Are these Nextdoor people for real?

A lot of strange stuff on Nextdoor, but I do know that it's fairly common to ask for dog and/or house sitters anymore.


My one granddaughter just finished a 5 day house/dog sitting job in a nearby town.
She drove to their home a week before she stayed there, to meet with the dogs.

One of their dog's is an aging German Shepherd and they did not want to take him to be boarded for the time they were gone.
Boarding is very expensive in a quality boarding business.

The job paid very well, and she enjoyed their 3 dogs, and a huge swimming pool while she stayed there. It was a good experience.
 

Oh, I can verify that pet and house sitting can be very lucrative. After my husband died, there were several months before I went back to work and I supported myself with doing that.

Through friends and family, I had access to a lot of wealthy people who had no problem paying obscene amounts of $$$ for me to comfort their cats, sit with their dogs, wait on the plumber to show up, etc.

It was a good business. I'm sorry I let my boss talk me into coming back to work.
 
debodun said:
Saw a post on Nextdoor - someone looking for a pet sitter for their dog. Personally I wouldn't put any pet of mine into the hands of someone I don't know that wasn't a qualified animal handler.
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We get this all the time, and I think exactly as you do... but there's never any shortage of people willing to do take care of some strangers animal... all very odd to me...
 
jujube said:
Oh, I can verify that pet and house sitting can be very lucrative. After my husband died, there were several months before I went back to work and I supported myself with doing that.

Through friends and family, I had access to a lot of wealthy people who had no problem paying obscene amounts of $$$ for me to comfort their cats, sit with their dogs, wait on the plumber to show up, etc.

It was a good business. I'm sorry I let my boss talk me into coming back to work.
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House sitting is one thing, asking people to look after a dog that they don't know and who doesn't know them... is not right IMO.. cats are a little different because often they just need feeding and watering but not a dog..
 
hollydolly said:
We get this all the time, and I think exactly as you do... but there's never any shortage of people willing to do take care of some strangers animal... all very odd to me...
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But you would be great at this, if you wanted to make a few extra pounds. You love dogs. You’re immaculate. You’re at an age to not throw an unexpected party. Etc, etc. There are interviews ahead of time in the owner’s home. Once you get a following, they’re begging for great pet/house sitters and they pay well.
 
hollydolly said:
House sitting is one thing, asking people to look after a dog that they don't know and who doesn't know them... is not right IMO.. cats are a little different because often they just need feeding and watering but not a dog..
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I don't think you understand dogs very well. When I was doing a lot of my traveling, I had to put my dog in kennels and such. As long as you vet them, they can be great. They help socialize your animal, and frankly, let's them play and run around with fellow dogs. Dogs love it!

If you're talking unscrupulous dog helpers, then sure, but that's true of any animal.
 
Jules said:
But you would be great at this, if you wanted to make a few extra pounds. You love dogs. You’re immaculate. You’re at an age to not throw an unexpected party. Etc, etc. There are interviews ahead of time in the owner’s home. Once you get a following, they’re begging for great pet/house sitters and they pay well.
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Yes I would be , you're correct, and thanks for the compliment , that's very kind...but the poor dog would be so scared being in a home it doesn't know...with people it doesn't know and with noises and smells it doesn't know

A little different ..looking after a dog in it's own home.. not much but a little..

I have often thought of short term fostering, whereby people especially those who live alone or are elderly , need someone to care for their animal while they're in hospital or similar and can't afford the fees of kennels... and I may still do that at some point... but not looking after someone's dog, whose habits you don't know, and their fear potentially..probably.. of the unknown, just to satisfy someone urge to go on holiday.. no... take it to a kennels where they are trained, and there are other dogs for company, and if it gets sick there's someone there who is trained in Vet care .. but do not entrust your precious animal to some random stranger..
 
A couple in church asked me to cat sit for them when they are on vacation in October. However, we know each other and they know I like cats, so this situation is different. They asked me 2 months ago, but I told them to ask again when it gets near to their vacation time since anything can happen in 6 months.
 
A friend of mine started a pet sitting business and she’s very busy. She moves into their home to care for their pets. She’s gotten business by word of mouth. Some awful things have happened to animals that are boarded at a facility.

However, I have to know someone well before trusting them with my dogs. I will never board them. My traveling days may be over as my sitter broke her hip and arm recently. Taking care of mine involves a lot of bending due to being pad trained so will have to see how well she recovers.
 
Teacher Terry said:
Some awful things have happened to animals that are boarded at a facility.
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There‘re reports of this online too. And at grooming places.

Years ago our dogs were very ill when we picked them up from a registered facility that was highly thought of. It cost us $$ to cure them. That’s when we started using local sitters in our home. You knew how they felt when the person arrived.
 
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My stepfather had me as his built in cat sitter. But I have thought of this. If something would happen where I'd need to be unexpectedly hospitalized, I'd have to hire professional pet sitting services. And that's what I'd do. I would not trust next door. Believe me, when I owned that house, I know who's next door.

I talked to a real estate agent once who mentioned she knew a woman who did this in a smaller town. She'd do anything, feed animals, take elderly shopping, cleaning. Probably under the table but she had developed a good reputation by word of mouth.
 
debodun said:
A couple in church asked me to cat sit for them when they are on vacation in October. However, we know each other and they know I like cats, so this situation is different. They asked me 2 months ago, but I told them to ask again when it gets near to their vacation time since anything can happen in 6 months.
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This is different. But I hope they pay you. From what I've heard about some of your fellow church goers.....I'd be suspect.
 
I saw a Lobo running in a pasture toward a horse barn. If you have Deer or critters, you most likely have stalkers.
 
Teacher Terry said:
A friend of mine started a pet sitting business and she’s very busy. She moves into their home to care for their pets. She’s gotten business by word of mouth. Some awful things have happened to animals that are boarded at a facility.

However, I have to know someone well before trusting them with my dogs. I will never board them. My traveling days may be over as my sitter broke her hip and arm recently. Taking care of mine involves a lot of bending due to being pad trained so will have to see how well she recovers.
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My daughter owned kennels and a Cattery for many years until very recently.. so I know exactly what goes on in good kennels...
 
hollydolly said:
My daughter owned kennels and a Cattery for many years until very recently.. so I know exactly what goes on in good kennels...
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My dogs are only 5lbs and one has a serious heart condition and medication has to be timed strictly along with her food. One of my dogs went into a coma and barely survived once when she decided to skip a meal. There’s no way I would trust a kennel with that.

A few of my friends have used ones with good reputations and things didn’t go well with their small dogs. The only thing more important than my dogs are my real kids so personally I won’t take a chance. My feelings about kennels has nothing to do with your daughter’s business. Either a trusted friend moves in and I pay them or I stay home.
 
Jules said:
It’s a very common. Good money and lots of variety for the sitter. We had people live in our house with the two dogs. They hated kennels.
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My dog (who know lives with my younger daughter) hated kennels, too. We found a fantastic one locally that we used when we did have to board him. They were great, but he just hated it, perhaps because he's a rescue, and hence we hated to board him.
 
Teacher Terry said:
My dogs are only 5lbs and one has a serious heart condition and medication has to be timed strictly along with her food. One of my dogs went into a coma and barely survived once when she decided to skip a meal. There’s no way I would trust a kennel with that.

A few of my friends have used ones with good reputations and things didn’t go well with their small dogs. The only thing more important than my dogs are my real kids so personally I won’t take a chance. My feelings about kennels has nothing to do with your daughter’s business. Either a trusted friend moves in and I pay them or I stay home.
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Exactly..but here we are discussing people leaving their dogs with total strangers...
 

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