So I've been a little bit lucky: I don't travel like I used to, and it's pretty rare these days that I don't have anyone to keep an eye on the dog if I'm out of pocket. In fact, I've even been lucky enough to have access to an occasional (non-professional) dog sitter. Alas, she's not always available and knowing that there was little chance of the dog intruding on friends when out of town for a wedding, Abbey's seemed the best bet going.
If it makes you a little nervous to consider the idea of folks you don't know watching your hound (in this case, Abbey's was hired to take the pup out twice a day and feed her), I was impressed by the initial meeting with Kimberly, the Abbey's rep. She walked through a variety of scenarios and was super thorough. Also, and I can only assume that most folks' dogs are less anxious than mine, it just made sense to let the pup sleep in her own bed and get a little personal attention in the mean time.
And upon return there were notes from each house stop and a copy of the questionnaire that Kimberly brought with her on her first visit. The total settled out to $18.50 a visit, and they're required to spend at least thirty minutes with the dog on each appointment. Which is a good thing if you want your four legged friend to feel looked after while you're away. And one more thing: once you're on the client list, apparently you can book future appointments online.
I guess the real question is would I use em again? And the answer to that is absolutely. read more