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Sydney H.

Flint, MI

5.0 out of 5 stars
•42 reviews
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Low Stress Specialized Care

Pet care experience

We miss our pets when we are away, and they miss us just as much. I believe it is important not only for your furry family members to feel comfortable while you are away, but for you to know how your pet is doing through pictures and stories. I try to make it as easy as possible so both dogs and owners can relax. I love doing house sitting and staying over the night as it allows the dog to stay in their own comfortable environment. They can still find comfort in their favorite spot, and you can find comfort seeing a picture of them there. I try my best to limit the amount and duration that I am away to minimize stress on the animals. After helping raise my parents puppy I began to realize I was good at animal care taking. For a few years I had been casually house sitting for friends and family while doing web development. I decided to start working through Rover in Arizona at the start of October 2018. I quickly was booked a majority of days every month. After the pandemic caused the first shutdown I stopped receiving clients. My wife and I moved in together in May 2020 and after a few months we adopted the most scared pittie at the pound and named her Mara Jade, after Luke Skywalker's wife from a Star Wars book series. Within a few weeks she warmed up to us and was a wonderful addition to our family. Just before Christmas 2020 my wife and I bought a house and moved to Flint, Michigan. Mara loves her new yard filled with grass and wildlife much more than the concrete we had in our Arizona rental. After my wife received her COVID vaccination I decided it was safe enough to start looking for new clients here in Michigan. I enjoy taking care of animals that need special attention. I am good with all breads, shapes, and sizes of dogs including pitbulls. I tend to not ask many personal questions, not because I'm not interested but because I like to respect people's privacy. I always do a meet and greet before any stay or drop in as I need to know that I'll feel safe getting to and being in your home. Meeting your pets first makes sure that we get along well and makes for a successful stay. I prefer to do meet-and-greets as early as possible so that if there are any issues we can do a drop-in before the stay to make sure we are a good fit. If you would be more comfortable meeting in public or at a park we can start with that first. [COVID-19] My wife is at high-risk for COVID-19 so we both take a lot of precautions. We only do take-out, physically distance, do grocery pickup, and wear masks indoors. I feel the health of our community is important so I will wear a mask at all times when interacting with people who are unvaccinated during this pandemic. I value the safety and health of my family and at-risk friends. I received my Johnson & Johnson's vaccine on April 7, Moderna booster on October 31, and following yearly boosters. I ask that if you have not been fully vaccinated that you wear a mask and I will do so as well for your protection as well as the protection of our loved ones. If your pet has an issue with people that are covered, I can meet them without me wearing my mask first. I ask that you be direct and let me know if you have had any contact with people that have symptoms recently or if people with symptoms have been in your home.

Reviews

Tim M.
House Sitting • Mar 15, 2023
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Highly recommend Sydney, she was an awesome addition to the fam of our three rescues! I don’t even think they noticed our absence which is normally an anxiety rollercoaster. Sydney also left several loving updates and included pics and a vid of our hellions playing in the snow with her in the backyard.

Lisa L.
House Sitting • Nov 14, 2022
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Sydney did a great job with our 2-12 year old pups, letting them sleep on the bed with her. She also stayed extra late when poor communication on my part had her guessing if we would make it home. We will book again!

Jessyca J.
Dog Walking • Aug 06, 2022
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Sydney was amazing and so patient with my reactive dog who is extremely fearful of new people at first. She gave great updates and detailed descriptions of how each visit went, which was really appreciated. Highly recommend!

Terri M.
House Sitting • Jun 18, 2022
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This was the second time we have used Sydney to watch our 4 pets. She did an amazing job and provided updates and pics while we were away. I highly recommend Sydney to take care of your pets. Our pets love her and she did a fantastic job. Thank you Sydney!

About Sydney H.

Communication

25 repeat pet parents
100% response rate
Usually responds in under an hour
80% bookings with photo updates
Sends updates with Rover Cards

Skills

8 years of experience
Oral medication administration
Injected medication administration
First aid/CPR
Senior dog experience
Special needs dog experience
Can provide daily exercise

Safety, trust & environment

I follow directions well and take notes during my meet and greets to help make sure that I don't forget anything. I prefer instructions to be left as well, so we both can be 100% confident I have the correct information and instructions. I am always cautious with doors and haven't had a animal get away from me yet.

Information Sydney H. would like to know about your pet

I like to know if there are any triggers your dog has such as hats, sunglasses, towering, eye contact, etc as that helps me give the dog the best first impression. I love to know what challenges await me, so please include some of those details when you send your request to me. Don't worry about scaring me off because it is a difficult situation! I have - made turkey burgers for a debitic dog when he wouldn't eat anything (at owners request), - given dozens of insulin injections for both cats and dogs, - cared for dogs that were deaf and/or blind, - picked up anxiety medications for dogs that were having a difficult time (at owners request), - taken care of dog that will only poop inside, - watched dogs diagnosed with seizures (never have experienced one first hand), - watched large groups up of pets, - left a party early to take care of a dog that had a no show sitter, - done multiple meet and greets for cautious dog that are slow to trust, - hand fed an end of life dog and slept on his bed with him. I do it not for the owner, but for the animals. The animal's needs are my #1 priority and I also work with the owner to determine those needs. I love all animals and it is obvious once you meet me. I hope to meet you and your family soon!

A typical day

All the scratches. I have a problem where I tend to not say no when a dog seeks attention. There are dogs I watch that my fiancée knows not to expect a timely response because the dogs prefer my hands on them than on my phone. I believe that the least amount of change during an owner's time always results in the least amount of stress on the animal. For that reason I prefer to do overnight stays and "live" in your home. If your dogs get a few scratches before bed or need out at 4am for a potty break, then that is what they will get. Accidents are always cleaned up and playtime is whenever it is requested. All pets are unique and each get their own type of care and will all be loved the same. I'll take them for walks if that is what they are used to. I like figuring out what toys and how your dog likes to play. I find that a good game of fetch and running around the backyard can be great exercise for us both!

Services

House Sitting
in your home
$50per night
Drop-In Visits
visits in your home
$30per visit
Dog Walking
in your neighborhood
$30per walk

Sydney can watch in your home

Cats
0 to 15 lbs
16 to 40 lbs
41 to 100 lbs
over 101 lbs

Availability

I'm a full time pet sitter so I'm available every day of the week anytime. I do book up a few months out so if you have something in the works, let me know so I can check with you before I book someone else during that time. I prefer to do in-home care, where I stay in your home full time and spend the night.

Available
Not available
SMTWTFS
Calendar last updated 12 days ago
House Sitting Cancellation Policy:

About Sydney H.

Communication

25 repeat pet parents
100% response rate
Usually responds in under an hour
80% bookings with photo updates
Sends updates with Rover Cards

Skills

8 years of experience
Oral medication administration
Injected medication administration
First aid/CPR
Senior dog experience
Special needs dog experience
Can provide daily exercise

Safety, trust & environment

I follow directions well and take notes during my meet and greets to help make sure that I don't forget anything. I prefer instructions to be left as well, so we both can be 100% confident I have the correct information and instructions. I am always cautious with doors and haven't had a animal get away from me yet.

Information Sydney H. would like to know about your pet

I like to know if there are any triggers your dog has such as hats, sunglasses, towering, eye contact, etc as that helps me give the dog the best first impression. I love to know what challenges await me, so please include some of those details when you send your request to me. Don't worry about scaring me off because it is a difficult situation! I have - made turkey burgers for a debitic dog when he wouldn't eat anything (at owners request), - given dozens of insulin injections for both cats and dogs, - cared for dogs that were deaf and/or blind, - picked up anxiety medications for dogs that were having a difficult time (at owners request), - taken care of dog that will only poop inside, - watched dogs diagnosed with seizures (never have experienced one first hand), - watched large groups up of pets, - left a party early to take care of a dog that had a no show sitter, - done multiple meet and greets for cautious dog that are slow to trust, - hand fed an end of life dog and slept on his bed with him. I do it not for the owner, but for the animals. The animal's needs are my #1 priority and I also work with the owner to determine those needs. I love all animals and it is obvious once you meet me. I hope to meet you and your family soon!

A typical day

All the scratches. I have a problem where I tend to not say no when a dog seeks attention. There are dogs I watch that my fiancée knows not to expect a timely response because the dogs prefer my hands on them than on my phone. I believe that the least amount of change during an owner's time always results in the least amount of stress on the animal. For that reason I prefer to do overnight stays and "live" in your home. If your dogs get a few scratches before bed or need out at 4am for a potty break, then that is what they will get. Accidents are always cleaned up and playtime is whenever it is requested. All pets are unique and each get their own type of care and will all be loved the same. I'll take them for walks if that is what they are used to. I like figuring out what toys and how your dog likes to play. I find that a good game of fetch and running around the backyard can be great exercise for us both!

Location

Flint, MI

Sydney H.'s Neighborhood

Pets

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Sydney H.

Flint, MI

5.0 out of 5 stars
•42 reviews