Karen went above and beyond when taking care of my cats while I was on a weekend trip. She even…read morecleaned their bowls and plates. She sent pictures to keep me updated. I felt really comfortable with her and so did my kitties (and usually one of them is not so happy with people he doesn't know, but he loved Karen!) I'm so glad I've found her!

Karen really gives you the sense that not only does she love her job (who wouldn't love being able…read moreto play with dogs all day) but she genuinely cares about the dogs she walks and cares for. She helped my wife and I out with a very difficult situation where I was out every weekday for two months before we moved out of the Richmond area. It was very evident that our dog's attitude and demeanor improved whenever Karen walked her. Taking a photo of our dog each day was a big plus especially since I was away during the week. It brought me a lot of happiness to know my girl was content without me there. It's a shame we no longer live in the area but I can't recommend Karen enough to RVA folks who live within her service area.

I was looking for a new dog walker when my dog and I moved here, and I'm so happy we found leash…read moreand lead. They send daily updates from the walk (along with pictures) so you can see that your dog is having fun! Also, when my dog was sick, his walker, Kendall, did some of the clean-up, which I would not have expected!

Love, love, love this company! Very professionally run yet with a completely personal touch. Mel…read more(the owner) and her staff send you updates after each visit and although they come to walk my Mighty Titus, the cats come flooding down to see them after Titus is back in his room. I feel their prices are super reasonable for the travel and time, and Titus LOVES them! I recommend Lead and Leash to all my friends, and all my friends are super cool people who own pets so it works out well! You will be REALLY happy with these folks!

Sherry has been taking loving care of my elderly cats for the last 7 years (whenever I need to…read moretravel.) My cats are so comfortable with her...my shy cat lets her rub his belly! One of the things I like best is that she provides a journal that she takes notes in about each cat visit, about how they ate, activities, etc. Since my cats are elderly it's important for me to know how they are reacting to their medications while I'm away (1 cat has megacolon, a dangerous condition if he doesn't poop enough!) She takes time to visit with each cat, pet & play with them, as well as the feeding & litter box duties. Sherry is a sweet, loving soul & I absolutely trust her with my pets!

DO NOT TRUST!!!! I…read moretried to make an appointment with Sherry and Pet Partners to take care of some basic cat sitting while I am away the end of May. I contacted her on the 1st and asked if she could come in on 4 days while I am away to scoop and give fresh water (they have an automatic feeder). After agreeing that she could watch them those days, we set a date and time for her to come in and meet the cats. She was a no show: no call, no email until 2 hours after the appointed time, and only after I emailed her. I agreed to reschedule to today (despite my hesitation about how good the care could be, I mean she totally just "let time slip away"), and waited again. I called the line 15 minutes before to verify (after she gave me the time slot for the reschedule) out appointment, left a message and again waited. 10 minutes past the appointed time I received a brief email: "I am sorry but I will have to pass on this. I have just gotten too busy." Really? No alternatives, no suggestions, nothing? Just leave a home owner in the lurch less than 2 weeks before they are supposed to depart?!?!? Man, I would not trust this woman to do anything, if this is how she treats a commitment!!!! If you hire her, I would check in quite often while you are away!!!

These folks are amazing. I called them to get urgent help for me door-eating dog, and they came…read moreover that same day to meet him. By the end of the week they had him on a schedule, walking 3 times a week for a half hour, to train him to walk on a leash. Once he can do that (which may take a while, he's hard-headed :)) he is going to go on adventure walks with them, which are basically long hikes with 2-3 dogs at a time, that completely tire your pooch out. I have two walkers that work with my dog, and they are both awesome. They send me an email after every walk, with pictures of my dog and a progress report of how he's doing. They also are bonded and insured, and offer to keep keys to the house so they can come in while you are at work and exercise the pooch. And get this- it's $20 for the walk... and $5 for every extra 15 mins! And that is for one or two dogs... very reasonable. So much so that I can definitely afford the 3 days a week walking, and seeing my puppy so happy at the end of the day is worth it. Love these guys.

UPDATE: 7/23/17: I'm…read morewriting an update to this review 7 years later, still as a loyal client of Canine Adventure. Unfortunately, my 3 boys (Ozzy, Tyler, and Bono) have since passed away, but my 2 new pups (Cannon and Hollywood) are still regular adventurers. They get to go hiking and swimming with Marti every couple of weeks - with Cannon generally finding some enormous stick or piece of trash to keep him entertained and Holly swimming laps in the river and playing chase with other dogs. They always come home happy and tired. There is a review posted from someone named "Matin" (which I assume is made up as it is a brand new account and contains false information) that says someone from Richmond Boxer Rescue steered him away from CA. I am the founder and president of RBR and a loyal client for almost 10 years now. Many of my fosters and volunteers use them and love them as well. NO ONE from my organization knows who this person is or said anything negative about CA, so that is a blatant lie. Review from 2010: I cannot say enough good things about Josh and Canine Adventure! Aside from actually being able to sometimes make my boxer, Ozzy, slightly tired (a nearly impossible feat), Josh was always reliable, responsible and ended up being a good friend! My own dogs (Ozzy, Tyler and Bono) were lucky to get Adventure Walks with him every week! The highlight of their week was seeing Josh pull up in front of the house! In addition to working with my own dogs, Josh graciously worked with my many fosters through Richmond Boxer Rescue. He donates his time to several other local rescue groups as well. The walks and training were an invaluable asset to the foster dogs as were the AMAZING photos he would take on the walks! We moved to the west coast but would still be loyal clients if we were in Richmond! I so wish there were a service like this available here!

I hired Snagglefoot as a pet sitter over a long weekend. I was new to the area and there weren't a…read morelot of options for pet sitting companies on the Short Pump area. The owner did a consultation the week before and we went over feeding schedule, walking route, alarm code, etc. as well as letting me know she will do a 30 minute visit three times a day and I was pleased with her attentiveness. When she was here we spoke about them needing to be walked around the block as one of them is high energy. While away I learned from neighbors and confirmed with the time stamps on the alarm that she did not walk the dogs on their route, but merely took them across the street to use the restroom and brought them back in 5 minutes later or let them out back. That was not our agreement and I was very upset our dogs didn't get any exercise and too short of bathroom breaks the entire weekend. I cannot recommend this company as they didn't follow through with our agreement.

From the owner: Daily dog walks, pet taci, pet sitting, house sitting, and home security checksread more

I don't like picking up poop. So I called these guys. They are excellent…read more I have used them for two years and have nothing but positive things to say.

Wonderful, reliable service. Came upon this company when we really needed help with cleaning up our…read morebackyard with two dogs while both of us working full time. A real life saver! The backyard never smelled better and no more flies! You can easily arrange for weekly service, or bi-weekly. Very reasonable rates too.

Where to start......Cooper my lab absolutely loves going on walks and having someone to check on…read morehim when I am busy. He is definitely a fan of RVA Wags! He as fun and is well taken care of. They are definitely dog lovers, and go above and beyond to make sure cooper is happy. I just happen to be a big fan myself. One bonus are the pics of Cooper enjoying his walk. It wasn't requested but definitely appreciated. Cooper always comes home happy and worn out! RVA Wags has a special way with my guy! Cooper will answer the door tail wagging when come to get him.

From the owner: RVA Wags is a professional Dog Walking service located in Glen Allen, VA. We offer a menu of…read moreservices including 30 and 45 minute walks, Doggy Play Dates, Boarding and Drop-In Visits. We provide exceptional pet care, and customize each service to your and your pet's needs. Our Doggy Play Dates offer your pup epic adventures!

I can't say enough good things about the folks at Barksley. I have a very large Malamute/Husky mix…read morewho is very opinionated and only likes some people. He is hard to manage and I was so worried that I wouldn't be able to find care for him. Lindsey and Olivia have become his very best friends, and I trust them completely to take the best care of him. I recommended Barksley to my Veterinary office as well as my friends. I highly recommend that you check them out! (photos of my happy boy with his Barksley besties)

All the pet sitters are amazing!! I went on a long trip and was nervous about leaving my little dog…read moreand cat alone, but the frequent and clear communication that Barksley folks offered completely put my mind at ease. I could tell how much they loved my babies. HIGHLY recommend and will be using again and again.

SArah and her group are beyond great. They handle our tiny cat with breathing problems and our…read morelarge blind/deaf dog without any issue

We left two of our dogs at home for a little more than two weeks while we were out-of-town. These…read moreare both dogs who had never been boarded or left behind before. One is ten years old and the other a little more than 1 1/2 years old--and we were very concerned about their welfare without us around to take care of them. (Yes, they're both spoiled.) We decided that leaving them at home would be better than boarding them and contacted Sarah based upon the recommendation of our groomer. We could not have been more pleased with the result. Sarah had three young people who made four visits each day for the 2+ week period. They reliably showed up on time each day and fed, walked and played with the dogs during the visits. (It did take a couple of days before the dogs adjusted to the change in their routines but they generally did adjust--although one had eating issues but that was because he is a little neurotic and had nothing to do with the care provided. In fact, the sitters went out of their way to work with that particular dog to get him to eat.) We received detailed daily reports about each visit by email, with pictures. Most importantly, we were quickly contacted with any issues or questions that arose. We would absolutely use Sarah Sits again and highly recommend them to anyone who wishes to have pets cared for in their own environments.