Pet Sitter in Gainesville, Florida

Hi! I've been a sitter since 2015 and now petsit full time. I was a foster volunteer for Alachua County Animal Services, and am comfortable around chickens, pigs, snakes, rabbits, birds, fish, special needs animals, and have a few years of experience with horses. While I don't have any veterinary training, I'm happy to service animals that need extra care, provided I'm left with instructions to do so. I've administered oral medicine to dogs and cats as well as done post-surgical physical therapy with two long-time clients' dogs who've happily made full recoveries. I make an effort to handle anything that comes my way by familiarizing myself with your pets' quirks and habits and will always leave your home tidy. You'll receive daily updates of your animals and photos whenever possible, though sometimes it takes me a while to edit them - I like putting my art degree to good use in small ways. I typically bring in mail and water plants, and if you can let me know when your trash and recycling gets picked up, that will be taken care of while you're gone too. I only have a few big disclaimers: I'm allergic to cats and can only house-sit where there's at least one cat free room for me to sleep in (and ideally some allergy medication as backup though I usually bring my own). I also don't accept bookings with aggressive animals, period (food/cage aggressive, territorial, or confrontational/predatory with other dogs). For dogs who aren't leash trained, I ask that owners provide appropriate tools for me to walk them, like a front clip harnesses or prong collars; this is as much for their safety as mine. If your dog is an escape artist who likes to slip out of their collar, I recommend using a martingale collar to prevent this. Proper tools and good communication sets us up for success and sets you up for complete peace of mind while you're away. ***** If you've never hired an overnight sitter, no worries! Here are some helpful basics: 1) Leave plenty of pet supplies including pet food, cat litter, and any necessary medication (with instructions if they're different than indicated on the label). For your sitter, don't forget to leave bathroom supplies, fresh sheets and towels, cleaning supplies, and human food. Some owners leave extra groceries specifically for their sitters, but as long as you have ingredients for me to make food with, you don't have to worry about that. 2) I'll replenish pet supplies if you run out, though I do charge a $15 additional service fee in addition to reimbursement for supplies. This also applies if your pet is a power chewer and destroys something essential (like their leash or collar). If they have a habit of doing this, tell me so I can be careful (ex: removing collars when not on walks and storing them in a safe location away from their teeth). 2) Always let us know if your pets have frequent accidents or aren't housebroken so we can take steps to prevent messes, or factor cleanups into the cost of the booking to have all our bases covered. 3) Be sure to leave behind emergency numbers (relatives, trusted neighbors, vet, etc.) 4) Be transparent! Seriously, don't be embarrassed if your animals are kookie or hard to handle: the more honest you are, the more likely you are to find a sitter that's perfect for you and the more likely it is that they'll have a positive experience with your animals because they knew exactly what to watch out for. That's about it! Feel free to call or text me with any questions prior to booking. If I sound like the right sitter for you, I look forward to hearing from you and meeting your pets. :]