House Sitting New Castle

“Michael is absolutely fantastic! We have two pups who are a little high-maintenance 😉, and he takes such wonderful care of them every single time. We always come home knowing they've been loved and well cared for, which gives us incredible peace of mind. He goes above and beyond in so many thoughtful ways. This time he watered our outdoor plants, and as always, stripped the bed before leaving, and washed the sheets—I found them clean in the dryer when we got home! It's those little touches that speak volumes about the kind of person he is. Michael is reliable, trustworthy, thoughtful, and genuinely cares. We appreciate him more than we can say and wouldn't hesitate to recommend him to anyone looking for exceptional pet care. Thank you, Michael!”

Karen J.

“Sophia was amazing! She was available last minute when our other sitter canceled. She was SO communicative the entire time my husband and I were out of town and sent multiple photos and updates everyday about how our dog was doing. Can't recommend her enough!”

Jennifer T.

“Talia is dependable, communicative, and was great with our fairly difficult dogs! I would have her back in a second.”

Stephanie D.

“This is the first time I’ve used Rover, and it certainly will not be the last. I was so lucky to find Karen, who lives in my town, responded quickly to my first email, and came over to meet my 3-year-old chocolate lab that same afternoon. Within a few minutes, my dog was basking in Karen’s attention and letting me know that she would be happy and comfortable spending time in Karen’s care. Karen made sure my energetic dog got plenty of exercise and sent pictures every day while I was gone. I came home to a happy dog and a peaceful house. My dog and I are both hoping to have a continuing relationship with Karen.”

Janis W.

“Julianne was super responsive and sent a number of photos of our dog! She stayed in our home and we came back to it being cleaner than we left it! Julianne is super kind and we will definitely use her again!”

Jenny G.

“Gavin is a repeat sitter for my 6 year old orange tabby. Once again, communications were excellent and he took good care of my cat and my house. Gavin always spends time with his charge, as Moo is a sociable creature who loves companionship. I booked time that coincided with the recent blizzard. Gavin was completely flexible with potential changes to my travel plans, which i truly appreciated. Moo and I look forward to reaching out to him for future bookings.”

Michelle T.

“Kristen is an absolute professional great with the pups and an amazing communicator along with being flexible with unexpected schedule changes. Need I say more? Book her! :)”

Jeff S.

“Erin and Amanda did a wonderful job caring for our dogs and looking after our home. They were great with the dogs—attentive and loving—and they were very conscientious with the house. Everything was left clean and tidy, with the linens washed, the bed remade, the plants watered, the mail brought in, and the trash taken out. Most importantly, when our return flight was unexpectedly canceled, they made sure the dogs were covered until we got in late that night, even though they had another job to get to. Their reliability gave us great peace of mind. We would happily recommend Erin and Amanda to anyone looking for trustworthy and caring sitters.”

Karen J.

“I hate to tell you how good Melody is cuz I want her always for my dog. 😊. Melody is very capable, but her calmness around my excitable pup is why I chose her. We were trying our first overnight away from this totally spoiled COVID pup. I am home most of the time with her and needed someone who would be here most of the time. Melody was willing to do that and my pup made it clear when I got home that she likes Melody as much as me! I highly recommend Melody and am already planning my next overnight away!”

Barbara M.

“Martha was so incredibly patient and loving with our Dexter! He has some quirks and anxieties but Martha was so understanding and great at ensuring he was comfortable. We received daily updates throughout the weekend and it was so nice to have those check ins. This was the first time Dexter has stayed with anyone other than our family and overall it was a great experience!”

Rachel P.

“Paul was great! He made a commitment to dog sit several weeks before and was willing to come by to meet Charley before. Very communicative during the stay and left our place just like he found it. Excellent sitter! Would recommend.”

Tyler R.

“Great communication and active caretaker. She took my pup out on lots of walks!”

Marissa C.

“Jim went above and beyond for us when we were in a pinch. Not only did he take great care of our dog but he also cleaned and did dishes for us that we had left in a hurry to head to a wedding. Jim was awesome and I would absolutely recommend him and utilize his services again in a heartbeat!”

Kay A.

About: I love dogs and they seem to love me! I do not have my own dog currently but like to think of all those I watch as my own. I love to get them (and me) out for a walk especially on a beach or nearby trail. I also have a lot of experience caring for senior dogs and can match that energy level as well! If you need references I will be happy to provide them from Wallis, Teddie, Stella, Franklin, Buna, Wally, Tater, Judy, Kaya or Koda. I work from home so would not be away from your dog for more than an hour or two. If your dog likes the car, they can join me on errands/adventures. Or we can stay close to home for walks or snuggles. I care for dogs in their own home to keep them in familiar settings and routines. Important to know if they can be let outside in yard off leash or not, feeding times, what time is typical for wake up.

About: I have had dogs my entire life. I have taken care of my own dogs as well as friends and neighbors. I have experience with labs, golden retrievers, German shepherds, Rottweilers, and pit bulls mostly but love all dogs. I currently work full time Monday-Friday (this is important to note when booking me for house sitting) and would love to help people with walking their pets/letting them out after work or on the weekends. I can’t have pets in my apartment and greatly miss interacting with dogs! I am very respectful of other people’s homes. I am clean and appreciate instructions/rules on where food, collars/leashes, treats, etc are. I will keep your furry companions company, provide long walks, and scratches of course!

“Courtney did a wonderful job taking care of my two dogs and our home. She sent lots of pictures which I loved. We would definitely have her watch them again.”

Jackie G.

“Alex was absolutely amazing! It was our first time leaving our dog who has a lot of quirks and we were super nervous about it, but Alex kept us updated with photos, how he was everyday, and even took him to work with her! I would definitely recommend Alex , and would love to have her watch Teddy in the future:) Thank you!”

Tessia S.

About: I love dogs and have a beautiful almost 9 yo 1/2 Lab 1/2 GSP of my own who I fostered and then adopted February 2018; she will gladly keep your dog company and busy playing at my home. I have a large fenced in back yard 2 miles from downtown Portsmouth with plenty of room for the dogs to play and run around in. I am recently retired from Corp Amer, and am home with the dogs so they won’t be left alone. I will only take up to 3 dogs (dogs must be over 2 years of age and show zero signs of any aggression) in at a time for day care and 1 or 2 for boarding so your dog will get plenty of love and one on one attention. My prices may be a little bit higher than other people on this app, but that is because I’m only taking one or two dogs at a time and your dog is getting 1:1 care versus being in a rowdy kennel type environment with several dogs around. You can rest assured knowing I will care for your pets better than most. When I am walking your dog, I will engage with them, give them loads of attention, and will not be looking at/reading my phone. There are toys and tennis balls for them to play with in the yard and they will be let out every 2 hours for potty breaks and play, and can lounge around on the couches if they feel like it too. If they are 100% trained with recall, we go for 2 off leash trail enrichment hikes/ walks per day, otherwise they can be walked on leash around my neighborhood. At bed time, I play soft spa like music so the pups can sleep well and comfortable. I would like to have a meet and greet with all dogs and owners before they board at my home. My daycare rates are for up to 8 hours per day. If you drop your dog off at 8:30am, the dog must be picked up by 4:30pm otherwise you will be charged an additional half day rate. Latest pickup is 6:30pm. After 6:30pm it becomes an overnight. Drop offs must be before 6pm. I cater to dogs that need a little extra support and don’t do well in a chaotic kennel environment, which is why it is more of a “boutique “style service. (1:1) At the most, I might pop out for an hour but the dogs will not be left alone for more than an hour or 2 max. I have a large crate here if your dogs likes to be crated. I am not currently housesitting, only taking dogs in at my home. I do not book out months in advance. I generally only book out 1-2 months in advance. I am now currently only booking through Aug 2026. I let the dogs out every couple of hours for potty breaks and play. I will only take in 2-3 dogs max for daycare at a time and one or two dogs at a time for overnights, as to not overwhelm any of the dogs. This is a relaxed stress free environment for the dogs. I do not take in any dogs that show any signs of aggression.

About: Kristine and Eric have loved and had animals our entire life. I have always helped care for pets, even as a child. Eric was raised on a farm, caring for many different kinds of animals- waking up before dawn to ensure that all animals were properly cared for and had what they needed for the day whether it be rain, shine, snow, sleet, hot, or cold. We, together, have two dogs. They are both around 10 years old and are rescues. We also have 6 chickens. Our home has a door from the downstairs to the upstairs. When dogs are home during the day and if left alone for 1 hour or so they stay downstairs with access to water, comfy couches, and dog bed areas. When we are home they have free run of the home. We also have a crate for dogs that may need a private, safe space. We have a back yard that our dog enjoys playing in, but just so you know it is not fenced in, therefore dogs remain leashed when in the back yard. We do have a deck that is closed off in the backyard where dogs can be left unleashed to hang out, but always supervised when out there. We also have a 15 year old daughter who loves animals. She assists with the care of our dogs and we have fostered a few dogs in the past from various shelters and she is always eager to assist with making these dogs feel comfortable and give them love. She volunteers at a local animal shelter with small mammals and takes care of the chickens I work full time during the school year for a school district. Eric works from home. Eric takes dogs for a number of walks per day including walks to the local dog park (Rogers Park) and to local beaches for exercise and socialization. I am home by 3:30 pm and bring my dogs (and other dogs) for exercise either running, hiking, or walking. In the summer I am mostly around. I also grew up with cats and with both have experience with cats and providing meds to cats, including insulin shots. I work full time and Eric works part to full time but we can walk dogs in the evening and walk dogs throughout the day on the weekends. I have summers off as I work in a school. I will not be offering care in my home, but am excited to take care of your pet and walk your dog and take your dog on adventures.

About: I raise my own dog and now have a very talkative cat. I have responsibly taken care of acquaintances’ and friends’ pets for years. Each pet has its own unique personality and I just want to help how I can. I am very flexible at the moment. I am doing full-time online school that doesn’t have a meeting time so I can easily rearrange my day as needed to help. I have more flexibility on weekdays than weekends but can do both. I am great at recognizing what a pet needs while also being firm with boundaries and rules for their safety. I know how to care for not only your pet and home, but will respect both.