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Dogs Deserve It

4.9 (163 reviews)
Open 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
Updated 2 months ago

Services - Dogs Deserve It

Dog walking

Pet sitting

In-home pet sitting

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Reviews With Photos

I mean! a masterpiece!
Becca S.

I LOVE THEM. I get detailed updates about my dog's walk and a map of where they went. My dog walkers, Liam and Jack, are the best and they take better photos of my dog than I do. I'm a last minute person and they've gone out of their way to accommodate me.

Dogs Deserve It has been an amazing service for me and my partner to supplement our walks. They are very professional and all their walkers are well-trained, friendly, and seem to love what they do! We loved our walker, Yaz. Every walk without fail, they took meticulously well shot photos of our pup Lucy. I've attached one of these pictures. We were worried about giving Lucy off to a stranger, but they put as at ease very quickly and Lucy gets the zoomies even at the mention of their name. DDI use a well-designed app for messaging with your walker, scheduling, and speaking to management. If you're looking for a dog walker, Dogs Deserve It is a great option!

Teddy because she's cute
Elizabeth B.

We've used DDI since we moved to Chicago in 2019 and have had nothing but positive experiences. We have a usual walker, although it has changed a few times over the years as their client base shifts. Every walker we've had is fantastic, but we especially love Rachel - Teddy really seems to connect with her and her end of walk notes are always good for a laugh! The service is super professional and reliable. I can only think of one time in 3 years that they've been running late (and they offered to comp that walk, we declined because it was like 20 mins late!), so you can definitely count on them and not worry that your fur baby won't be taken care of. Very thankful for our friends at DDI!

Boots enjoying some rays
Catherine M.

I was referred to DDI during the pandemic when my usual service (Chicago Urban Pets, also wonderful) was no longer available. DDI has gone above and beyond in helping me schedule coverage for my cat. They always promptly respond to my emails and, now that my cat is in her final days, they are beyond empathetic and helpful in dealing with my last minute changes and requests. Liam has been her most frequent catsitter/buddy and I am beyond grateful for the wonderful care that he has provided. Everyone we've interacted with has been wonderful. Thanks, DDI!

DDI also takes great pics of my pup!

DDI has been more than wonderful to me and my nearly 16 year old Shiba Inu and I honestly cannot say enough about how they are not just indispensable to us but have become part of our family. We've been using them for about 6 years and they have always taken amazing care of my very complicated dog and helped me navigate a couple of challenging travel situations. For anyone who knows Shibas, they can be difficult and confounding dogs. I travel frequently for work (for stretches between 2 - 18 days) and used to take my pup to a wonderful pet hotel for boarding. Once she turned 10, the stress of it took too much of a toll on her, so I tried DDI because they had a lot of home-based options. My pup wouldn't stand for having anyone in the house overnight, so we settled on "goodnight" and "good morning" walks, along with additional walks during the day to get her good coverage while I was away. As with many older dogs, she is on a special diet and takes several pills. The DDI walkers have been excellent about following the (often elaborate) feeding instructions I leave - including some with numerous steps required to be followed in a particular order. They are also very patient with my very shy pup as she can be a special challenge to leash. About 3 years ago, we added weekday walks (M-F), and it has made a huge difference to my pup's mental health. She'll be turning 16 in a few months and I credit DDI's care with part of the reason that she can still bounce and play despite her age and health issues. As with anything in life, nothing is perfect, but when there have been sanfus, DDI has been absolutely incredible - including making a 1:30 am visit when my pup didn't cooperate with the "goodnight" walk she was scheduled for several hours earlier. Knowing that DDI has someone on call for emergencies, even in the middle of the night, is an amazing safety net. I haven't had to use that net often, but when I have, DDI has been there. DDI also takes care of their employees, by offering them benefits, providing guaranteed hours and recognizing that DDI cannot exist without the walkers. Although this means that prices have increased since we've been using them, the additional cost has been returned tenfold by the individual commitment the walkers have to my pup. In the time that I've been with DDI, they've updated their technology to allow real time communication, as well as easy scheduling and account management. I absolutely love the communication feature as I can add last minute notes for that day's walker and message them in real time while they are with my pup. DDI has been indispensable to me and my older pup, but they also provide special programs for puppies and cats and have a multitude of other services that we have not used (including field trips!). I strongly encourage you to talk to Lauren and her team to see how they can become indispensable to you as well.

One of the pics from DDI's photo shoot last winter! Christy, one of DDI's managers, was the talented photographer!
Erika J.

DDI is hands down the best dog walking and petsitting service! I was worried about finding a reliable and trustworthy dog walker when my husband and I moved to Chicago two years ago. We've used them for two years in both places we've lived (in Lincoln Park/Lakeview and in Lincoln Square) and have been blown away by their client service and animal knowledge. They do both daily dog walking and cat-sitting for us. My experiences with both are below: Dog Walking: I have an Australian shepherd that's wary of strangers and told Lauren (the owner of DDI) about this during my initial walk consult. She was very comfortable and knowledgeable with how to handle it and by the end of her visit, my dog was bringing her toys and begging for more attention. All of the walkers are also well-equipped to handle my dog and she's loved every single one of them. We get notes every day on how the walk went which really brighten up my day at the office and gives me peace of mind that my dog is well cared for. Administratively I wish I could give DDI 6 stars (Alli does most of the communication and she's amazing)! They are proactive communicators regarding any walker absences/changes and always make sure someone is able to take care of our dog within our scheduled timeframe (I request a 2-hr window in which our dog needs to be walked everyday) so I don't need to worry about anything. When weather is too bad for a regular walk (remember the winter of 2014?!?!) they'll send everyone a note explaining that walks will be shortened and replaced with indoor play/cuddle time. During the canine influenza outbreak this year they sent notes about what they were doing to limit the risk to our pets while they were in DDI's care and provided info for what we as owners could do too. Sometimes I'm stuck late at work and need a last minute evening walk for my dog, it's never an issue, I just email them and they work it out. I can rest easy and concentrate on what I need to get done everyday knowing DDI is taking care of my dog. We also did the 2014 PAWS Run for Their Lives 5k with DDI, they treat all their clients and their pets as part of their family! Catsitting: I use DDI for cat-sits during the holidays. The holidays are busy for DDI so I make reservations ahead of time. Our regular dog walker is usually able to cover these as well which is nice because she sees the cats everyday when she comes to take out our dog (they love her too... I usually get a comment in my daily walker note about my cats demanding attention from our walker as she's trying to get our dog leashed). We leave instructions with DDI and they communicate them to the person that's coming to care for the cats. They're fed and watered, litter is scooped and taken outside to the trash and then she pets and plays with them for the remaining time. We also get a note every time she comes (it gets emailed to us like the daily dog walk notes) telling us how they're doing. It helps us relax when we're out of town knowing they're in good hands! Other wonderful things about DDI: They've just started doing field trips on certain days for their client's dogs (eg, a walk to the lakefront and playing at the beach). I haven't taken advantage of this yet for our dog but it sounds pretty awesome. You have to sign up your dog ahead of time, there are additional fees and behavior requirements for the dogs (e.g. They can't be leash aggressive bc they'll be with other dogs) but if you want your dog to do something different from a normal walk one day this is it! The online system they use to keep track of pet profiles and billing information is easy to use. Their rates are competitive with other dog walking companies and individuals for equivalent amounts of walk time. Last winter one of their managers (Christy) did a photo shoot for clients and their dogs at DDI's office. It was a lot of fun and the proceeds went to an animal rescue organization. We got a few frame-worthy shots of our dog just in time for the holidays for an incredibly reasonable price that went to a great cause!!!

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Thank you, Colleen! We love having you in our DDI family:)

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Thank you for your awesome review, Leyla! We miss you guys!!

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Ask the Community - Dogs Deserve It

Review Highlights - Dogs Deserve It

Luckily Lauren and her team made the decision of leaving our "baby" an easy one and we couldn't be happier.

Mentioned in 50 reviews

Read more highlights

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Rebecca started cat sitting for me watching my sweet Emily back in 2013. I traveled for work each…read moreweek one to two days a week. She was always available to care for Emily while I was gone, even last minute trips. Not only does Rebecca provide the best pet care ever, she always did playtime, brought Emily feathers to play with gave treats, fresh wet food and fresh water with ice cubes, just as Emily liked. Rebecca always sent pictures and videos with updates after each visit which gave me such a peace of mind my cat was in great hands and care. Rebecca is also the reason I was able to prolong Emily's last two years of her life before she cross the kitty rainbow at 20 years old! For two years and during the pandemic nonetheless. Rebecca came to visit Emily every day of the week and some days 2 times to administer home IV fluids and oral medication necessary for her supportive care. I would not have been able to do this without Rebecca's help! I was terrified with the vet told me this was my only option however, Rebecca stepped in and administered the IV medication, fluids, and oral medication. Such a blessing! She has always treated my Emily with kindness and a loving touch, and I will forever be grateful she was able to provide these things as part of her services. I highly recommend Rebecca for all of your pet sitting needs, and especially if you have an animal who requires any medication at home, oral or IV fluids of any kind. You and your loved fur babies are in phenomenal hands! I feel very fortunate, and will forever be grateful to Rebecca for giving me Emily's last 2 years of a long and happy life!

Merry Meows has been caring for our three dogs for five years and has become such an important part…read moreof our pack over that time. We blindly trust Rebecca with our fur kids safety, happiness and well being whether its their daily walks, feeding, medicine or even house sitting while we've had to travel for short or extended periods of time. I recommend Rebecca to anyone i know without any hesitation and were so happy she'll continue to provide care for our three dogs for years to come.

Uptown Pet Services

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My girlfriend and I brought home an 8 week old puppy and knew we'd need a dog walker to join our…read morelittle family once we had to go back to the office. (we were lucky enough to get nearly a month of puppy leave.) It was hard finding someone we felt we could trust, but Jack and his crew came highly recommended from my best friend. And sure enough, as soon as I met Jack I knew he was the one for us. We work in social media so we have weird hours and our schedules change day to day. Jack is always flexible and incredibly accommodating. We literally couldn't raise Theo without him and his team. A BIG plus for us is that Jack and co. only take one dog out at a time, so I know that Theo is safe and getting one on one attention. I know "wag" is a thing, but I see those walkers with 4 dogs at a time and I shudder. What if one dog turns on the other? Also, we love that a quick text and picture is standard and included in the incredibly reasonable pricing. Spencer seems to be the walker who takes Theo out the most, and his pictures are always amazing. We cannot thank this crew enough for taking care of our little guy. It's such a relief knowing we have them in our lives.

I really can't say enough good things about Uptown Pet Services! Jack is such a gem, and I know our…read morecat is in great hands with him. The people who work for him (Spencer, Josh, and any others who I don't know) are also great, and our cat loves them (and she is a VERY picky judge of character!) They're very flexible, have helped us out on very short notice before, and have even helped us out with special requests. I could go on and one, but these folks are the best!

Shirley's Pet Project

Shirley's Pet Project

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Did you adopt adorable varmints during the pandemic? Us, too. A rescue pup with a medical…read morejournal-worthy case of anxiety and a rescue cat with more attachment issues than your ex. After not leaving the house during the first six months we had these broads, we went on our first vacation. Woo boy! Fun fact: your dog CAN chew through a couch to the studs. Didn't know couches even contained metal? Me either. But Dolly Barkton was determined to educate us simpletons on the inner workings of home furnishings. As an amateur carpenter, Dolly needed privacy to conduct her work, so naturally she locked the door to the office where she had set up shop. That's right. The dog locked herself in the office. I'll leave out the tantrums over thunderstorms, the sight of other dogs, walks after dark, putting her harness on... I swear she's a good dog. (Said every indignant pet owner.) Now, Mimi von Hissypants wasn't going to allow Dolly all the fun. She took this opportunity of newfound freedom and decided litterboxes were for babies. And even though she cries if she can't watch mom pee or her favorite toy, Higgins, skitters even slightly out of reach of her teeny little murderous mitten, she ain't no baby! So Mimi did what all big girls do and she turned the once soft, cozy spots in our condo into new bathrooms. I ought to buy stock in Nature's Miracle stain remover. Again, we are on vacation. Out of the country. For 10 days. But did we have to come home early and face the wrath of our little domestic terrorists? Of course not! Because Shirley is a damn superhero. Originally booked to stay nights and visit during the day, Miss Shirley adapted to the insurrection that was occurring and made arrangements to provide 24-hour care. After a particularly bad night that would have sent anyone else running for the hills (and buddy, they'd have to run far with Illinois being flatter than a pancake), Shirley not only continued with the booking, but went to the pharmacy for Dolly's anxiety medication prescribed that morning. After the unbelievable shenanigans these sasspots put her through, Shirley greeted us with a smile upon our return and told us we had darling little angels. Our plants were watered, the condo was neat and clean, and the girls looked happy and healthy. Since that fiasco took place, Shirley has been a saint and continued to babysit the very non-babies. We will literally plan our trips around her schedule because no one can keep our heathens happy like she can. Well, except David. David is another saint who can get Dolly to go on walks like she's at a dog show. Even our curmudgeon doorman has stopped me to say how impressed he was with David's handling of the Doll. It doesn't get better than Shirley & Co.

Shirley went out of her way to make including our dog in our wedding day as seamless as possible…read more We can't thank her enough for the attention to detail and ease of doing business while taking our little guy to the wedding venue and back home, so that we didn't have to worry about any of those details on the wedding day. We would recommend her to anyone!

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I needed to get a new pet sitter for my two cats after moving outside the service area of my…read moreprevious pet sitter. I researched a bunch of pet sitters on Yelp and contacted a couple. Stephanie was very responsive and immediately set up an introductory call to get to know my needs and everything about my cats. Stephanie and her team took great care of my cats while we were out of town for a week. The app that Chicago Urban Pets uses allows you to include all the information, and pictures, of your pets. When the sitters come to visit, it lets you know when they have entered your home and after the visit the sitter sends you a detailed report and pictures. It truly allowed us to enjoy our vacation and know that our babies were being very well taken care of. Thank you Stephanie, Abbi, Oliver and Victor!

Chicago Urban Pets Review…read more We called Chicago Urban Pets in advance of our arrival to Chicago. We requested their services for 1 hour with our dog in our hotel room while we would be gone for less than 2 hours. This is what happened. Text message to company: Stephanie, Unfortunately, we aren't very satisfied with the services of the sitters. They arrived late, at 11:00 am, for a one hour visit due to "transport issues." We made it clear we were checking out of the hotel at 12:00 pm. We also made it clear we needed a one hour visit between 9:30-11:30 am. We left at 9:10 am and returned at 11:30 am while the sitters were still present. They said they had just gotten back to the room with Ivy. By our calculations Ivy's walk was very short. Additionally, as a result of the sitters showing up late, Ivy had an accident in the hotel and the hotel is charging us a $250 deep cleaning fee and a $100 annoyance fee. One of the two hours that we were gone was dedicated to your services that we did not fully receive and it also cost us an extra $350. I never want to poorly review any company, especially a locally owned company. But I feel I have no choice in this case. Is there anything I am missing regarding your policies for sitters showing up late? Jodi Watson Text response from company: Hi Jodi I am very sorry to hear about these unforeseen's. Additional costs from the hotel is no one's idea of a good time. Looking over our notes and communications it looks like you had expectations that were different from the nature of our policy and I will make sure Sophie calls you Monday so we can clears things out. Best Stephanie, owner Resolution: I spoke with Sophie on Monday, Jan 30th. The company felt a fair resolution would be to charge us $40 for a 45 minute stay, instead of $48 for a one hour stay, although the sitters were alone with Ivy for 30 minutes. The other 15 (ish) was with us present upon our return to the hotel. Sophie stated the policy is that if you book a sitter from 9:30-11:30, they can arrive at any time between those hours. So, technically, they could have arrived at 11:30 and stayed til 12:30 - even with our hotel check out at 12:00. Had we known this, it would have changed our timing of events and it certainly would have changed who we chose for an agency. The Gwen Hotel recommended we use their Consierge service when choosing a pet agency in the future. We feel this is a good idea.

Dogs Deserve It - dogwalkers - Updated July 2026

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