I previously had a very positive experience with Rent A Grandma, which is why I used them again and…read moreoften recommended them. Unfortunately, this second experience was very disappointing.
After my original pet sitter through Rent A Grandma was unavailable, they suggested I interview Magdalena, who was described as one of their best caregivers. Before my trip, we met twice to discuss expectations and my dogs' needs in detail. The main expectation was that the dogs would not be left alone for more than 6 hours at a time, with occasional flexibility if needed, and that my elderly dog needed to be walked daily. Magdalena assured me she would be spending a lot of time at the house with them.
I also explained that I had arranged for my regular drop-in dog sitter to assist with walks because my elderly dog has health issues and does poorly without regular exercise. Her role was meant to be supplemental, not to replace the overnight sitter's responsibilities.
Once I left for my overseas vacation, things quickly changed. Magdalena was generally only at the house overnight. The first day, my older dog did not receive a walk at all, and after that only received one 15-minute walk per day. When I raised concerns, I was initially told it was due to appointments and that the situation would improve the following day. Instead, she continued to be gone all day, from early morning (0600) until early evening (1730) while relying on my drop-in sitter to cover care that was never intended to become her responsibility.
When I questioned the situation again, Magdalena became upset and quit over text, only staying through half of the agreed-upon time. She told me, "that's the beauty about me doing this, I can either do it or I don't have to, so I choose not to, you have a few days to figure it out." Being overseas at the time, this created a very stressful situation where I was suddenly worried about my pets and my home. Although Rent A Grandma did offer to help find a replacement, the experience had already seriously impacted my trust and peace of mind during what was supposed to be my first vacation in nearly two years.
When I returned home early from my trip, I found multiple urine stains in the house that had not been cleaned, despite her leaving only a few hours earlier. The outdoor dog water bowls were also completely empty. Given the level of care discussed beforehand and the amount charged per night, it was extremely disappointing to come home to conditions suggesting very minimal time and attention had actually been spent caring for my pets.
I appreciate that the company attempted to help resolve the situation, and I understand that not every caregiver will be the right fit. However, based on my experience, there was a significant gap between what was promised and the care that was actually provided. While I would still recommend Rent A Grandma overall based on my prior positive experience, I would not personally recommend Magdalena for situations that require a highly reliable, honest, dependable, and trustworthy caregiver, particularly where consistency of care and adherence to agreed expectations are important.
If I was reviewing just Magdalena, there would be 1 star.
