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| - My previous pet sitter was found through a friend but was no longer available during the day. So I was nervous about finding someone new who could care for a houseful of pets -- 2 dogs, 3 cats, a bird and a salt-water reef tank with fish. My biggest concern was my senior German Shepherd (Gentle Ben) with spinal stenosis that has weakened a hind leg. He can't always wait until morning so he uses pee pads, and sometimes has fecal incontinence. (Too much information?)
I found Melissa through Angie's List where she had glowing reviews. She was quick to reply to my email inquiry. After I gave her a lengthy description of my menagerie and the challenges with my German Shepherd's health issues, she assured me that she would be able to care for anything he needed.
When Melissa came over for the initial consultation, both my dogs immediately went up to her, wiggling and wagging their tails. (Usually they stand back a few feet with boisterous barking.) Their reception of her was enough to put my mind at ease.
She brought papers to be filled out and told me that she was giving me a discount because Ben is a rescued pet.
She visited 4 times a day for doggie potty breaks, meals & play time -- early morning, mid-day, dinner-time and late-night.
While I was gone, she sent texts with pictures, giving me updates. I had left packets of capsules for each of Ben's meals. When she realized she would be short one packet, she sent a text with a picture of all the supplement bottles so I could easily tell her how much to give him of each one.
Luckily, Ben used the pee pads and didn't have any other accidents inside the house! Even my shyest cat let her pet him!
She did an amazing job caring for all of my pets, going above and beyond for Ben's needs. Now that I have Melissa for my pets, I can plan longer trips without worrying!
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