Dog-sitting services available online


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SALT LAKE CITY — Finding a person or business to care for a pet while the owner is on vacation isn't always easy. A new marketplace in Utah links dog owners to a sitter.

A few days locked up in a kennel while her owner goes on vacation is not Daisy’s ideal getaway. She doesn’t appreciate being locked in a room with strange, big dogs.

Fortunately for Daisy, there is an alternative. It's called Rover.com, an online dog boarding marketplace that connects dog owners with dog sitters.

“Some dogs do really well at kennels. They’re really social and they’re easily adaptable,” said professional dog sitter Linda Gregersen.

KSL caught up with Gregersen as she watched a pit bull, Zero, at his own home. For $35 to $45 a night, Gregersen plays with the dog, takes it on hikes and feeds it, even if the animal has a very particular appetite.

“They just had little meatballs with his vegetables, and you had to put it together just right for him so he would eat. He was a princess,” she said.

Rover.com allows owners to find sitters who can offer one-on-one attention.

“Some dogs even get depressed going into boarding,” Gregersen said. “They feel like they’re being abandoned. They don’t know anybody. They don’t really know the other dogs. They don’t know the people.”

Here's how Rover.com works: Customers type in their zip code and details such as dates and the size of their dog. A list pops up with profiles of prospective sitters, complete with pictures and prices.

Dog-sitter Alaina Entwhistle said she’ll watch any breed of dog.

Photo: KSL TV
Photo: KSL TV

“We have a meet and greet, where you meet before you bring in your dog,” she explained.

Rover.com lists her trained in dog first aid and CPR.

“It can really help you out at the future. If you’re on a hike, at the dog park, it’s a great training to get,” she said.

Entwhistle will dog-sit at either the customer’s home or hers. Either way, the customer’s rules apply.

“Of course I’ll follow their rules and keep their training in line, and be like, ‘No, you can’t be on my furniture. Yeah, sure, cuddle with me on the couch,’ ” she said.

Gregersen said whoever pet owners choose to watch their dogs, they should do a meet-and-greet first. That way, the owner knows how the sitter connects with the dog.

“The whole point of doing it in home is to make the dog more comfortable and just feel more secure,” Gregersen said.

Rover.com does take a cut from the sitting fees to pay for insurance and around-the-clock emergency support. In fact, every pet boarded through Rover.com is covered by insurance, up to $25,000 per claim on vet bills.

Some sitters, like Gregersen, are licensed and bonded. That means, among other things, there's even more insurance coverage involved.

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Bill Gephardt

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