My name is Sage, and I’m a writer who’s been pet-sitting for over 15 years. I began VIP Sitting when my clients kept telling me how much better they felt leaving their Very Important Pets with me than they did trusting a new person or an app.

Right before I started VIP, a new client regaled me with a list of bad experiences she had with so-called experienced sitters who didn’t understand how best to relate to her rescue dog.

Then, another client had a terrible experience with an online house/pet sitting service that provides free sits in lieu of a place for the sitter to stay. The sitter canceled at the last minute, and customer service (an AI bot) was only available via email and chat. It took the company THREE DAYS to respond, leaving my client scrambling at the last minute for a sitter on her own. When she finally got in touch via email with a real person, she found out the company would not compensate her in any way for the inconvenience. It was the last time she tried to save money using an app.

Another client using a different app came home to find out that a careless sitter had let her indoor cat outside (in the heavily coyote-populated Hollywood Hills!) and found her dog’s water dish bone dry.

As someone who has owned pets, I am horrified by these stories.

When I had my dog, a Staffordshire Terrier named Cash, who was the love of my life for 13 years, I was way too anxious about his care to leave him with anyone other than my mom, who lived a state away.

As a result, I didn’t travel much. It was a sacrifice I willingly made, but in hindsight, what if I had found someone with whom I felt comfortable leaving Cash? Someone I could rely on and trust in my home so he could maintain his routine and be in his comfortable space.

The VIP care that I never found for Cash is exactly the care that I provide for my clients.

VIP Sitting thrives on building long-term relationships with repeat clients so that you never have to let a stranger into your home again. Developing a relationship with one sitter also fosters a sense of familiarity for your VIP, too, because they recognize and remember me during repeat sits. (I can tell from the purrs, tail wags, and kisses that they think I’m a fun human to spend time with.)

My priority is making your VIP feel loved and cared for, and I offer a bespoke service tailored to your needs. That means picking up the mail, taking out your trash cans, watering plants, and even dealing with unforeseen circumstances like calling your landscaper for an immediate need or being ready to stay an extra day or two if you get delayed.

And yes, I can send frequent pupdates and catchups so you know your VIP is happy and in good hands— and just so you can see their cute face!

So whether you’re taking a vacation, a work trip, or need to film on location, know you can rely on me to be the next best thing to you.