Animal Welfare Professionals

Hello everyone,

I am wondering if there is anyone here who might be able to provide me with some much-needed guidance and direction.  My husband and I have two older chihuahua mixes, Penelope, who is 11 years old and Sergio who is about 14 or 15 years old (he is a rescue and we don't know his exact age).  Sergio is blind and incontinent. We provide him with a custom made diaper/sanitary pad which we replace periodically throughout the day when used.

My parents live a block away and until about 1 year ago, took care of both dogs when we were out of town.   They are elderly (in their eighties) and they recently informed us that they don't have the energy or strength to care for the dogs any longer.  We are therefore considering other options for their care during our travels.

We have a trip oversees planned later this year and I must say, I have the worst kind of knots in my stomach about leaving the dogs in someone else's care.  I guess I'm one of those crazy dog moms that doesn't trust anyone but myself when it comes to their care.  I know I have to get over it, or completely abandon traveling.

We basically have 3 options: 1) a house/pet sitter  2) Boarding 3) taking the dogs with us

In theory, I'm not at all averse to taking the dogs with us (my husband isn't too crazy about it, however).  My one and only concern is the emotional and physical well-being of my pets. We will be on a plane for 12-13 hours with at least 7 more hours spent in airports and during layovers. Although I would be taking him in the cabin with me, I'm not sure how Sergio will respond to such a long trip.  I've heard of dogs being unable to breathe at such high altitudes.  I'm really wondering if taking him with us is such a good idea.  In any case, I don't think it's an option for Penelope because she is so terrified of everything. I think the noise of the aircraft would absolutely freak her out.

Which leaves us with boarding or house/pet sitter.  I've been so anxious even considering either possibility.  How I can be sure I can trust a stranger with my pets?  I've read so many horror stories and I would never, ever be able to forgive myself if something happened to either one of my dogs.  I'm getting knots in my stomach just writing this. :-(

Thanks for reading and for any suggestions you might have for us.

Tali

if you are part of an organization, you can always ask internally if anyone does it professionally. In the group I volunteer with, we have TONS of volunteers that do that kind of work and they each vouch for one another &/or recommend one another.

if not, you can always ask for past clients as references and call them to ask about their services, etc.

there are also some that will do in home care at their own houses too. You might be able to ask for someone who would sit them in their own as well. Good luck!

Hi Tali, being a pet mom to older pets, I empathize with your stress about leaving them while you're traveling! I felt my pets would be happiest with in-home care, someone sleeping overnight at the house with them. I've been luck and had a few great pet sitters over the years. One was a vet tech from my veterinarian's office that had worked there for many years, and one was a referral from a friend who'd also used that pet sitter for many years.  I hope those ideas for finding a pet sitter you can trust will help!

I often use Rover.com to find a pet sitter for my dogs while I'm away. You can select a variety of options like having your pets stay at THEIR house, having the pet sitter come to YOUR house for daily visits or have them stay overnight at your house if your pets are more comfortable there.

Yes, there have been some horror stories about some bad pet sitters but it's important to ask for references and even have them come over to meet you and your pets before you agree. If you also want that extra peace of mind, you might look into getting a home security camera that you can access from your phone to peek in while you're out of town. I've found some relatively inexpensive ones on Amazon for $30-$45 and when I have a pet sitter coming over, I let them know that I DO have cameras in the house and will be checking in. It lets the sitter know that they should be on their best behavior since I could be watching and also lets me feel at ease being able to see my pups while I'm away. Best of luck! 

Considering their age and fearfulness, the stress of such a long plane ride, the unfamiliar surroundings can be very stressful on a senior animal. I know it’s hard to trust a stranger but you can interview them at your house and watch how they react to your dogs. If the stress on you is a problem, you may consider an indoor security camera which you can pair to your phone and watch what goes on. There are lots of wonderful pet sitters. Start looking! Good luck!

Thank you Marty, Charlotte, Jennifer and Dzwisekat16  for responding to my inquiry.  Your suggestions are very helpful.  I really appreciate your feedback.