This was my first time using Rover so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Having been invited to an all-day interview that included an evening dinner and social event, I needed to arrange for doggy day care on short notice. I have a senior dog (roughly 80 years old in human years) and Michelle's profile indicated she had experience with senior dogs, so I was expecting her to be relatively knowledgeable about the kinds of issues that senior dogs may experience. I had noticed that Michelle offered grooming/bathing services so in our meet and greet the day prior I asked if it was possible for my dog to be groomed and bathed, explaining that we hadn't visited the groomers in quite a while. I thought I had covered everything Michelle might need to know, including noting my dog's dry, flaky skin (which is not uncommon in senior dogs). I must not have explained this well enough because around noon during my interviews, Michelle called to say my dog was covered in fleas and that she was not comfortable having my dog in her house and that I needed to pick my dog up immediately. I can completely understand Michelle's concern--growing up in a multi-dog household, I remember my parents struggling mightily to keep our house free of fleas and I know how difficult fleas can be for both pets and people. So I was both concerned and puzzled how my dog had mysteriously ended up covered in fleas. I allow my dog to sleep on the bed alongside me, so you would think I would know if she had a flea problem! (especially one serious enough to characterize as "covered in fleas") I think what may have happened was Michelle thought my dog's flaky skin, perhaps in combination with dirt from my rural community's gravel roads, were fleas, and panicked. Again, I can't blame her, and I certainly don't expect her to be able to identify skin conditions in elderly dogs. Only two months ago I had asked my vet whether my dog's flaky skin was due to fleas after spending the holidays with family (my dog is allergic to fleas) but the vet said there was no evidence of fleas and the flaky skin was dry skin exacerbated by old age. (I happened to have a vet appointment the day after my doggy day care appointment with Michelle, and again the vet did not see any evidence of fleas.) Michelle's message also mentioned my dog's fur falling out. My dog has a thick undercoat that tends to get matted, which is why I was keen to get her groomed. I am still perplexed about what Michelle meant about my dog's fur falling out; the photos she attached to her message appeared to me to be primarily from shedding, rather than from unusual hair loss. Again, I don't expect anyone on Rover to be able to diagnose problematic hair loss, but if grooming services are offered I do expect some knowledge about grooming breeds with thick undercoats. I can completely empathize with Michelle's panicked response--the conditions that accompany old age in dogs can be distressing and there may be some cultural differences in that rural dogs might not be as well-groomed as city dogs--but I did have to excuse myself from my interviews to go pick my dog up. While missing the last half of my interviews was a major inconvenience, it was not the final concerning moment: when I arrived, my dog was on the front porch shivering under a blanket. This was in February so it was about 45 degrees F. Again, I understand that the concern for fleas must have been overwhelming and apparently Michelle's housemates had strongly vetoed letting my dog stay in the house. It sounds like Michelle had tried everything she could think of, including driving my dog around for a while in her car until I arrived, and even offered to take my dog to the vet to get a flea dip. I think that Michelle was doing the best she could under difficult circumstances, but arriving to see just how stressed out my dog was was very concerning (I am willing to entertain the possibility that my dog was shivering due to stress rather than cold and Michelle seemed just as distressed as I was). Perhaps I am misunderstanding the quality and level of experience that can be found on Rover, but in the future I think I will avoid P2P services and stick with professional services.

I had a great experience with Michelle, she sent lots of pictures and my dog seemed really happy.

Great sitter, provided good updates/pics and I picked up a happy and tired pup!

Michelle was fantastic with our 2 special needs pets! In addition, she was flexible with a modification to the dates of our trip, and other changes to the booking. Will definitely book with Shell again!

Michelle was great as a pet and house sitter. Russell was well cared for and Michelle took great care of the house. Would definitely book again.

Michelle did a great job!

Out dogs absolutely love Michelle! We took a trip out of the Country and having her there with them was such a peace of mind! She stayed longer on the last day than we asked just to feed them dinner!

Michelle has been amazing with our boys. Especially my younger dog who is unsure of people

Michelle was just great! She was so attuned to Jesse’s needs and took him for adventures and walks often. We would definitely have her back when we travel again.

Michelle was very sweet and took really good care of my pup. She sent lots of pics and videos throughout the day and kept my mind at ease.

I had a home emergency needed to be out of my place for sometime and needed care for my 6 furry babies Michelle provide a home and was very friendly. She reply very quickly to my message and after seeing her profile and read some of her information I knew she was the one. She took very good care of my six cats and was updating me often of how they were doing, she even sent pictures Wich was nice to see they were all safe and happy. I just can't thank her enough, will definitely booked her again when I need it.

I do not recommend Shell. *She brought another dog into my home and kept them here overnight, after I had said not to introduce my dog to other dogs AND that she could not bring another dog into my house.* Both over the phone and in a doc, I said not to intro my dog to other dogs. Shell could have declined the gig but didn’t. Instead she brought another dog over that she said she was doing a dog walk for, and she texted to ask if they could come into my place. I was shocked — I’d been /very/ clear about not introing my dog to other dogs, and I also did not think she was caring for other dogs at the same time as mine (though I had not checked this). I said no, my landlord didn’t allow it. My landlord let me know Shell had the other dog stay here overnight anyway. Shell also left three hours earlier than booked. She asked to leave an hour early and I said ok, but she left a full 3 hours early.

One of the most responsible and caring dog walkers I've ever had.

Miche

Michelle always takes great care of our dogs! Highly recommended!

Michelle D. is so good with Charlie and and we're always happy to request her services.

Hands down the best dog walker I have ever had. My dog is always nervous around new people and usually won't let them walk her until the 3 or 4th visit. Michelle had by dog on a walk by the first visit! She sent me pictures and kept me updated the whole time, she was the main reason why I wasn't stressed on my vacation. I highly recommend her to anyone.

Thanks for taking care of Lenny and Pepper! They seemed happy when I got home after a long trip. I appreciated you taking Pepper out to socialize!

Didn’t show for a scheduled house/dog sitting

Michelle D was so accommodating and so nice and Charlie loved her.