"Having lived with pets in five US states, I've had a range of
experiences with at least 7 pet sitters. It's not impossible to find
a good one, but making a mistake with a bad one can mean a pet goes
without food and water for your entire vacation, only to find out
afterward what they endured. Ever since that happened (in NY), I've
been diligent about screening potential pet sitters. I consider
conscientious attention to detail -- before their first visit -- to be
a key factor in deciding to trust them with my pets. That, and to
understand their reason for being a pet sitter and how it factors into
their life and goals; this tells me how likely they will be to really
care for the pets and what it means to care for them.
Daniela and I emailed a few times and then I contacted two of her
clients. They were full of praise, absolutely confident that Daniela
would anticipate any problem that might come up, and in one case,
already had. Meeting Daniela for the first time, I could see her
earnest sense about the work of caring for someone else's beloved
creatures. Pet sitting is part of a larger life purpose for Daniela,
since she feels very close to her own pets, works at a vet clinic and
is making progress academically toward going to vet school. Her
client form asked for a level of detail about how to make decisions in
my absence, where the carrier should be (if needed), and other details
that none of the previous sitters had ever asked. So I hired her on
the spot for an upcoming trip.
While I was away, Daniela sent me an email about how my pets were
doing, and that she'd had no problem getting in and what she found
when she got there. She takes the time to relax with the pet so that
they aren't faced with interacting right away with a new person, or
get no interaction at all for the day. Daniela clearly finds joy in
playing with pets, as her email found many lovely things to say about
my geriatric cat.
I've hired Daniela several times now, and even started taking my new
puppy to her vet clinic because I trust her judgment even in helping
me find a great vet. We're so pleased to have found Daniela. She's
wonderful." -- Alison R. Cat and Dog Client