Pet Sitters in Richmond Beach, WA

Melanie

Another terrific sit from Kathy  and Kent!    We are always so happy when they come to Fort Monroe because we know what great care they provide for our pets.   This time it was only Razzle and I know she was well loved with lots of ear rubs and spoiling!    Thank you again to both of you!

Abby

While this sit was not a great match for me, personally, I think this sit could be ideal for someone else, so let me list out the pros and cons.

Pros
This sit would be perfect for someone wanting a busy city experience with a high energy dog that would love to go on running and/or hiking adventures with you. She has boundless energy and I can see where she'd love a companion to take her running daily. 

Keeley had moments of snuggly sweetness on the couch in the evening and in the bed. She's also very smart and loves to play fetch and tug of war and learning anything at all.  

The apartment is small and cozy with really cool amenities, like a rooftop deck with views of Seattle AND Mt Rainier, plus a small gym, and another communal lounge area on the 2nd floor with outdoor BBQ grills. 

It is conveniently located near two bus lines that can take you into Seattle and beyond. And Abby very kindly left me the use of her bus pass, which was much appreciated!

It's also close to shopping, like Trader Joe's, Safeway, Dollar Tree, Walgreens, etc. Since I had my car, I really appreciated that this sit came with a secured, covered parking spot, because this area does not have a lot of on-street parking options. 

The view from the apartment's deck is also beautiful, overlooking a golf course and with a view of Mt. Rainier, if the weather cooperates. 

Abby was excellent at communication, responding right away to all my questions. 

Cons (for me)
The two main areas that were not ideal for me were the hospitality and Keeley's behavior. 

The coffee pot was in very bad shape inside. It appeared to have never been cleaned, and there was a thick, oddly colored film inside and knowing that this can be a breeding ground for mold and bacteria, I spent several hour cleaning the machine my first night there. 

There is only one bed, and there were pieces of hair and small fuzzy debris on the sheets - I could be wrong, but they did not appear to be freshly changed. 

There was no room in the closet, nor hangers, nor room in a dresser for me to use during my 9 day stay, which was a bummer. It would have been really nice to be able to hang up my clothes instead of living out of my suitcase. 

The bathroom is nicely sized overall, however there is only a very small shower stall for bathing. I was surprised, since this apartment building is fairly new. 

Additionally, I discovered that there were only 2 rolls of toilet paper for my 9 day stay, so I had to buy more, since I stayed at the apartment for most of the time during my stay. 

There were a TON of plants inside and on the balcony with a full page of complicated watering instructions left for me that were not disclosed prior to my arrival. The outdoor plants and trees were all very dry and not very lively, so I tried to water them as they needed, but there was only one watering can that had to be filled inside and carried out to the deck. It took a lot more time and work than I was told it would. 

While Keeley is smart, loveable dog, she has some bad habits that were stressful. 

It was not mentioned to me prior to my stay, but apparently Keeley has a thing for socks and underwear, so care needs to be taken by closing the bathroom and bedroom doors. 

The first evening I was there, she randomly started barking at me and would not stop. She would bark at me at random other times, like when I was having a work meeting on Zoom. 

Keeley has some bells hanging near the front door, and will ring them a lot. I took her out 3 times in a few hours the first evening I was there, and she was still ringing the bells. Abby then told me that she rings them when she wants attention, too. So it was challenging to know when she needed to go out and when she just wanted to. I did take her out 3 times a day, as Abby instructed. 

It was difficult to hold work meetings on Zoom, because Keeley start barking and ringing the bells when I would start the meetings and for the entire meeting time, even when we'd just gone out for a potty break before the meeting. 

And finally, it's very difficult and stressful to walk her. She pulls aggressively on the leash, to the point of smashing my hand against doors and walls a couple of times. I worked a lot with her to try teach her not to pull, with a couple of training techniques, but it's very time intensive to do that. She was so happy and eager to learn. She also constantly tried to dart out into the streets, which was very scary and stressful to keep her safe! 

I was told that Keeley was "starting to get possessive" of the dog run at the apartment complex, but I was surprised at the degree. It made it impossible to use the dog run if any other dog was there because of the snarling and aggressive leash pulling. She seemingly turned into the Tasmanian Devil. 

She also was very reactive to any other dogs she saw while walking on the sidewalks in the neighborhood. Abby had told me to "distract her with a treat." I know this is well intentioned, however it only trains a dog to continue to over react if they are given a treat every time. Instead, I would have her sit calmly when another dog walked by. Again, a lot of work, but I felt it important to not encourage her bad habits. 

Overall, I didn't feel warmly welcomed into their home and it was not a relaxing stay. It felt like a ton of work and stress with things that were not fully disclosed, especially for the accommodations I received in exchange.

Marjorie

It was an absolute pleasure taking care of beautiful Shuki. He is a very loving, sweet dog and great to be around.

I also really enjoyed my stay at Marjorie's spacious home in Oakland (there is a great view of San Francisco from the deck which is particularly spectacular at sunset!). 

I didn't have a car and found it very easy to get around. There is a supermarket a few minutes walk away plus lots of lovely cafes, restaurants, bars nearby on Piedmont Ave and College Ave. There's also a great walk around Lake Merritt. It's a very nice community with lots to do.

I also loved the fact it was very easy and quick to get into San Francisco.

I would be back in a heartbeat to take care of Shuki if the opportunity came up. I highly recommend this sit!

Amelia

We had the best time staying with George in Las Vegas! George is a sweet foster baby who is impossible to not fall in love with! We didn’t want to say goodbye. Everything was smooth with our stay, communication with hosts was great and they are very kind and welcoming people. The home is beautiful and has everything you need including an awesome pool. Great location if you want to visit the strip. All in all a perfect stay!

Kirsten

Host:
Since we were already on the island, we had a preliminary in-person meeting with Kirsten. She told us everything in detail about her apartment and Branca. When Kirsten was away, we took Branca's photos and videos to show Kirsten, so  she can relax and enjoy her vacation.

Pet:
Branka is a very neat and well-mannered cat. She has an amazing playful character. At first, of course, she was cautious, but then she behaved with us at ease. You just had to be careful not to let her leave the house. 

Location and House:
Kirsten's apartment is very comfortable and very nice with a good connection to Downtown Victoria. There is a Beaver Lake nearby. In the yard there are many adorable rabbits. Every time we entered or left the house we saw 3-5 rabbits that made us smile.

We happily remember our days spent with Branka in Kirsten’s house!

Ana

We had a very warm welcome by Lua and Zänä when we arrived at the house. Both are lovely dogs who love to cuddle.  We had good communication with Ana and she taught us the necessary Spanish words to communicate better with the dogs. The house is in a beautiful area, where you can make wonderful hikes. Thank you for letting us stay at your home.

Cynthia

Nice place and a great neighborhood that's walking distance to practically everything.  Buster is an awesome cat, but take Cynthia's warnings seriously - he might bring you a housewarming gift from the garden, and he WILL climb onto your pillow in the middle of the night.

★★★★★