Candace

Member since July 2018

Reviews Bone icon(1)

SHE LOST MY DOG!

Heather's Hugs n Kisses Pet Sitting

If you're okay with the possibility of you dog getting lost, stolen, or killed, use this sitter. Comprehensive review below.

Initial Booking: Decent
I booked this sitter to board my dog, Sarah, while I was in town for a 5-day long course I was attending for the military. I felt confident this would be a good fit due to the sitter’s profile page & seemingly good reviews. We had a phone conversation 3 days before my arrival; her pushy demeanor was fairly off-putting, but she assured me that she was very attentive and caring for her boarded pet.
Meet & Greet: Poor
After arriving in Fort Walton Beach & to the sitter’s house, I brought in Sarah with her bag (consisting of toys, a blanket & treats) that I compiled for our 2-week road trip. She took it from me and tossed it into a small room while questioning me stating “she’s not staying THAT long, why’d you bring that”. She consistently cut me off mid-sentence when I was trying to inform her about Sarah’s habits & personality. I tried to relay my concerns with her, and she interrupted exclaiming, “Remember you booked me for a reason, my reviews speak for their self!”. I also tried to tell her that Sarah is a rescued street dog, and if she left her front door open, Sarah would happily leave. She said she squirts the dogs with a water bottle to keep them from getting close to the front door. Her whole demeanor was unprofessional, condescending, and rude. If my hotel allowed pets, I never would have left Sarah.
Drop-Off: Poor
The house was a TINY (couldn’t be over 900 sqft) bungalow style attached house with a small back/side yard. Entering, I was hit with a strong cocktail of smells that could be best described as a urine & burnt incense. Although the house was dimly lit, it was apparent that she wasn’t exactly a proponent of cleanliness. There were AT LEAST 6 other dogs already there, at least 2 of which were her own. Considering she also does pet sitting during the day in addition to the dogs she boards, it’s no wonder why her house was in the state it was in.
Feeding: Poor
Her feeding schedule is 0700 & 1900. I gave the sitter Sarah’s food & bowl then informed her that Sarah had not eaten dinner yet since we had been on the road all day. She said she’d feed her in the a.m., I had to strongly insist for her to be fed that night. She messaged me later that night saying that Sarah hadn’t eaten, and she would do so in the a.m. WELL THAT DIDN’T HAPPEN EITHER!
Care: COMPLETELY INCOMPETENT
On the first night of boarding, the sitter sent me pictures of Sarah on her bed, portraying the facade that she was being well taken care of. At 0230 IN THE MORNING (less than 2 hrs later) a Good Samaritan driving home from work found Sarah wandering the streets alone! Thankfully this lady kept her safe in her home until she could reach me at 0830 the next day.
Around 0900, I asked Heather if she knew where my dog was. At this point Sarah had been missing from Heather’s for nearly 7 hrs, without her reporting it to me or Rover! After a few minutes, she then left me a voicemail that said “Omg, Candace, Sarah has escaped again!” AGAIN!? So not only did Sarah escape multiple times, she also neglected to tell me about it multiples times, and also ignored that her house/yard was obviously not secure multiple times! By her surprised reaction, it was also apparent that she didn’t even realize Sarah was gone until I told her! Which means she also didn’t attempt to feed her 0700 breakfast or she would have realized she was missing. It also means that she lied about Sarah sleeping with her that night, and that the pic she sent was just a deceptive tactic.
I rushed to pick Sarah up on my lunch break. When I retrieved everything from Heather she pointed to her side gate, and blamed Sarah for escaping through a gap below where the fence & gate meet, implying that it was my dog’s fault that she wasn’t being appropriately watched or cared for. Heather NEVER ONCE APOLOGIZED or assumed responsibility!
After Sarah & her things were returned to me, they both smelled so strongly of urine that I had to pay to get her professionally bathed & groomed. I also had to make last minute changes in my hotel arrangements to accommodate for Sarah staying with me at night, causing me a SIGNIFICANT increase in charges and fees. I also had to book a new daycare sitter last minute which was incredibly stressful to accomplish on such a short notice.
Conclusion:
Sarah is my best friend, and I’m grateful that she didn’t get hit by a car, stolen, or killed. No one should have to experience the horrors caused by Heather’s incompetence and dishonesty. The care and concern she presents to her clients is nothing but a facade. She is in the business of making money off of our furbabies, without regard to their well-being. She watches more dogs than she can handle, lies about the care they receive, and has a complete lack of accountability.

Jul. 10, 2018

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