Inga and her crew at Tickled Paws are professional, responsive, caring, loving, thorough, and…read morereasonably priced -- what more could you ask for in a pet sitter? We were going on vacation and needed someone to come in to feed our cats/scoop their litter/water the plants/bring in the mail. I followed a craigslist ad to the Tickled Paws website and e-mailed them with the dates and details of the services we needed. Inga responded within a day or so and we scheduled a free introductory session to discuss every aspect of what we needed, where things were kept, what the cats were like, etc. I appreciated that this introductory session was free because many places charge for this. I was prepared to pay if necessary, but it didn't make sense to me. I was impressed that Tickled Paws gets that this is essentially my interview of them, not a service they are providing me. Inga was a pleasure to work with. At our intro meeting she brought a new client packet with any info I would want. She thoroughly explained their procedures and took the time to learn everything she could about my cats, our apartment, and what we wanted done. Both prior to and during the intro meeting she clearly explained their rates, etc. and was honest with the length of session that would be necessary to get done what we needed done. She gave us a new client discount and the total I ended up paying was less than I had anticipated by a significant percentage. After the intro meeting, Inga sent me a .pdf of the signed service agreement and log in info for my client profile on their website. She responded quickly to the e-mails I sent her with some last-minute details and sent a follow up e-mail after the first day to let me know how it had gone. When I got home, the place was clean, the cats were contented and well-fed, and there was even a log on the table detailing what she'd done at each visit, whether she'd visited with the cats, etc. Most importantly, at every stage of the process, I felt that Inga genuinely cared for my cats. She payed attention to what I told her about them, she tried to make friends with even my very shy cat, and seemed genuinely overjoyed at making progress with them. I'm definitely not the type of person who thinks of her pets as children, but it really was comforting to feel implicitly that the cats were being cared for with the sense of affection and duty I'd use myself. After having been disappointed with the quality and price of service from similar pet care organizations in both DC and Virginia, I was so grateful for Inga and Tickled Paws. We'll definitely use them again.

Updated summer 2018 - Palstride stopped (rather abruptly) serving DC…read more Palstride will be my trusted pet-sitter from here on out! We received an in-person consultation before engaging Palstride the first time, during which they clearly explained their services and enthusiastically got to know our cats and their needs (where's the food? which toys do they like? where do we toss the litter? which blinds should be opened each morning? etc). After each of our engagements, we came home to find a diary containing detailed notes on each of the (3x daily) visits they made to our home, including what activities they carried out and how the cats were behaving. At my request, I also got a mid-trip report (with adorable pictures of the kitties) via email which was reassuring and a charming way to keep in touch. I appreciate their reasonable rates, the thoroughness of their service, and the Palstride staffs' obvious affection for the pets under their care. Finally, although the Yelp profile specifies "Manassas" as the location, Palstride's staff are entirely capable of handling a location in downtown DC. FIVE STARS.

To say that I'm satisfied with TJ and his company would be a major understatement. I have been…read moreusing his service for eight years after originally being referred to him by a co-worker. My dog at the time was animal aggressive and I was very hesitant to place responsibility for Balboa in the hands of a stranger, but TJ put my fears to rest immediately. It is obvious to anyone with animal experience that he not only understands dogs, he bonds with them and communicates with them effortlessly. Within a few months of walking with TJ, Balboa was able to play with and greet other dogs and he never snapped or attacked animals again. As my dog became old and senile, TJ was incredibly kind and patient with him and even carried all 75 pounds of Balboa up and down the stairs of my apartment building after his hips began to succumb to the effects of the cancer. When I called to inform him that I'd put Balboa to sleep, I could hear the sadness and pain in TJ's voice and he sent me a sympathy card the same week. After a few months, I decided I was ready for a new dog and I contacted TJ to let him know I would soon be requiring service again. He volunteered to go to the NY Ave shelter with me, where he helped me pick out an adorable lab/hound mix, Adrienne. She is as excited to see her Uncle TJ every day as she is to see me and she simply adores him. My neighbors often comment that she is better behaved for him on leash than she is for me! I have referred at least a half dozen friends, neighbors, and co-workers to DC Dogs & Cats LLC without ever hearing a single complaint. Even my ex-girlfriend uses him for cat-sitting! I have been unexpectedly home sick and had family staying in my apartment and TJ shows up at the same time, every day, just like clockwork. I have absolute faith in him and it is a huge relief to know that my furry son is taken care of by the best in the business. I even call TJ when I have veterinary questions and he always seems to know what to do. While it seems like every unemployed housewife and college dropout is trying to start a pet care business these days, it is good to know that I have a genuine professional working for me. He has literally dedicated his life to animals- I believe he has 3 or 4 dogs of his own at home. It is worth noting that as owner of the company, he does have other walkers working for him. Although I've been fortunate to have the man in charge walking my dog himself, I did have the pleasure of dealing with one of his walkers, Chris, while TJ was on his honeymoon five or six years ago. It's clear that when he does his hiring, TJ uses the same high standards that I've come to expect from every aspect of his business. Oddly,I can't ever recall him taking a vacation day besides his honeymoon. In eight years, I've had only one billing mistake which TJ corrected quickly and with apologies- not a bad record, considering I'm billed every month. Checks are made out to the company name, so I know he is above reproach with taxes. He is also bonded, insured, and a member of the Better Business Bureau among other professional organizations. Alright, I could go on- but you get the point. If you're lucky enough to get on TJ's schedule, jump at the opportunity!

TJ is very responsible with our dog Cecilia. He adapts to our crazy schedule (cancelling and…read morerescheduling all the time) with no complaints. Our dog seems happy and healthy. I'm not sure if he walks her 15, 19 or 47 minutes, I've never witnessed any of the short-walks other posters described here. My husband has been in the house when he came by and witness our dog's joy to welcome TJ. I do recommend DC Dogs & Cats. Besides, so many walkers dismissed my area as "We don't service your area" (hello! it's NE!) that I appreciate the time that TJ took to meet us and care for our dog daily.

These ladies and very professional and love what they do! I trust my dogs with them 110%. They area…read morevery professional, and have extremely reasonable prices. They confirmed details ahead of time, arrived on time, and maintained constant communication with me so that I felt comfortable knowing that my pups were in good hands. As a bonus, they even took pictures of the dogs while on their walk and added the pictures to a Doggie Log that summarized how well their walk went. I cannot recommend this dog walking service enough

very detail oriented. George cares a lot about making sure the clients are 100% satisifedread more

I used this company to take care of my rare breed pigeons and my rabbits this winter holiday and I…read morehad a very bad experience. upon my return I found one of my birds dying from a very strange injury. he had 2 broken legs and could not walk or fly and I did not know what to do. the owner never offered to pay for a veterinarian even though he later told me he was licensed and insured and the bird died. I don't know how this bird could have got this injury by accident and could not be caused by another bird. the owner denied responsibility but its hard to see how this could have happned as this kind of injury never happened before. not only that, but the owner placed the manure filled water container in my kitchen sink and never cleaned up the mess and I found some sealed boxes in my basement opened up. I will never use him again

We have trusted Get Out Of Town for the care of our dog for more than two years now. They are…read moreprompt, courteous, and will always go the extra mile to make sure your pet is well cared for. They also watch cats, gerbils, birds, fish - and I'm sure whatever else you own that needs attention. Plus, their website is funny and provides all the useful information you'll need. The prices are right in line with other firms in the area. I would highly recommend them for your pet sitting needs. Go to the website or email getoutoftown@gmail.com

Bottom line: Marty made herself too comfortable in my home…read more I hired Marty to provide dog walking services in early January 2011. In mid-January I had to ask her to please stop doing my dishes and folding my laundry. In April/May Marty stopped by for a second unscheduled visit to visit my dog and let herself in my home despite my car being in the parking spot. In June I traveled overseas and realized that a fair number of pills from a pain medication prescription were missing. I do not have proof, but she was the only one with access to my home. Due to the time of my discovery (2 hours before my flight left) I had no other choice but to keep her employed for overnight dog sitting services. Upon my return, my house smelled of smoke and I found two air freshners strategically hidden in my home. My neighbor also commented that there were two individuals staying at my house. My dog loved her and I trust she did a great job with him, however, I would not trust her in my home.

Marty is always reliable and fantastic with our cat. It is great to have the same person come to…read moreyour home consistently whenever you have to leave your pet alone. We are lucky to have found a great service provider compared to the bigger companies who send someone different every time.

;It is a very well stocked store. I was able to find everything I was looking for. It is a small…read morestore, yet it has more variety than the larger Petco's. They might not have as many of any particular product, but they had more variety than the larger stores. Staff were very helpful and pleasant.

Unleashed has a dog trainer, Sophia, who is an excellent teacher. Our 1 year old pup signed up for…read moreAdult 2 and after each week we (as the humans) and our pup got better and better. This resulted in a happier walking doodle :). Sophia takes time to explain why you do things in a certain way, shows us how to do the task then we do it with our pup. We are already signed up for another class and would recommend Sophia to anyone looking for a better behaved dog! As for the store itself, it is your run of the mil Petco. Has everything you can imagine. Keep your eye out for the sales it has some really good deals

We have been using Fur Your Pet's Sake for just over two years now, and Jennifer & co. are…read morefantastic! We use them on an as-needed basis, usually when we go out of town for holidays (cat-sitting) or when just one of us is gone (for dog walking). We have not used the overnight dog-sitting service, but I'm sure it's great. They are full-service -- administering meds, scooping the litterbox, checking the mail, watering plants...very helpful for the longer trips out of town. Even though it is a small business (and we are sometimes last-minute with our requests), we get responses quickly, and Jennifer has never not been able to take care of our animals (even when we had particularly difficult situations, like medical issues with the cats or a dog that could not handle strangers). Every interaction I've had with Jennifer has been pleasant and professional. She loves animals, animals love her, and she is infinitely patient and accommodating. I think they are fairly limited to the immediate Laurel area, though you can can check if you live outside of town.