Riley's Rascals Pet Sitting

11/01/2025

Hi RR's Family,
I am making big goals for 2025. Happy New Year! I really want to fully enforce my contract and polices moving forward, so I'm going to talk about my least favorite subject on the planet, money. In my defense, this was put in place in May 2024. It's on my website if you need to review it.
Retainers - 50% due at booking for regular days. Everything prepaid for school vacations/holidays. These are like paying rent for taking up space on my calendar as a 1 woman show cancelations hurt me a lot! I count on those spots on my calendar.
The balances are due at the START of the sit, please. If you are an infrequent visit client, this applies to you too. Payment is due at the beginning of the visits, please.
Walks, please pay promptly. We should have a system. Please pay weekly. I accept cash, check, zelle, and for your convenience, my buisness venmo, but they take out fees, so it's not my favorite.
And one more thing: I dislike that I'm only a first come first serve kind of business but as a one lady show I can't really change that specific thing so plan as far in advance as you can to avoid a no. I can only sleep in one bed and accommodate so many timely walks if you have time preferences planning ahead, and also having a backup plan is definitely a great idea in almost all areas.
Ok, mean Mindy is done. I hate it. It's not your problem, but please just help me by just keeping up your end of things. I love my job and help me love it more by not having to have these conversations. I love you guys. The trust you have in me is awesome and unparalleled. I care so deeply about all the animals I get the privilege to care for. Hibernation during cold times with them all is my greatest honor. ❤️

The sweetest Dutcherino face for attention. Those eyes ❤️

30/12/2024

Hi RR's Family!
Happy we've almost made it through 2024! Still have those January nights available if needed but I wanted to reach out and tell you 2 things that made me smile this morning- 1 had a new potential client say from a community page she did a search and saw my name come up so much that despite the discomfort of someone new after the recommendations and my website she was so much more comfy with the idea. So that is definitely thanks to you! Thank you so much for my loyal and appreciative clients you are so important to my success as nobody makes it sound like my services are great like people who have experienced me themselves and we all know I'm an experience. 😊
2- One of my longest clients called for an unrelated issue but shared that She yes the human might have an acl tear and I said kennel rest kidding but also told her I'm well versed in post surgical care in dogs 🤪 and she says she's cried so much about it was nice to laugh about it. Look at me. I love your pets and added bonus. I'm good for a laugh.

Belle, Juniper, Luna, Fonzi

27/12/2024

Hi RR's family,
Just had a January overnight cancelation anyone need January 6th-11th? Hope everyone had a great Christmas and Hanukkah is the greatest and has the happiest of New Years!

Belle, Luna, Poppy, Flint, Scooter, Mister Roary, and Stevie ❤️

13/12/2024

🖤🖤🖤 sending love to all the guardians in this situation you know where I am. Reach out if you need to talk. It's also not just Xmas it's Hanukkah, New Year anything significant date wise birthdays, anniversaries they are hard. Give yourself grace and permission to feel anything you need too. 🖤🖤

.secret.dog.walker

13/12/2024

Hi RR's Family,
Happy Holidays! As I start to look at the madness that is Christmas week. I remind myself to be extra thankful for you guys as afterall you are my absolute lifelines all of you!
A reminder as I see those trees and decorations in houses be mindful of your mischievous pets, tree water can be toxic, string/tinsel does not digest well for kitties, watch those candles, lights, ribbons, almost all of our treats aren't great for our beloveds including table scraps and also remember that guests and chaos that sometimes arrives at holiday time can be extra scary for your pets so give them an escape to a quiet place if you can.....
Please please please take care of your driveways and walkways if I'm seeing animals twice a day and there's a storm plan strategic like, leave me pet safe salt/sand please! It is illegal for me to park in the street! Towels, paw wax, make sure your locks are easy ect
Again so thankful for another year snuggling, walking, kissing, singing for, giving nicknames to, dancing with your family members it's my pleasure to love them like they are my own. Happiest being useful as the crazy aunt to all your pets.

Here's the overnight availability for 2025 crazy! Lol

January- none 😳
Feb- none 😳
March- 4th-7th, 10th-13th, 28th-31st
April-1st-11th- 14th-16th
May-1st-3rd 5th-14th, 22nd-31st
June-1st-19th, 28th-30th

Dutchy, Rems, Trix, Flora, Haddie, Trix, Rems, Max, Molly, and Chava 🐾🐾🐾

08/12/2024

Dear RR's family,
Checking out the Farewell My Friend open house. What a beautiful space! What a large resource as they get started. Cheering on Dr. Amy and her staff. I am 100% positive we will be utilizing these services as my Pet End of Life Doula work gets started!! ❤️❤️

Come check it out if you're out and about today!!

#

15/11/2024

Hi RR's family,
*No more room for even visits around Xmas* I am gonna be a busy bee send love, agreeable weather and redbull lol love my clients glad I have a lot of my fun holiday dates!
Ok so overnight availability is-
Nov-18th-22nd
Dec-1st-19th
No more overnights available in January 😁
Feb-14th-26th SCHOOL VACATION still available what?
March-4th-7th, 10th-19th, 28th-31st
April-1st-11th
May-5th-14th, 22nd-31st

Still available for some Thanksgiving visits 😊

Beya, Mggie, Lucy point!, Rems, and Trixie Trix

08/11/2024

Hi RR's family,
I am going to get personal I just gave up on one of my classes the 3rd one with this one I realized very quickly that I had school related wounds that were reopened and I just couldn't over come it every other week I was just not connecting with the sources and materials in the way it was presented and they were unhappy with my performance and I just couldn't seem to overcome it. So I am officially a Pet End of Life Doula and an Advocate for Animal Hospice and Pallative Care and if I can see a way forward in this area will pursue other classes in the new year hopefully with more success and a renewed passion. I have countless amounts of books and many more on my wish list to continue learning but am going back to just the dog walker/pet sitter loving on your pets and forming more ideas on how to implement the skills I have successfully learned. Thank you as always for your trust and support. You truly are the reason I feel passionate about helping! Please feel free to ask questions about my skills or reach out for help or to also tell me about something you find lacking here, and we can pool our resources. I appreciate you all!

❤️

06/11/2024

Hi RR's Family!
So some shifting of overnights has been happening and I really need to count on those so after today deposits are going to be required 100% no exceptions.
That being said availability is
Nov- 14-15, 18-22
Dec 2nd-14th, 16th-20th
Jan-2nd-9th, 19th-24th
Feb 14th-26th that's school vacation I'm not booked yet!
March-4th-7th, 10th-19th, 28th-31st
April-1st-16th

Happy election night here's Mr. Roary and Luna

27/10/2024

Hi RR's family,
Happy Halloween week! 🎃 Please hide all the toxic candy and costume pieces from the fluffy beings, please. Have a trick or treating strategy for your pets, too. Halloween is scary for some of them. Please pull out your orange for your pups. 🧡 Tis the season. Also, try to walk early in the evening or light you and your pups up like time square 😁 Fall in Maine am I right?
Please plan ahead as much as possible on weekend sit requests, vacation visits, and above all overnights. I hate being unable to accommodate you. I will continue to do my best but do remember as a one person show I can only sleep under 1 roof at a time and job sharing with neighbors, family members, friends is not ideal and it does negate my insurance in most instances if something happens.
So, as of yesterday, I completed my Pet End of Life Doula class, so it's official. What's a Doula, you ask? We'll it's a very broad role, but the definition roughly is supporting the pets and their people through the end of life journey. It's a very difficult journey for everyone, and I've always had a passion for a smooth journey back in my veterinary days, so it feels like a perfect fit. Feel free to ask about it all I'm still figuring out how I'm going to incorporate it all and am still in my Pet Loss and Bereavement Specialist class till December so 1 more certification to come in 2024.
Thank you as always for your trust and connection! I appreciate my clients so very much. Happiest of Halloween.

Maggie holding hands, Maggs that face ❤️, my completion the real certificate comes in a few weeks, Maggie's momma put some pretty in my "room", kisses, Dutchy, Rems, Dutchy, Fluffers with the drool monster making an appearance 🤣

😊 ❤️

06/10/2024

Here's my Haddie lady!
My overnight availability:

Oct-7-10, 15th-17th, 21st-24th, 28th-30th

Nov-4th-8th, 14th-15th, 18th-22nd

Dec 2nd-5th, 9th-13th, 16th-20th

Jan- 2nd-9th, 21st-24th

Feb-14th-26th

March-4th-31st

April-1st-17th

Also a reminder retainers are due at booking, booking a buffer day is a good idea if you don't have a backup as flights are wonky and I cannot always accommodate plus weather wooo!


❤️

05/10/2024

Hi RR's family,
IMPORTANT info big texts are not sending and receiving reliably between me yep a Android lady and IPhone peeps. My carrier says it should resolve soon but know this issue is ongoing. Can always fb messenger me on my business page, here or email if things don't seem to be going through. Hoping they relearn how to talk soon.
Reminder overnights for winter are booking up fast but so far February school vacation is open scoop it up! Will update my overnight availability on here soon. Just been busy halfway through my Death Doula course and my pet loss specialist class is progressing too. Happy Spooky Month 👻 also please start grabbing your Orange for yourselves and your pups please. Please also leave a towel out on rainy days or tell me where to grab them from. Thank you for all the awesome! 🖤🧡🖤🧡

28/09/2024

So excited for the future resources closer to my area! Yayyy! 🙂🐾🐾

11/09/2024

Soooo favor to ask. I am going to have to interview people who have lost their pets for my class. Would any of you be cool with me asking some tough questions about the losses? Some have specific requirements like must be a certain group: senior, disabled, in a couple, single, kiddo. Some have to be specific circumstances: rehomed, behavioral euth, ran away, lost due to an accident ect some are just general. If you volunteer as tribute, I'd appreciate that so much.❤️🌈
❤️

03/09/2024

Appreciation post: my clients have been so darn good to me. Today I canceled my walks but would have done it if need be but all found a back up plan so I can try to rest and hydrate and stuff. My holiday overnights have been booked for months, April vacation is booked and filling in my overnights for next year fast. Being a one woman show has a lot of upsides but it's certainly not easy and I have great amounts of guilt when I feel like I'm letting them down. Thanks Riley's Rascals family for allowing me to do what I do but also to take care of myself when I need too.

This is the Bella Boo from my weekend adventures thanks clients!

30/08/2024

Hi RR's Family!
Just a reminder after like 2pm today I'm off for the weekend. I will be busy assisting with my favorite project of the year and also slightly in the boonies so will get back to you on Tuesday please expect a delay in response I know not my normal.
Also in Sept I'm taking 2 classes so I might be a little slower to respond if trying to focus Pet end of life doula and certification to be a Pet Bereavement Specialist here's to all the certifications to really be all in on helping my clients walk the hardest road we have.
Happy school schedule adjusting, empty nest adjusting the leaves are already starting and the acorns are already trying to give me a concussion so stay safe. Happy Labor day weekend!

Dutchy, Zipper, Trixie, the Poopies aka Molly and Lucy, Maxy, Flowers, Flowers and Huey!

❤️

14/08/2024

Hi RR's family,
Soooo one of the things I'm really having a hard time with enforcing in my contract is suprise surprise Payment! Payment for anything besides walks is due at the latest the day I start. Do you know mostly when you're getting paid? It makes life a lot easier doesn't it? Wellllll I want that ability too. Overnights I did ask for a retainer 50% to book and the remainder at the beginning except holidays those are up front in full to book!. The 1st of the year retainers are getting enforced too. No spot on my calender till it's paid even for my long timers I need to budget just like you.
I also am trying to solve the cleaning people conundrum ANYONE that has access to your house makes my insurance void because there's no proof if I or they did the thing. So I am going to require you cancel your cleaning people pretty soon. I don't want to have to change my whole day around them and I make their lives more difficult and vice versa. My advice is to pay them anyway and move them to right after you return from a trip or add a time around a chaotic time of year ect to make up for it. If you have another suggestion I'm all ears but it really throws a wrench in my days. I'm grateful for them as who wants to clean but having wet socks and dirtying your just mopped floor happens waaaaayyyy too often.
Ohhh while I'm on the subject of enforcement got driveway/sidewalk care taken care of? Extra swipes for upcoming vacations in those icky months? I'm going to enforce that too! No plow no walk, no sand, no walk and no parking no visit.
Doors, locks, keys all need to be in easy, normal working order! With an extra way in if something malfunctions please I have arthritic hands sad but true I can't force hard keys anymore. Please help me!

As always I love my job and I value my clients you are why I do this but my contract is a thing for a reason. Please respect it and know how much I really put into loving your households! ❤️ sorry for sharply wording my message but I do have to take care of me too! Boundaries are uncomfortable for me.

Bella, Lily, Axle, Poppy sploot

08/08/2024

Hey RR's family,
How's this weird transition month starting for ya? It's like the last ditch effort to enjoy your summer and prepare for flannel, pumpkin, apple and school. Soooo that being said I get a lot of questions about behavior and training and that is definitely not my strong point is frequently who I refer to when it comes to overcoming those challenges we are so lucky to have all kinds of cool useful resources around is also a cool resource to help implement enrichment and tire out those pups! And Mim who is ProblemSolvedLLC and Judy who is Canine Behavior Counseling and so many enrichment walkers or adventure walkers too all things I don't do or have great knowledge in. Check them all out. The pups that have a team seem to do so much better. We also have some amazing vet practices in the area too. We have PT in the area, some acupuncture and laser able peeps. Use the services they are so valuable! I am so grateful for all the resources! Team petcare is so fulfilling we can fill in where others struggle and everyone wins but especially the pets! 🏆🏅🎖

Here comes all the bunny pics (Poppy is the splooter and the bigger, Thumper is the grey smaller one), Maxy, Hutchy and Lucy. 😁

❤️