Pet Sitters in Rhinecliff, NY

Shelley and Mark
-30% off
1.6 miles away
Limited time deal
4.73
• 15 reviews
/night 43.00
Owner Image

Shelley is a dangerous and incompetent housesitter. She should never be entrusted with anything more valuable than a houseplant. Her pet care was terrible. On the 2nd day she left our 2 dogs outside in the backyard, unattended on a 83-degree hot, humid summer day with no water for 90 minutes while she left our home to go out for a walk. We saw this on our Ring camera and immediately reported this to zeewoi (full complaint currently under investigation) and let her know directly how concerning this was for us. Not only was it unsafe to leave the dogs outside while she left the home, but it also went against clear instructions that were communicated to her in person during the handover and in writing about what to do with the dogs anytime she left our home. She repeatedly had trouble following basic instructions that were communicated verbally, in writing and in text reminders. She was incapable of following basic pet care requirements. We asked that only one of our 2 dogs be walked once a day (I did not want her walking the other stronger dog, because during the handover we went on a walk together and Shelley DROPPED our dog's leash). We use Fi collars, so we know that over the course of 11 days, Shelley brought our dog for only 4 walks. We did a phone interview with Shelley and never did she inform us that our medium sized, 40 pound dogs would be too much for her to walk. Additionally, Shelley traveled with her sister who clearly is unwell (likely dementia or some sort of developmental disability) and also was afraid and nervous around dogs. She never informed us of this, and it was clearly a huge safety issue. Shelley's sister let our INDOOR cat out multiple times (at least 4 times are seen on outside cameras). Sometimes our cat was left outside for 20+ minutes without Shelley or her sister realizing. This is so, so dangerous- we are on a main street with a lot of traffic. We are lucky our cat didn't get lost or killed under her "care." Shelley and her sister left our home in a terrible, and honestly gross and unsanitary, condition. A paper bag with human feces was found in our bathroom and made the entire 2nd floor of the house stink for days. The rug in my office was covered with urine- which makes me wonder if she locked my dogs in this room for extended periods of time. Our dogs are fully house trained and have never had any potty accidents. The kitchen was filled with flies, milk had been spilled in the refrigerator and never cleaned up (a gross film had formed by the time we got home). The blender was put away in the cabinet unclean. The recycle bin was filled with dirty trash- so much so that we got a notice from the city. She carelessly used metal utensils and scratched our Le Creuset dutch oven (which will now void its lifetime guarantee). Three brand new bars of soap were taken from our home, like they were some sort of hotel amenity. Shelley went into our basement storage freezer (which she had NO need to access) and took home 3 gallon bags (about 20lbs) of frozen tomatoes I had harvested before our trip from our garden. When I addressed this with her, she claimed her sister packed them by accident (which, if true, & your sister is so unwell that she's packing things from someone's home that are NOT HERS, she should not be allowed to travel with you). However, I don't believe that's the case- 20 pounds of tomatoes aren't really something that just sneaks by your consciousness- it's A LOT of tomatoes. Shelley was offended I accused her of stealing, but that's what she did. She ultimately returned them, knowing full well she was in the wrong. I'm not sure what else she might have taken from our home, as I didn't think I needed to take an inventory of our belongings and supplies before we left. Ultimately the sit ended when our one of our dogs ate some of a marijuana plant in the backyard (she had never shown interest before and we did not know the plant- with no flowers on it- was dangerous). We do not blame Shelley for that (even though it was probably from a time the dogs were not adequately supervised in the backyard); having the plant where dogs could access was our mistake, and one that will never be made again. The part that is extremely concerning is that it took Shelley nearly 2 hours to get our dog to the emergency vet from discovering the first symptoms (she first texted me at 6:26pm that our dog was unwell and "having seizures" and did not leave for the hospital until 8:12pm). And I am certain she never called the zeewoi vet emergency line. She eventually reached out to my mother (our emergency contact while we were in Europe) and my mom told her to go to the vet ER immediately. Afterwards Shelley stated via message, "I cried, prayed & hugged her throughout the incident." So, instead of getting prompt medical care for our dog (emergency vet was clearly listed in our printed out home instructions), she prayed for her. Unhelpful, incompetent and incredibly dangerous. I'm not sure how she has previous good reviews. We were shocked by the incompetency and complete inability to understand and follow simple, clear directions- there are, sadly, many more examples I could include here. We are grateful our girls survived having her stay in our home. I would hope no one else ever has to deal with such a horror. To finish things off, disapproving of the legal marijuana plant in the backyard and probably of our rainbow flag displayed on the front of the house, Shelley texted "You need prayers. Find a Bible based church to go to and get healed. I pray for your soul."

Sitter available from Oct 1
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Reviews from Pet Owners

4.93
4.93
4.96 Organised 4.96 Reliable 4.95 Clean and tidy 4.97 Self-sufficient 4.91 Pet care
User
Nigel
Nigel and Elaine proved to be exceptional hosts throughout my entire stay. Right from our initial communication to the conclusion of my house-sitting experience, their communication was consistently excellent. They provided me with comprehensive instructions on how to care for their lovely cat, Martha. Martha was an absolute delight to look after, requiring minimal effort, she had a preference for being near you rather than on your lap. Whenever Martha was at home, you could usually find her in the same room as you, you knew your company was appreciated.

Their house was nothing short of spectacular - it was spacious, impeccably clean, and exuded an inviting atmosphere. They had an array of TV subscriptions and lightning-fast Wi-Fi, making my stay incredibly comfortable. 

The Barnsley area, where their home was located, offered breathtaking scenic views, and I had some unforgettable days exploring the surroundings on my bike. Additionally, the convenience of the nearby train station made it easy to embark on trips to Sheffield or Leeds. 

In summary, my experience with Nigel and Elaine as hosts was top-notch, and I couldn't have asked for a more enjoyable and comfortable house-sitting assignment. Thank you both.
User
Kathryn
Communication was clear and easy from the beginning and Casey was an absolute joy.  He is low maintenance and clear in what he wants so it makes him easy to care for.  Once he warms up to you he is always looking for someone to scratch his chin.  I won't say much on the house,  since they are moving so in the future sits will be a new location,  except to say the house was exceptionally clean and organized.  Kathryn was so kind to have everything we could need available.  What an amazing week.  Thanks Kathryn and Stephen.
User
Nicola
Django was an absolute darling. She took a couple of days to warm up to us but when she did we were best friends :) amazing puppy!
User
Ryan
Incredible stay at a gorgeous, unique VT farmhouse! Walking distance to a quaint town and 15 min drive from Stowe. Super cute and cuddly pups, healthy chickens with fresh eggs. Thanks for a great experience, Ryan and Jasmine! Highly recommend to anyone looking for a classic VT stay.
User
Mark
Mark and Nick are very kind and friendly. They ensured Scruffy and myself had everything we needed to be comfortable in their home. Communication was brilliant in the run up to and during the sit.

Their home is in a perfect location with gorgeous views of Lincoln and lots of brilliant walks for Scruffy nearby.

It is impossible not to get attached to Scruffy! He is very intelligent, playful and affectionate. He has been well socialised with other dogs and makes friends with everyone he meets. He also loves to bring his toys to you to play with. He would also follow me around the house and fall asleep on my lap 4-5 times per day.

Scruffy is so lovable and I would happily pet/house sit for Nick and Mark again in the future!
User
Alexandra
We a had a great stay to Alexandra's home. We thank her again to chose us and to having accept us with our dog.  
We had an absolutely perfect communication with her, before, during and after our stay. She welcomed us with a lot of attention, patience (with our dog) and a "welcome plate" with all the necessary food for the first day.

Regarding Stella, it's an amazing dog that you just want never stop to cuddle her. I still miss her. She's very cute, easy going and so clever. We had most of our time with her and our dog and it was a super good experience.

About the apartment, everything was new, which was a real pleasure to stay there. The location is just amazing, in the heart of Ixelles, for me the best area in Bruxelles.

Of course, we highly recommend this address and hope to see Stella again one day!

Pet Sitting FAQs

From to for the cat sitting and from 29.9950 to 29.99150 for the dog, additional rates include from 50% to 100% per additional pet, cheap rates are 29.9940 for the cat sitting and 29.99 for the dog sitting. On Sittsy you can find a pet sitter who will not charge you anything for keeping your pets at home.

Yes, you can find a home pet sitter to stay in your house with your pet overnight and provide 24/7 care for your pets. You can include in your listing time the advisable timeframe that the pet sitter should adhere to and not leave your pet alone in the house. Usually, it's not to leave the pet alone for more than 4 hours.

The pet sitter for the cat should visit at least once a day. For the dogs, the pet sitter should visit at least three times per day, the best solution is if the sitter stays overnight and watches your pets all the time.

Look at the pet sitter with a high rating, and many previous bookings with good reviews, ask the sitter to make a meet and meet before confirming the booking online or in-person, and reach out to the pet owners where the sitter stayed before asking about reference.

Common red flags in pet sitters are bad reviews from previous pet owners, a high cancellation rate after approval, a sitter who doesn't have a background check, a sitter who refuses to meet and greet in person or online, and a sitter who wants to make bookings outside of the platform.

Yes, it is safe to hire a pet sitter it's still advisable to see if the sitter has a background check, good reviews, and past bookings and make a meet and greet before confirmation in this way you can reduce risk to the minimum.

Yes, pet sitters stay all day in your house and also they stay overnight, the sitter can leave your home for up to 4 hours or for a different time that you can discuss during the meet and greet.

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