Pet Sitting & Drop Ins In Pleasant Ridge

About: As a rising third-year veterinary student at the University of Illinois, I bring both professional training and genuine love for animals to every pet I care for. Through my veterinary education and hands-on clinical experience, I have worked with animals of many breeds, sizes, ages, energy levels, and temperaments—including shy, anxious, high-energy, and senior pets. My experience has taught me how to safely handle animals, recognize signs of stress or illness, and adapt my approach to each pet’s individual personality and needs. Whether your pet loves playtime and attention or prefers a calmer, quieter environment, I strive to make them feel comfortable, safe, and cared for while you’re away. I’m comfortable caring for both dogs and cats and have experience with feeding routines, medications, and providing patient, attentive care. I understand how important it is to leave your pet with someone dependable, communicative, and trustworthy, and I take that responsibility seriously. I will care for your pet as if they were my own and keep you updated so you can feel confident they are in good hands. My schedule is very flexible this summer! I am currently working part-time and participating in some veterinary shadowing experiences, but outside of that I have wide availability for pet care. I am available most weekends and have flexibility throughout the week, especially during mornings and evenings. I’m happy to work with owners to find times that best fit their pet’s routine and needs. Your pet’s safety and comfort are always my top priorities. As a veterinary student, I have experience recognizing signs of stress, illness, and discomfort in animals and understand the importance of careful, attentive care. I strive to create a calm and positive environment for every pet while respecting their normal routines and boundaries. I know how important trust is when someone else is caring for your pet, so I will always communicate clearly, provide updates, and treat your pet and home with the same care and respect I would want for my own. Whether your pet is energetic, shy, senior, or needs extra patience, I am committed to making sure they feel safe, comfortable, and well cared for while you’re away.

“Absolutely wonderful sitter! Very thorough and even took the time to bond and play with our timid cat! Sent tons of photos and videos letting us know when/if our cat was eating/drinking/playing.”

Eric M.

About: I’ve grown up with dogs my entire life and have been caring for pets since I was 11. I’ve pet sat for family, friends, and neighbors since I was 14. I have volunteered at the SPCA (animal shelter) since I was 16. I now lead my college dog walking/shelter volunteering club (STEP) as vice president, and truly love caring for dogs of all breeds and personalities! I’m a college student with a completely open and flexible schedule this summer! I’m available throughout the week for walks, drop ins, pet sitting, and can accept last minute bookings. Spending time with dogs is something I genuinely live for, so I love making pet care part of my daily routine. Your pet’s safety and comfort are always my top priorities! I’m attentive and patient, while also extremely well versed with dogs of all different breeds, sizes, and personalities. I treat every dog like my own babies!

“Every time I have Meranda watch my kitties she sends so many pictures which I love so much! She’s so careful and her attention to detail and updates are so appreciated when I’m away from my girls.”

Kaycee M.

About: Early 40’s year old sitter/walker with car. You could say I have 40+ years of experience. My family had a German Shepherd from before I was born and I was very close to her. There has been a stream of pets in my family. Including so so so many cats in NYC. Even going so far as to “rescue” a half feral one. Currently, I share ownership of a dog. As a small business owner of over 10 years, I am able to have a flexible schedule and spend more time hanging out with your pet(s). That said, I have a lot of experience managing other people, and I do have high expectations for clear communication from clients. I have never had a complaint from clients that already have human children. I am very clear about the kind of care I offer. For example, I clearly state I can do 4-8 hrs for letting out. That does not mean that when I get to the sit, you tell me you expect every hour. I also do not cancel other bookings so that you can be the sole client. I have been through that, obliged, and the client was still dissatisfied. I am running a business and the new owner of this app runs on harsh algorithms that hide you in search. Let’s try to be better and more human, than conforming to private equity and their bottom line. For the fur babies, I can follow their diet and pet or play or brush their hair. As long as you give me a list or schedule, I'll do my best to provide it. I have extensive experience with pets at all stages of life. (As well as other kinds of pets which I am open to caring for.) I understand the care required for a wide variety of needs and can do my best to provide reinforcement on current training, but I am not going to be attuned right off the jump to the nuances noticed by your trainer or you... I can reinforce sit, lay down, paw, stay, heel, rollover, or anything else. I can administer medicine. I am not formally trained in pet CPR, but I am trained in human CPR and have looked at videos for pet CPR. When I was younger I worked as a lifeguard, and have a remarkable natural ability to stay calm and act fast in crisis situations. This comes in handy, for example: when protecting my maltipoo from other dogs, managing territorial behavior, or keeping one dog out of another dog’s bowl. My schedule is flexible and I have a car. I have a small business and partial responsibility of my dog, so I do need to be able to run errands, go to meetings, or check in at home to keep that part of my life running. For extended care, and distance further than 5 miles, I prefer be given the option to stay over at clients for the sake of gas costs, time, and energy. First meeting and approach are important to setting a precedent, I first see if the pet will approach me. I like to offer my hand palm down for them to smell. Sometimes it takes a few times smelling the hand before they feel comfortable letting me pet them. In my opinion it’s important not to mess up first impressions with the pet. Spending time together builds familiarity bonds, being attentive builds trust. It’s important to build rapport.

“Susan is incredible! She does such a great job communicating with me and being extremely transparent about her visits with my dog. She always provides plenty of pictures and will let me know what all they did during their time together. I always come home to a happy (worn out) dog from playing with her. I will continue to book her again and again and again!”

Brooke M.

“Bethany took such great care of our large pit bull/lab mix. It was my first time using Rover so I was a little nervous, but I could tell right away that our dog was in very good hands. She was very responsive and sent tons of pictures, and we will definitely use her in the future!”

Amanda D.

“Becca did a great job of communicating with me and looking after my cats. She even got my anxious cat to accept pets by the end of her time watching them! I would definitely book her again to watch them.”

Jayme M.

“Elizabeth is the best! Great communicator and really remembers details from previous visits! The cats really like her. Will definitely book her again.”

Suzanne F.

“Julia was fantastic! Arrived on time and sent pictures of Lilly would definitely recommend her.”

Kaitlin B.

“Jeff really took his time getting to know Bella and did a wonderful job taking care of her. I would HIGHLY recommend Jeff to anyone looking for someone to look after their pets while they are away.”

Ryan H.

“I am so thankful for Nina's help while I was away for two long days in a row. The dogs were happier and more relaxed when I came home and seeing her reports took away all my guilt for leaving them for the day. It's obvious they had fun and felt loved. I will definitely seek her out again!”

Lisa D.

“I am beyond grateful for Alison’s exceptional care of my dog. Not only did they provide all the basics—feeding, walks, and playtime—but they went the extra mile to make sure my dog was safe during a snowstorm. She was incredibly. It was evident that Alison thought about my dog and when above and beyond and truly cares about animals, and I felt completely at ease knowing my dog was in such capable hands. I couldn’t have asked for a better sitter, thank you for your kindness and dedication!”

Ricardo D.

“We had Monica let our dog out a couple times while we were gone for an overnight. She was great! We didn't have a chance to meet before hand as it was a last minute request but I was able to leave a key and instructions. She was great with our dog, filled his food and water, let him out, took him for a little walk, and even sent us a photo/updates. Would definitely recommend her if you need someone to care for your dog!”

Stephanie R.

“Margaret was great with Gabby, always on time and dependable!”

Dion M.

“Amaya was very considerate and my cat loves her. She’s very good with animals. 10/10 service”

Jersson P.

“Elizabeth did a great job dropping in on our gaggle of kitties (mama and babies fosters added some chaos!) While we were out of town. I appreciated her being agreeable to a quick meet and greet beforehand since our logistics were a little complex and too much to type out ? She followed instructions well and kindly brought in a couple packages we received. I recommend her for sure!”

Stacey S.

“Emma came to the rescue for us first time puppy owners! She couldn’t be sweeter with Frisbee and was a huge help to us in learning the ropes on routines and tips to make puppy ownership a breeze. Knowing she was coming over to play with our girl gave us such peace of mind. Frisbee loved her too! 🐾”

Caroline C.

About: I’ve always had dogs growing up in the house, but I needed one of my own when I was seven, which is why I proclaim fifteen years of experience. When I was five, I called myself the dog whisperer, and I’m bringing back the title because I think it still fits! Since middle school, I have pet sat for many family friends and neighbors, and I always get along great with the animals! I’m going to school to become a therapist, but if dog therapists were a thing, I would change career paths. Please let me hang with your pets - I don’t have any pets anymore and I miss doggos! I work M-F from 9-5, but get out early some days and can visit the pets on my lunch. Other than that, I can be free as needed! I’m happy to spend as much time with the pets as is preferred. I will house sit or dog walk, but I cannot host them! I will of course follow any instructions left and be very respectful of the space, while making sure your pets have the best time!

“Tabby is absolutely wonderful. My pups and kitty had a lovely time with her. I could tell they were really comfortable while I was gone. She has watched them multiple times at this point and I will definitely be booking her for services again whenever I am headed out of town.”

Paige R.