Over and Out Petsitting

Serves West Hollywood, CA

35244

Hired 63 times

1 employee

21 years in business

$20/walk

4.9

This pro accepts payments via Apple Pay, Cash, Check, and Zelle.

Next Service

Credentials

Background Check

Robin Grossman
Completed on 6/22/2021

Introduction

Thank you for your interest in Over and Out Petsitting. I hope all is well with you and yours. I want petsitting and dog walking to always be a good, stress-free, happy experience for me and the pet and the pet owner. Hi, I’m Robin Grossman. I'm Over and Out Petsitting. It's just me. I'm a private, in-home petsitter, overnight petsitter, and dog walker with many long-time clients, since 2004. My job is to keep the dog or cat's routine the same, so there is no stress for either the pet or the client or me and that makes everyone happy. I’m insured and bonded and I operate by the Golden Rule: I treat your pets and home exactly as I’d want mine treated. The key is my FREE HOUR CONSULTATION, which includes a dog walk. It's an opportunity for me to get all the pet's details, habits, triggers, routines, and issues. It’s also a vibe-check. In 20+ years, I’ve turned down only 3 jobs due to behavioral red flags. If a dog isn’t fully comfortable with me, I won’t force a match. I'm not a dog trainer. I prefer no stress, no mess. I'm not a dog trainer, but I will reinforce commands the dog already knows. Private Walks Only No pack walking, no shortcuts. Walks are tailored to your dog’s pace, style, and needs. Visit Photos = Real-Time Assurance Every visit starts and ends with a photo timestamp. I love capturing animals in their natural, goofy, adorable glory and I share those shots freely. Clients are asked to credit the photos to me when sharing. Some clients even order mugs, socks, or shower curtains featuring my photos. If it’s a face you love, why not see it everywhere? Going the Extra Mile(s) I’ve FEDEX passports to clients. Carried a 35 lb. beagle outside multiple times a night. Shown up at 4 A.M. at the client's request, who was nervous about leaving his dogs for 5 A.M. flight. My clients know they can count on me and I clean up after myself, too. (Just don’t ask me to make a bed. We all have a kryptonite.) PHOTOS are my Time Stamp All visits start with a photo marking the time and the visit ends at the sheduled time and you get plenty of photos in between. I’ve also Facetimed with my clients, so they can see their furry loved ones or to discuss a concerning health issue in real time. My clients love me because I take amazing pictures and videos of their pets and the emailed/texted photos are an extra assurance that I am there looking after their loved ones when I say I am. MY DAYTIME DOG WALKING & PETSITTING RATES 30 min: $25 45 min: $30 60 min: $35 $5 per extra pet, tricky meds/injections, late night (after 8PM) walks, or walks in RAIN. Payment: One-time clients: at time of service Weekly clients: pay Sunday Late payments: $5 fee Weekly Discounts: 5% off 5+ walks of 60 min. 5% off 5+ twice-a-day visits. MAJOR HOLIDAYS are an extra $10/day. NOTE: CHRISTMAS WEEK, THANKSGIVING WEEK, and NEW YEAR'S WEEK are an extra $10/day due to high demand. OVERNIGHT PETSITTING (12 hr): $80 Includes 2 evening walks and 1 morning walk. Includes 3 walks, playtime, feeding, plant/garden/mail care, and overnight companionship. Yes, I bunk with your dog if that’s their routine. :). Clients do book overnights for their cats as well! I've done them! VACATION PETSITTING: $115 This is multi-day or multi-week petsitting and your home becomes my home base. I bring my own food. $80 overnight plus $35 dollars for the rest of the day as I will likely have other clients and I don't want to spend time figuring out how long I'm at your home to charge you for time spent. This rate is simple and stress-free and you come out way ahead, getting more than you can pay my $35 hourly rate. Stress-Free is Non-Negotiable I recently turned down a booking after a long consultation revealed a dog's bed-guarding, food-guarding behavior. The clients were kind, but I recognized it wasn't a safe or comfortable match, especially for an overnight petsit. I believe in not pushing through red flags. My goal is always to create a positive, peaceful experience for everyone involved, especially the pet. Bonus Perks: Lots of photos and updates Facetime check-ins available Print-on-demand keepsakes from my pet photography (client-approved and credited) Discounts for regular and long-term bookings Let’s meet. Let’s walk. Let’s see if we’re a good fit. And the hour consultation is free. 🐾 Over and Out, Robin Grossman

Q&A

What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?

I'm a long time pet sitter and dog walker with many clients, who have been with me for years. My job is to keep the dog or cat's routine the same, so there is no stress for either the pet or the client and everyone is happy. I always give my clients more than the clients expect because their pets are worth it. I get so much joy, laughter, and relaxation from dogs and cats. Dogs and cats make me happy, so this is how I want to spend my life. 30 min. visit...............$25.00 45 min. visit...............$30.00 60 min. visit...............$35.00 *Each additional pet is $5. *Difficult pets or medicine is an extra $5. *Dogwalks after 8pm are an extra $5. *Dogwalks in the rain are an extra $5. *Payment is expected at time of service. WEEKLY CLIENT DISCOUNTS 5% OFF on (5 or more) visits of 60 min. 5% OFF on (5 or more) TWICE A DAY 30 or 60 min visits. Weekly clients pay at the end of the week. Late payment will likely cost the client an extra $5. A SINGLE OVERNIGHT $80 is 12 hours overnight and 3 walks. VACATION OVERNIGHT PETSITTING $80 + $35. Your home becomes my home base. This means I spend more hours looking after your pet than you could afford to pay. Includes a 12 hr Overnight (3 walks) rate....$80! The rest of the day is just $35 because I may have other dogs to walk. *Vacations that are 2 weeks or longer get a 5% discount. Your place is looked after, your pets get the best personal care and playtime, and you get frequent updates of photos, videos of your pet(s). For clients, who need extended, overnight, vacation petsitting, I sleepover at the client’s house or apartment and it becomes my home base, meaning that I go to other clients and return directly to the overnight client's home. I bring my own food and I look after their pets. The pets get a lot of attention because I sit where they sit and I pet them for hours, while I watch TV. I play with them. I walk them. I brush them. I give them treats. They sleep in the bed with me if they're used to sleeping in the bed with my client. MAJOR HOLIDAYS are $10/day. Only CHRISTMAS WEEK, THANKSGIVING WEEK and NEW YEAR'S WEEK are an extra $10/day. MY CLIENT GETS A LOT MORE PETCARE than from other petsitting services.

What is your typical process for working with a new customer?

Potential clients get a FREE ONE HOUR CONSULTATION with a free dog walk with client. I have to meet the dog or cat and the pet owner to learn the pet's routine and habits. I have to see it in person, so I can ask a thorough list of questions. It also gives me an opportunity to see the dog on a walk and to learn if he has any triggers and how the owner corrects or plays with the dog. It also gives me some very valuable time with the dog or cat and that allows the pet to trust me and relax in my presence. Back in June 2019, I had a client, who said his cat was very shy and was only friendly with him out of his whole family. Well, in the consult, I asked him to just keep chatting with me after I got through all my questions. In a few minutes, his cat came out and rubbed against him and then came to sniff me and eventually rub against me too! Let me tell you HOW SHOCKED he was! Getting to know the clients and their pets in the free consult is actually THE most important aspect of my job.

What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?

I've been petsitting and dog walking since I was in high school. I've been certified for pet first aid, but luckily I've never had to use it. Thousands of dog walks and petsit have been my training. There have been only one emergency: a bee sting that meant I had to take the pit bull to the vet and that went well without any problems. Two other doctor visits were planned: one for acupuncture; another, skin rash.

How did you get started doing this type of work?

I looked after neighbors dogs and cats and of course I grew up with dogs and cats. Cats: Mimi, Mimala, Mimi (2), Maxwell. Dogs: Heidi, Tebby, and Holly. I tried to look after birds, but despite my name being Robin, I am not at all comfortable with birds. Go figure.

What types of customers have you worked with?

Clients hire me for overnight vacation petsitting. My regular midday M-F dog walking clients tend to come from working professionals, who work 10+ hour job or from those clients, who can no longer physically do more than one dog walk a day. Less frequently are my cat clients, who need me for the occasional one off visit, vacation visits, or for 2x daily medication visits while they're on vacation. I'm also very happy to direct cat clients to products that will make their lives easier. Yes, it means less visits for me and less money in my pocket, but I work by the Golden Rule: I would want someone to direct me to things that will make my care of my family and pets easier and healthier. That's why I often recommend multi-meal dry feeders for cats and especially feeders with frozen packs for clients with cats, who only enjoy wet cat food. No one wants their food to rot. Absolutely no one. For clients who have one fat cat and one skinny cat, I recommend an RFID cat feeder, which reads the RFID tag on the cat's collar and will only open the cat food feeder for the correct cat. In other words, this means the fat cat is prevented from stealing food from the skinny cat. Several cat clients have happily reported that their fat cats have lost weight! These feeders can be expensive, but they pay for themselves in the long run, especially in a longer, happier life for the cat!

Describe a recent project you are fond of. How long did it take?

12/2021-Current, I look after 6 outdoor cats for an elderly client, who was due to go into hip surgery. I was cleaning, feeding, and purchasing food and water for delivery. So far, she is very pleased at how I turned the cat area from a disaster area to a welcoming home for the cats. The client has since successfully recovered from the hip surgery and now only needs a monthly visit to keep things tidy.

What advice would you give a customer looking to hire a provider in your area of work?

Don't ask me. Ask another pet owner. Only a pet owner will know how a petsitter or dog walker treats their pets and how they leave the house or apartment. Is the petsitter or dog walker neat, kind, gentle? Are they punctual? Do they actually do the job they've been hired to do? What do their reviews say? Do they have petsitting insurance? Do they hire outside people? Who has access to your keys? Do they keep them in a secure safe like I do?

What questions should customers think through before talking to professionals about their project?

Ideally, customers should think about a long-term dog walking or petsitting bookings to get the best discounted rate. More importantly, customers should get references and actually speak with those references. I'm always shocked when clients don't do this.