
Sitters4Critters LLC
About us
We are an AWARD WINNING, Philadelphia “suburbs-based” pet sitter, Sitters4Critters ® is any pet owners dream come true! We service suburbs of Philadelphia and surrounding areas in Bucks County. North, and Central New Jersey included! Check out our media center for more information on how you can “watch” your dog while you are away. PET CHECK TECHNOLOGY is the best way to watch US watch your pet! We take PRIDE in being THE trusted, compassionate and cuddly pet care company that graces you and your pets with a wide range of services. As a friendly alternative to kennels and boarding, we can watch your pets in the comfort of your own home eliminating unneeded stress for you and your pet. Our bonded and insured company additionally provides dog-walking and other pet care services arranged to suit your specific schedule and needs. Backed by several years of hands-on experience, Tristan launched his own pet-sitting company in 2013 with the goal of connecting with clients in a truly special way. We know how important it is for you and your pet to feel safe and secure while you’re apart, which is why we aim to create a special bond that can help you both feel at ease.
Business highlights
Services we offer
Dog Walking, House Sitting, Kenneling, Pet Boarding, Pet Sitting, Pet Taxi, Poop Scoopers
Amenities
Emergency Services
Yes
Free Estimates
Yes
Accepted Payment Methods
- CreditCard
| Number of Stars | Image of Distribution | Number of Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 92% | ||
| 0% | ||
| 3% | ||
| 0% | ||
| 5% |
"Thank you for your feedback. First and foremost, what concerns me most, (and probably you) is the safety and security of your home. We haven't had an issue with things going "missing", but like I've mentioned, I would have called the police immediately to file a report and for them to investigate. To our knowledge no report was filed, but we would have fully cooperated with fingerprinting if need be. Please understand we did not take anything from your house. The GPS scan from the employee is consistent with walking around the apartment block and not in in contained area, (where it might have been suspicious We have no use for a lint roller. We walk dogs all day, and a cvs is down the street if we needed one. We all use Apple iPhones, the alleged missing charger was for a Andriod Samsung Galaxy charger. . We did not take cash (that was found missing a couple days later) Again, we would be happy to fully cooperate with any investigation. All employees are background checked and screened. One common problem is miscommunication. While I never received messages not to come, I apparently was texting the wrong phone number. I'm responsible making sure that is accurate in the meeting. One last thing, I will also make sure my clients read the term and conditions before service starts. This client agreed to have "any, contractors, employees, agents to perform the service" This statement is the first paragraph in our agreement. I happen to have an emergency assignment and I needed a plan B for the puppy. It is policy to have a plan b. I was not aware of the blood on the puppies sweater in our face-face meeting. As a learning experience, I wish the communication was better. And I wished I would have learned who all had access to the home during the short dog walking service period. We have nothing to hide here. Thanks again for your feedback."
I just can't say enough good about Sitters4Critters - Tristan and his backup Nick! Not only did they take excellent care of our kitties while we were away, but they went above and beyond our expectations. Right before we went away on vacation on Thanksgiving day, our cat Gizmo became ill and we had him to the veterinarian for some tests to see what was going on (he was losing weight, stopped eating, very lethargic). Before we left, the vet recommended that we take him for some additional tests when we returned but diagnosed him with a bladder infection that he prescribed medication for twice per day. We informed Tristan about what was going on with Gizmo and that he needed to take this medicine twice daily. Tristan took the information and was absolutely wonderful and compassionate about the situation. He visited 2 times per day during our vacation to give Gizmo his meds and make sure that he was OK and was eating and drinking...he even texted us pictures and updates to let us know he was doing well.
After we returned from that vacation, we did take Gizmo for follow up tests and he was then diagnosed with lymphoma and started on a chemotherapy regimen. When we had to go away for the Christmas holiday, I called Tristan to take care of the kitties again. He sent his backup Nick and after we met with Nick we were equally impressed with him as well. Gizmo was taking several medications at home for the chemo and for an associated eye infection that developed. Nick was able to give him all of his medications including a cream that had to be applied into his eye. Again, going above and beyond our expectations. And Gizmo's eye actually greatly improved during the 4 days that we were away!
We used to rely on our neighbors to take care of our pets when we went away, but those days are over! We will continue to use Sitters4Critters for all of our cat sitting needs. I have only the highest praise for both Tristan and Nick!
"Hi [Member name] thank you for your kind words and opportunity serving you!"
"Thank you for the opportunity to serve [removed pet name] everyday!"
"Hi [member name removed], Thank you for your kind words and happy review"
But the rest of this review is entirely negative and is fully consonant with the other two ?F? reviews that are here. There were serious problems with communication, responsibility, and truthfulness. Whatever his intentions, he and his partner/employee failed us in every way.
We booked Sitters4Critters to provide 24/7 house-sitting from June 16 through July 7 while we were on holiday in Europe. We have two friendly dogs, a parrot, a few goldfish, and a very small flock of chickens. It?s not a difficult job ? our dogs have a fenced yard and don?t need to be walked or have their poop cleaned up, there is a swimming pool and hot tub for the sitter to enjoy, we provided professional house cleaning and pool maintenance, and we have an enormous library of books, movies, and music as well as the ?ultimate? FIOS television package and fast internet service.
Tristan sent his partner/employee Christine to provide the service. She had taken care of our house for a few days twice before: in November 2013 and 2014. We didn?t know then that she had left the house in less-than-ideal condition for the friends who took over from her because they didn?t tell us, and we didn?t think to ask them about it until we had this experience. And, because we first booked with this service before the other two ?F? reviews were posted and didn?t check back, we have learned about this owner and his partner the hard way.
The major problems were these:
- 1) Christine was supposed to arrive an hour before we left for our plane on June 16, but she didn't show up. After waiting for a half-hour, we called Tristan. He told us she was at the other end of the county walking dogs, and so we had to leave without any hand-off conversation. Because of the length of our flight and the time difference between PA and Ireland, we had no way of knowing that she had arrived until the following day. Tristan lied about the late arrival, insisting that he had not known about the expected start time, even though he had previously acknowledged receiving our emailed schedule on the day we sent it, saying he had read it and had no questions. Christine told us later that she knew about the arrival time and had argued with him about it.
- 2) Our parrot Corky was neglected, injured, and her health was jeopardized. When we returned on the afternoon of July 7, Christine was still clearing up her things. We talked with her in the kitchen about her stay and didn?t tour the house until she left. As soon as we went into the living room, we saw that our parrot was holding up one foot and touching it constantly with her beak, and she had trouble climbing in her cage. We could see a very large rough, red area on the tops of her toes on that foot as well as on the back of the same leg. It turned out that she had what our avian vet called an entrapment injury. which meant that her entire leg had been tightly caught in something that caused her to rip off large amounts of skin in order to pull it free. We reported this to Tristan by email the same day. Christine denied any knowledge of the existence or cause of the injury, but it must have happened at least a day before we returned because the wound was dry and scabbed over. The parrot?s difficulty with climbing and perching should have been obvious to anyone who was actually paying attention to her. The paper in our parrot?s cage was not changed during the entire 3 weeks we were gone, which meant the open wound was exposed to bacteria in droppings and uneaten food. Christine said she couldn?t figure out how to get the dirty paper out of the cage (you reach in through the large open door and roll it up).
- 3) In addition, we found that Corky?s food dishes had nothing but empty seed hulls. She was hungry, as we saw when we refilled her dishes. Christine volunteered that she had fed her once a week. Our written instructions (in 2 places) said to empty and refill her dishes every 2 or 3 days.
- 4) Christine bought a parakeet in a local pet shop while she was staying in our house and put its cage on our dining room table, about 20 - 30 feet from our parrot?s cage. She never asked if she could bring a strange bird into our home and seemed to be completely ignorant of the health risks that it might entail. There seemed to be no point in talking with her about it when we arrived as it was already done. Tristan, however, was aware of it during her stay and should have told her to remove it.
6) The chickens were all but out of food, despite our detailed written instructions that said to refill their large feeder halfway through the 3 weeks. Fortunately, their water was automatically topped up.
7) The house reeked of cigarettes when we stepped in, although it took me a little time to realize what the stale, stuffy smell was because the air was so hot and humid as a result of a sustained heat wave. Tristan assured me afterward that Christine had smoked only outside and that the smell must have come in on her clothing. Wrong ? even the carpet smelled so bad that I had to shampoo it. Tobacco smoke is highly toxic for birds, and a professional pet-sitter should know that.
8) For an unknown amount of time, Christine also had her toddler child here. We were not asked if it would be all right, and we would not have allowed it. Our house is not set up for children?s safety in any way. We returned to find 2 large urine stains on our mattress, which Christine blamed on one of our dogs during a thunderstorm the night before we came home. He has never wet anywhere in the house for any reason, and the stains were completely dry despite her assurance that she had tried to clean them. We believe the child did it and that Christine lied about it.
9) When our house cleaning service arrived halfway through her stay, the kitchen was so filled with dirty dishes that they ended up washing them for her (not their job) so they could do the cleaning that was their job. The bedroom floor was so covered with her child?s toys and other gear that they could not vacuum it properly. And the cleaners? arrival was written on Christine?s daily schedule, so she should have had the house ready for them. Tristan said in reply to our complaint that the dishes were only from breakfast that day. Not possible ? the cleaners said the sink was overflowing, the food was crusted on the plates, and more dirty dishes were stacked on the counter tops. Once again, our complaints were answered with lies.
10) After Christine left, we discovered five greasy, scorched frying pans hung up as clean, several food-smeared chef knives in the knife block, and an unwashed broiler pan in the oven.
11) We had to email and ask for information updates from her throughout our absence, despite promises of frequent communication on their website. Each time, Christine replied that things were fine and that she had no questions or problems. She had both, as we discovered later.
______________
There?s no point in going on, a
"( members name removed) s, Thank you very much for the feedback you offered. I'm very disappointed in the lack of professionalism displayed by my sitter. I don't take this situation lightly and have terminated this employee. In the future, I will make sure proper house etiquette and cleanliness, following instructions, and asking for clarification of said instructions with every employee for every job so this never happens again. What is most concerning to us (and probably you,) is the medical condition of Corkey. Though there are many factors that could of led to Corky's injury, (Corkey was free to roam the house, never kept inside the cage. Christine is legally deaf and unable to hear any accidental injury.) We certainly wish Corkey a full recovery. Given the lack of satisfaction for our services, we fully refunded $1,600 and Corkey's vet bill. I know Christine provided lots of time and love, but she surely disappointed us all. This will never happen again. I appreciate your communication and attention to this matter."
I especially love their check-in technology! S4C placed a bar code magnet on my fridge. When they arrive they scan in and I receive an email notification. Likewise, when they leave they scan out and I receive another email notification. This gives me GREAT peace of mind when I'm away from home that my 'kids' are receiving the attention they need.
"Hi, thank you for the outstanding experience you have given me ;-)"
"Thank you for the opportunity serving you!"
"Hi there! Thank you for the outstanding experience and look forward to continue serving you!"
"Thank you for the opportunity serving you we look forward to see you in the future!"
"Hi (removed member name), thank you for the vote of page of happiness! =)"
"(member name removed), Thanks for giving us a try and trusting us moving forward! We will see you again soon! Best, Sitters4Critters"
"Dear [Member name removed], We are collectively disappointed with your experience. We know your complaint appears to be negative towards one person, but the entire organization only wants the best for your pets, and finds it unacceptable for this experience you just experienced. This never happens, we have hundreds of satisfied clients, hence why we decided to drop charges incurred on your bill. A couple of facts must be known here after further investigation: We were employed a little under 34 hours where client contacted us and informed us to "leave key". (1 full day completed) Sitters4Critters must have a backup plan if the owner cannot safety make it to your home. Since the employee did not communicate or make it 1 morning 5/7 and 1 visit the morning of 5/8 that employee was terminated the afternoon you called me 5/11. We are investigating this thoroughly, but want to ensure everyone we are committed to the best service and communication about issues should be known during contracted period. Again, we are deeply saddened this happened and appreciate the feedback to help us get better collectively as a unit. Thanks again."
"Hi Mrs. [member name removed], Thank you for your patience allowing us to smooth out the scheduling in the beginning. This is absolutely a learning experience and very much enjoy our free therapy with your pets. Have a great day!"
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