that snuggles and snoozes with our Rover dogs, orders them pup cups (with permission of course!), and lets them sniff every pee-mail on their walks. Between my husband, Tony, and I, we have over 26+ years of experience loving on, and taking care of furry friends from lil pups to senior dogs. We know and understand the different needs a dog has when she’s an energetic puppy to when she’s an old and creaky senior. We’ve literally lived through all the stages. So have no fear, or any anxiety when your dog stays with us. We’ll banish those worries with updates and pictures every few hours.
Qualifications
Ratings and reviews
Shelly has been a great communicator and really made us and our pup feel comfortable. This was our first time using Rover and sending Dilly to a sitter’s for any period of time so we were a bit nervous. But Shelly and her family made us feel confident that Dilly was in the best of hands. Happy to have found their care and grateful that they can look after Dilly again in the future!
Our boy was in such good hands with Shelly and family. He was well loved and cared for while we were away. Lots of photos and updates which we appreciated so much. I highly recommend them.
We have always used Rover when we travel and have had wonderful experiences with previous sitters. In fact, we initially tried to book Loki’s regular sitters, but they were unavailable, so we booked with Shelly because she had good reviews and after a meet-and-greet she was very warm and seems to be a good fit with Loki. Loki is very much part of our family and is treated like one of us. During our meet-and-greet, we were very transparent about his routine and personality. We explained that he has never slept in a dog bed and always sleeps either with us or with one of our sons. Shelly reassured us that dogs were welcome on their beds and even mentioned that their son enjoys having dogs sleep with him. However, when we picked Loki up, Instead of giving us an update about how Loki did, much of the conversation focused on how demanding he was. We were told that he required too much attention, barked at night, kept them awake, and that they had household chores to do. She also suggested that next time we find a retired sitter who has more time to cuddle and stay with him. This surprised us because providing companionship and individualized care is exactly why we hire a pet sitter. We were upfront about Loki’s needs before booking, including that he enjoys close human companionship. We also discussed his tendency to mark in unfamiliar places, and during the meet-and-greet we were reassured that this was expected and something they were prepared to manage. This is the first time we’ve ever received negative feedback about Loki from a sitter. Previous Rover sitters have always described him as affectionate, loving, and easy to care for. Every dog and every home are different, and it may simply not have been the right fit for Loki’s personality and needs. One thing that particularly stood out to us was the difference in Shelly’s demeanor when we dropped Loki off compared to when we picked him up. During our meet-and-greet and at drop-off, she was warm, welcoming, and cheerful, which gave us confidence that Loki would be in good hands. We genuinely appreciate that she cared for him, walked him, and was honest about the challenges she experienced. What saddened us most was that when we thanked her and said goodbye, the farewell felt noticeably cold and unfriendly compared to the warm welcome we had received just a few days earlier. It left us feeling uncomfortable and as though the experience had been a burden rather than a service she had agreed to provide. We truly believe Shelly did her best to care for Loki, and we appreciate the effort she put into looking after him. At the same time, based on this experience, we don’t think her home and caregiving style were the right fit for a dog like Loki, who thrives on constant human companionship and affection.
Shelly is the best! I trust her with my baby so much so that I booked with her again. I will always book with Shelly because I know my puppy will always be so loved and cared for!!
I am so comfortable leaving my guy with Shelly. He's well cared for and likes to be with them . Shelly exudes warmth and lots of smiles. Easy to see that she loves what she's doing
Shelly and her family are accommodating, great communicators and go that extra mile. I really feel like my pup Simon is with a loving home away from home.
Calendar and availability
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Schedule
I work from home, and am home most days. The longest your pup will be left alone is 2 hours during school pick-up unless he wants to come along!
Where your pet will stay
Home characteristics
Safety, trust & environment
We have our own doggo Cori, the Corgi, and her feline friend Tikka the cat. Both Corgi and Tikka see the vet annually, are up to date on their vaccinations, and are on tick and flea prevention year round. Cori and Tikka stays on the 2nd and 3rd floors of our house when we dog sit so your pup can have free rein over the entire first floor. Cori gets walked 3x a day for 15 minutes, and is usually crated when we leave the house, and for bedtime. If your puppo is a bit nervous about being away from home, there’s a little “doggy guest room” gated with a baby gate where your dog can decompress, and assess his new environment without stress if he needs it. Our house is open-concept so he can see and hear everyone without worrying about guarding his back. Once he’s comfy he can roam to his heart’s content. We’ll feed Cori, and your dog in separate spaces to prevent any issues with food guarding. Since Cori is a super slow walker, we’ll walk them separately as well.
Pets
A typical day
We will of course try to follow the regular schedule your pup has to make the transition from your home to ours as smooth as possible, and to reduce the stress of your dog. I’m an avid hiker, and am more than delighted to take your dog on hikes if he likes them as well.
- 0 to 15 lbs16 to 40 lbs41 to 100 lbsover 101 lbsUnspayed females accepted, neutered males onlyShelly can host up to 1 pet per night
- Our preference is for dogs who get along with kids, other dogs, and cats. As we have two young kids, we can only accept kid-friendly dogs. Our kids LOVE dogs, and are always asking what kind of dog we’re going to dog sit next. They have been taught on how to approach new dogs, read their body language, and to respect a dog’s space.