We have used Janice (Butler Pet Services) as our pet sitter on several occasions. On our second to last encounter, we received a call at our hotel on the first night. Janice could not get her alarm code to work and, of course the alarm company called and I believe the police were there. After we arrived home, we tried the code that we had given to Janice and it worked fine. On our last vacation, Janice's responsibilities included feeding our three cats and giving our favorite cat, Walter, 1.5 units of insulin twice a day. We left explicit written instructions as to what to do and the medication bottle was clearly labeled. She had previously injected Walter without incident. We arrived at our destination. Janice called us the morning of the third day, and said Walter wasn't doing well, she found him on the floor by the front door, foaming at the mouth, and she was taking him to the vet. She called a while later, and explained that she had given Walter 5 units of insulin instead of 1.5. That dosage put Walter near death. After being at our vet that day, he was then taken to Critical Care. On the fourth day, we logged in and read an email Janice had sent on the morning of the second day asking if she should give Walter 5 units or 15 units. We left absolutely no question as to the proper dosage. Whether Janice gave Walter 5 units or 15, he fought hard for two days, then finally died. The vet said that Walter did not register any blood sugar at all when he was brought in and appeared to have some neurological damage as he was having seizures. All Janice had to do was read the bottle, our instructions or call our vet to find out what dosage to give Walter if there was any question at all, but for some reason she did not do so. For that reason she killed Walter. Our grief has only begun and we're sure life will never be quite the same as we will have difficulty ever trusting any pet sitter again. Janice's web site appears to indicate that she is no longer doing pet sitting as we suggested this as we were settling the issue with her. We hope she stands by her word but, if she doesn't, just think of Walter, his suffering and our continuing profound grief. We loved you Walter and hopefully your death will prevent others from suffering as you surely did. ==================================== 6/6/2010 Walter died one year ago today (6/6/2009). ==================================== 6/8/2011 Walter died two years ago this week.. read more

My Golden Retriever absolutely loves his Tuesdays with Janice. She picks him up from West Seattle and takes him to Westcrest dog park where they walk and play. He always comes back pooped and happy. There was a brief couple of months when he wasn't able to go on these trips. But on his first day out with her again, he got so freakin' excited as she walked up the front walkway. He started wagging his tail and moaning something fierce. I couldn't believe he remembered! I know he's in good hands with her. And what a deal, too, $22 per dog park trip. read more

I also walk dogs for a living and have seen Janice with her pack at the park over the past few years. When I decided one of my dogs could benefit from some park trips with another dog walker, Janice was first on my list. Anyone who has seen Janice with the dogs knows there is something special about how she interacts with them. Janice started walking my dog Chance in November. Chance has some problems with anxiety and strangers so I thought getting out with someone else might help. Janice is so patient with her. I have noticed that Chance has gained confidence going to the park with Janice. I attribute this to Janice's patience and calm demeanor. Janice has also boarded Chance at her home. I usually board my dogs at a kennel downtown but I always feel guilty leaving Chance. She is so sensitive. What a relief to know that she is with her buddy Janice and well taken care of. Taking a trip guilt free is quite the gift! Janice is amazing! Chance tells me every week. read more

Janice is the only person that we trust with our pets, hands down. Our pets love her! Janice also cared for my elderly cat while my husband and I were out of town on business. She suffered from kidney failure for about 2 years and Janice did an incredible job with her while we were away. She administered sub dermal hydration treatments with ease. (administering these treatments was extremely hard for me to do so it was quite a relief to find a sitter who was able to do this) In fact, my cat alway looked her best when we would return from our trip. Happy, shiney, calm, and a couple of pounds heavier! We will always call Janice for all of our pets needs and highly recommend her services! read more

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I've known Janice from the dog park for years, so when it came time to trust my two dogs to someone else for exercise while we're at work, there was no question of who to call. One of my dogs has difficulty walking and Janice goes the extra mile to help him in and out of the truck and make sure he stays out of trouble in the park. I recommend her to everyone who asks me about pet care. read more

We would never entrust our pet, family member, community crisis response canine and Veteran's Affairs therapy dog to anyone but Butler Pet Services. Kind, smart, easy-going is what our Rexy deserves when on his days off with BPS. When Janice goes on vacation, which is rare! Rex pouts. No literally, pouts, because his girl didn't come. Vet (no pun intended) ANY pet sitter or dog walker carefully. You will find BPS is one of West Seattle's best. read more

I have been using Butler Pet Services for over 2 1/2 years for daily dog park runs and also for pet sitting while out of town. I am so thankful for Janice's kindness, compassion and love towards all of the animals she cares for. Rosie, my Bichon Frise, has been going to the dog park with Janice every day (Monday through Friday) since she was 4 - 5 months old. The idea of her having her stay home all day by herself seems so unfair, so paying $22 a day for each visit to the park is priceless to me. More importantly, I know that I don't have to worry about Rosie during the day, as Janice is extremely reliable. I love that she calls if she has any questions and she leaves me little notes every day to let me know what fun things all the dogs experienced together during their daily adventures at West Crest Dog Park. Finally, I love that I can leave Rosie with Janice and her family for 7 to 10 days at a time while I'm traveling for work or pleasure, and never do I worry about my dog's safety. Rosie has stayed with Janice at least 10+ times for extended periods. Rosie always comes home happy, but tired from having so much fun with her second family & Willow (Janice's dog). Janice and Butler Pet Services is the BEST!!!! read more

We've used Janice for a variety of pet services including dog walks and overnight sits for more than four years, and she is the most reliable and conscientious pet sitter ever! She is one of the few people I trust with a key to our house. Our two large dogs, Badger and Bunny, love going to the dog park with her, and really love the special outings she makes to places like Marymoor park, or hikes in the woods. Our 20 year old cat hates most of humanity, but loves Janice. She has been able to give me a lot of valuable advice about training methods for both our large dogs and our new chihuahua. And she has never had to cancel on me - even during the big ice storm that shut most of the city down. I recommend her to all my friends. read more

When we adopted Forest--a high energy, ball-obsessed, affection-starved Australian Shepherd--we knew he was a special dog who would never settle for a simple walk. Our routine became a daily combination of running, bike-riding, ball tossing, and stints to the Westcrest dog park. Over the years, I had a chance to see most all of the dog walkers in action and many of them are fantastic but one in particular stood out. Janice was so different than the others; she never once yelled, pulled, or harshly scorned the dogs. Her demeanor was gentle, positive, relaxed, and in charge, which is essential...you can tell by the look in their eyes that she has earned their love, respect, and devotion. Janice and I crossed paths constantly and happened to be at the park at the same time on numerous occasions. I noticed that while certain others chatted, took phone calls, and all but ignored some of their dogs, she always remained totally focused on her animals. Most of the dog walkers are truly wonderful, caring, devoted people but you never really know. Janice is a true "pack leader" and keeps her groups small and manageable and will take multiple trips to the park if she needs to accomodate extra dogs. However, I have seen several instances where one dog walker would come in with some in with massive groups as large as 12 or more dogs at a time... I actually counted seventeen dogs with one popular walker as they entered the park on one occasion. I kept counting and re-counting the dogs...I couldn't believe my eyes. Of course they all went potty when they arrived and I couldn't help but notice how the walker was simply unable to attend to all the messes left behind...or all the dogs running in every direction. Inevitably, these large groups might yeild dogs who are nervous, anxious, and end up becoming agitated and possibly aggressive with others at the park. The dogs in Janice's group are somehow different...they are calmer, happier, play nicer, and are much more well-adjusted. Janice seems to know the personality of each dog and would make time to do what each animal wanted. Some dogs needed ball-catching time, some needed hard and fast runs, some needed to romp and play with others in the open field, some preferred trail exploration, some needed to lounge a bit, and a few shy ones needed individual holding and cuddling before they joined in the fun. They ALL needed companionship and attention and would all definitely get MORE than what their 'owners' could ever imagine. Janice and her dogs would stay at the park forever while many other walkers would come and go in the same period of time...some would simply come in, take care of potties, walk around the main path, and then leave. When we were expecting a new baby, our usual active routine became more challenging and I knew just who to turn to. From that point, Janice began caring for Forest a few days a week and during any vacations or times of special need. There was one time I will never forget...I had just returned from the hospital after giving birth and was struggling to care for my newborn (and myself)...I was tired, thirsty, hadn't eaten all day, and was still weak from the delivery and pretty much in tears when Janice came along to take Forest to the park. She came in and found me and though I covered up my tears, she somehow knew I needed help...her true nature and character showed...she immediately extended her love, understanding, and support and sprung into action. She stepped in and made sure I was okay, helped me to be more comfortable, made a plate of food (and continued bringing food for the next few days), took care of all of our animals (cats, fish, mice, and all), and helped me in so many other ways...to me, she is a more than a care-giver, she is a trusted friend with a heart of gold. Over the years, I have come to know that Janice has that special gift with animals that few have...she is not motivated by money but by a compassion and personal commitment to her animals and their families. She has been a frequent guest at my animal kindness club (for school-aged children) and also volunteers in dog park improvement efforts and clean-ups as well as serving on a volunteer help-line for at-risk individuals in the community. We are so lucky to have her in our lives...our dog loves her with all his heart and we do, too. read more

The most important part to evaluate a dog walker is how the dog responds to her. My dog, Frida, always looked forward to her fun in the park with Janis and the other dogs in the play group. Janis would report how Frida loved to romp through the woods in the park. Being an only dog with me she didn't get much excercise but when she was able to play with others, it was non-stop active fun. I don't have regular work hours and Janis was quite flexible in changing her dog walking times to fit my schedule on short notice. She is also a very personal able and friendly person. read more