Are you ever in a quandary with what to do with Fido when you are gone for the whole day? Does the idea of kenneling or boarding Buddy overnight make you cringe?
Here is a great solution that is convenient, can save you money, and give you a peace of mind knowing that your dog is well taken care of in a loving home.
DogVacay is website that matches dog owners with animal lovers to pet sit. It is a perfect solution finding local sitters, scheduling, booking and paying for services online. Once the owner and the sitter meet, there is no negotiating, nor exchanging of money in person. Online, the sitter sets his own price, describes his home along with photos, and love of animals. The dog owner searches the sitters in his neighborhood, and hopefully makes contact within a few hours. It is a lot like the UBER or AIRBNB of dog care.
To make an extra buck, my son decided to dog sit using Dogvacay.com. Madison, a beagle mix, and Beck, Highland Terrier, were very well-cared for by attentive owners who gave emergency contact information, directions for care and feeding, and came with their own bowls, food, and blankets. Both times were great experiences leaving him happy to help out the owners and hang out with well-behaved dogs for a few days.
With kennels or doggie daycares, there are hidden fees for walking, administration of food, medication fee, or basic grooming. With Dogvacay.com, most dog sitters care for the guest dog as their own which automatically include those services. In many cases, the sitter will pick up and drop off your pet to your home.
The obvious questions:
How does an owner know if the sitter will work out?
How does a sitter know if the dog will work out?
The website has a rating system that allows owners to rate the sitter. If a sitter does a great job taking care of a guest dog, they would get 5 stars, along with comments. Some of the best ratings come from returning customers. However, it may be harder for a sitter to know if a dog is not going to work out. The app does come with a 24/7 guarantee, and you can always call the owner to pick up just in case Spot has chewed up all your furniture or peed all over your carpeting.
I have seen dogvacay.com work out great. For the owner, the cost can be half of a comparable kennel in a loving home. For the sitter, it is a great way to make extra money on a schedule that works for them.
For more information:
DogVacay Daycare: A loving home for your pup, any time, any day.
Sue Helmy has plenty of tricks up her sleeve. She is currently providing superb concierge duties at the Building and Safety Division of the City of Beverly Hills. She is active in countless church and civic organizations and spends every minute she can spare dancing to the Zumba beat.
-cw-
CityWatch
Vol 13 Issue 44
Pub: May 29, 2015
