On Call Pet Services is run by Kelly Lapre, who works with a team of other people. We've only…read moreinteracted with Kelly, and have found her to be very responsive (as in, nearly always responds within in 15 minutes of an email) and 100% available (she has never once said no to a gig). For cat sitting (2 cats, uncomplicated needs), her rate has been $16, which I find very reasonable. That said, we have been working with Kelly for about a year and a half, and recently decided to switch to another cat sitter. This was not because of anything overwhelmingly egregious on Kelly's part, but rather that we've had better services from other sitters in the past and would like to return to that. For instance, other sitters have always texted us pictures and updates about our cats. With Kelly, I found that she'll give me a brief update if I email to check in, but that's it. I would've preferred if she texted pics daily with every visit as a standard. (Note: When I emailed Kelly to share some concerns/feedback and ask for our keys to be returned, she stated that she is happy to do this for her clients upon request.) Another example is that over a longer gig (4 days) this summer, we returned home to an empty water bowl and two very thirsty cats. When I asked about it over email, Kelly wrote, "I gave them water every time I saw them just like I always do. I have been watching cats daily in the heat for ten years and two cats will empty a bowl of water in one day when it's hot. The water bowl is not big and now that I think of it it was empty each time I came so maybe when your [sic] home you fill it more often or there is another issue." I concur with Kelly that it's possible that a combination of heat, cats, time, etc may have led to the water bowl winding up empty by the time we got home (a day after her last visit), but what concerns me is that she noticed the bowl being continuously empty, and did not reach out to us. I would've been 100% okay with her putting down another water bowl (even without asking us). Also, increased drinking in cats can be a sign of something pretty serious, and I would like to have a pet sitter that has the awareness and expertise to alert me to something like this. Again, not canceling our service because of major issues, but rather some minor ones that overall just put us off. ETA: Kelly said that she mailed my key back to me. It was never received.

For the last year, Kelly Lapre of On Call Pet Service has taken care of my Jack Russell Terrier…read moreTheo, and there is NO ONE I trust more than her, PERIOD. Kelly's rates are very reasonable, and Kelly's very dependable. Kelly's also accommodating. Once when Theo was with Kelly, I ended up in the emergency room, and was unable to care for Theo for a couple of days. Kelly kept Theo until I could resume caring for him. Kelly loves animals, and animals love her. Kelly also took care of my first dog about 10 years ago, and he also loved Kelly. Kelly sends pictures to me frequently, to show how much fun Theo's having. When Kelly comes to pick him up in the morning to take him out for the day, Theo shoots down the stairs, to get into her car, because he knows he's going to have a blast. For cat owners, I have recommended Kelly to one of the most difficult people I know who needed someone to care for her cat who has cardiac issues. Kelly was responsible for feeding him, making sure his water bowl was filled, and checking on his well-being. When my neighbor came back she went out of her way to tell me how grateful she was that I recommended Kelly to her. I believe Kelly provides one of the most important qualities that all animal lovers want, peace of mind knowing your pet is going to feel loved and cared for while you're gone.

We stumbled on Cambridge Canines a few years ago when looking for a pet sitter for our cat and we…read morewere lucky enough to find Adriane. She's been our go-to cat sitter ever since. Our cat loves her - Adriane comes by the apartment once a day to feed him, clean his litter and play with him, and always sends us pictures and emails to let us know he's doing okay while we're gone. Adriane's very knowledgeable about animals and has had great recommendations for any pet issues we've experienced (hair balls, wolfing down food, etc) and it's clear that she loves animals very much. Working with Adriane has been very easy - we communicate over email, she's happy to come by the apartment to pick up/drop off our keys before/after our trips, and has been available every time we've needed a cat sitter. Her daily rate is very reasonable as well! We're moving out of Cambridge in a few weeks and one of the things we'll miss the most is having Adriane to take care of our cat. It's been so nice to know that our cat is in good hands while we're away. We can't recommend her enough. Thank you Adriane!

Adriane has been a fantastic dog walker. She is completely professional, a good communicator, and…read moreshe clearly loves our little one as much as we do. You will not find a more caring and trustworthy companion for your pooch!

Sarah is the best!! Our 2 labs are obsessed with her and they always come back home tired :).read more

This is a great dog walking service. They are very responsive, do a great job interacting with the…read moredogs, and my dog always comes back ready to snooze

Will and Domesticated Dog Walkers have been absolutely wonderful to our dog Summer. They are…read morecaring, communicative and reliable. My husband and I have busy schedules, and a new baby boy, and Domesticated Dog Walkers consistently is there to lend a helping hand and support us. They were there to make sure that Summer was taken care of when we went to the hospital for our son Teegan's birth, and continue to be there to make sure that out 1 1/2 year old puppy, Summer, receives more than enough care, love and attention while we all settle into our new life and routine. I can't possible recommend Will and Domesticated highly enough. They are like family!

Will has been our dog walker since we brought Milo home from the breeder. We cannot say enough how…read morepleased we are that we hired him. There have been many times when we turned to Will to ask him his advice on dog training and he was spot on every time. He's flexible with our busy schedules and an excellent communicator. I love getting his texts after he leaves our house to let us know how Milo did on their walk. I HIGHLY recommend him to anyone in the Natick/Wellesley area.

The ongoing pandemic made contacting trainers/organizations and coordinating the initial meeting…read moretricky especially with the pet adoption boom. I admittedly got my hopes up when I saw Active Paws business given her numerous qualifications even in agility work and immediate availability to schedule a session immediately over the summer. Her rates started at $120/hour which seemed standard after also conferring with other personal dog trainer contacts. As you can tell by the low rating the stars did not align as a mutual fit. The website was easy to navigate and Cara the owner was very responsive. You can easily schedule an appointment on there for personalized training. Perhaps we didn't pick a neutral enough location now knowing what we know now (after finding on site in person group puppy classes) to set our pup up for success over the summer at 3.5 months old and 20 lbs. Unfortunately Cara came up to our back deck which may have been interpreted as an interloper encroaching on her territory so as a puppy with bad manners she barked incessantly. She threw some small pieces of mozzarella cheese that didn't interest the pup (we are realizing now she's not super food motivated). That "reactive" behavior was enough to confirm to Cara after a serious bite earlier in the week to "pass" on training our dog. We still got the folder with pamphlets, and branded pen and clicker as she quickly retreated. Maybe in retrospect we should have met up at a park instead of our property. Granted this was the reaction that our puppy has when uncertain in greeting most new people but once she sniffs them she calms down quickly once she sees that we are friendly with them. The damage was done. Cara immediately followed up through email with an apology and a couple links to other (more expensive) trainers, one of whose website wasn't even working. I flutily attempted to reach out but also received no response so those were dead ends too. As for the socialization aspect she recommended a place all the way down in Franklin, and the MSPCA Angell which was not operational or equipped to respond during the pandemic (over the summer). Of course this experience left me completely demoralized and slightly jaded. I sometimes see their branded vehicles parked at the Dog Ranch area and walkers taking dogs around there to go walking. Thankfully we were able to enroll her in puppy daycare and now start some group training classes I alluded to earlier at the beginning of this year for adolescent pups. Funny enough she's now one of the least reactive dogs in her classes.

I was going insane trying to figure out how to train my puppy. After a week of no sleep and…read moreconstant stress and some tears, the *MOST WONDERFUL* dog trainer came by and showed me some skills and helped me figure stuff out. I feel like I'm working with my puppy now instead of fighting against him. Absolutely the best thing I've done since getting my wonderful puppy is contacting Active Paws. Cara, you saved my sanity. He's ALREADY doing so much better it's WILD honestly. Puppy photo included just because LOOKIT HIM. To be more specific: Cara made the core concepts behind training my dog very easy to understand, provided me with references for when I get stressed and forget, and left me feeling empowered to have a fantastic relationship with my dog.

After having the same dog walker for over 20 years I was worried I'd struggle to find someone that…read moreI could trust as much. Then I found Kim and her Wags4Walks! Kim clearly has a heart for dogs but she's also built a solid and professional business with an outstanding team at her side. My Willie LOVES going out with both Josh and Michael and the playgroup. I couldn't be happier or feel more confident about who is taking Willie out. Thank you Kim and team - especially Josh and Michael!

Wags 4 walks has been so great for our puppy! She enjoys her walks which really wear her out…read more She has severe dietary restrictions and must stay on a leash at all times and Wags4walks has always been very accommodating and mindful of this. She gets to go on group walks which is so good for her socialization and we're just so happy with their flexibility and quality of service!

Jane always does a great job on our bernedoodle. She is lovely to work with, from scheduling to…read morepickup.

I took my Himalayan Sponge Bob to Jane at Newton highlands grooming and what she accomplished was…read morenothing short of a miracle. My matted boy exited the place looking like the lion king. I can't say enough about the compassion, the dedication to perfection and the wonderful customer service. Nancy L. Sudbury Ma.

I cannot say enough good things about Thoughtful Paws. Our cat is not particularly welcoming to…read morestrangers and we were nervous about leaving him with someone he didn't really know. It was all for nothing! Our initial meeting with Jess was great and Devin and our cat got along like old friends. We got regular thorough updates with great pictures and the info that we had requested. I would give the business 10 stars if it were an option. We will 100% use the service again!

Thoughtful Paws is the best pet care service we have ever used and we feel very confident that our…read morecats are being well taken care of when we go away on both short and long trips. Jessika and Devin are extremely professional and leave detailed daily messages with photos so you always know how they are doing without worry. Our cats have gotten to know them and feel very comfortable in their care. You can tell it is a passion for both of them beyond being a business. When we first started using them many years ago, Jessika came over to talk about their services and meet our cats and we felt comfortable immediately that she was trustworthy, knowledgeable and caring. We can't recommend Thoughtful Paws more highly!