Pet sitting syndicate, DR1

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Smart

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Jun 16, 2012
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Is there such a thing?
I have been considering taking on a dog after a brief spell having a kitten hanging around a while till I rehomed it. I kind of liked having a bit of company to flop in front of the TV with but I think I'm probably more of a dog person.
So the only thing that is stopping me really is that when ever we go away for a few days having to kennel the dog, which I really don't like the thought of, sending it away for no reason it understands must be confusing for it.

And so I wondered if there was a syndicate where we could try to arrange pet sitting for each other, if and when people are in similar circumstances.

And so........................ Well, is it a stupid idea?
 
malko

malko

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Could work.... but just paying a couple hundred pesos to a guy to feed him....
 
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dv8

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it's actually quite a task to find someone to take care of your pets because pets are not seen as having any importance. if you have a regular maid you can pay her extra for coming in every day. but there is no guarantee she will. and yes, i have thought of having my (foreign) neighbour drop by instead...
 
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Celt202

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dv8 said:
it's actually quite a task to find someone to take care of your pets because pets are not seen as having any importance. if you have a regular maid you can pay her extra for coming in every day. but there is no guarantee she will. and yes, i have thought of having my (foreign) neighbour drop by instead...
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I wouldn't leave a dog in care of any private person here. I live in a residential neighborhood and the number of dogs who get out and are killed because someone carelessly leaves a door open is appalling.

When I go off island I leave my three dogs with a reputable veterinarian who has big kennels where they can get some exercise and be together. They are a bit crazy when I get back but they're dogs; they get over it and while I'm away they are well fed and protected.
 
Harleysrock

Harleysrock

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Nov 4, 2012
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Gaspar Hernández, Espaillat, Dominican Republic
I owned a pet sitting company in Vancouver for over 10 years. I was thinking about starting up a similar type business here just for something to do and i love animals.
In van people gave me the keys to their houses and alarm codes etc and i would go daily or a few times a day if the cats needed shots or meds etc. Quite a few of my clients had diabetic cats or cats who needed fluids intravenously.
I would probably change it up a bit here by maybe staying at people's houses because we already have so many dogs here at our house, or i could fence off a part of our yard. So many people in Van wanted me to stay at their house but i took care of my 97 year old gma so couldn't.
Just kinda talking out loud about it..... Not sure the charge but it would be no where near what I charged in Van!!!

I am crazy about who i let take care of my animals!
My wife and i will probably not take week long vacays for a while since i freak about our animals too much!!
She goes on her vacays and i go on mine lol!
 
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dv8

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i cannot imagine getting my dogs anywhere. they do not like traveling in cars and last time we transported older rottie she puked on passenger seat and then ate it all up. poor miesposo nearly shared his last meal with her as well. i'd rather have someone come over. dogs can be fenced easily so they cannot run away unless someone intentionally lets then out.

we had a good animal carer but he turned out to be a complete primitive and bruto who left all the food inside the fridge when it broke. we came back from holidays to see fat animals all around, including maggots in the salami. well, you could claim they improved protein content but the smell was rancid. also the fish hooked up with a pack of minced meat and they started a hippie community in the freezer. not cool. literally and metaphorically.
 
malko

malko

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Yup hard to find good caring person to look after dog as the majority seem to be scared of the dogs. I have a sobrina who lives down the road who comes twice a day on the grounds to change water and feed, and clean yard of "litter", open conuco (which is i closed but huge space for dogs ), than get them back in the house grounds. I had to have her around a lot before we leave so she get use to dogs and viceversa. But it works, I ve even left them 6 months at a time. Sad but necessary if they want to continue eating salami and porc.......
 
Harleysrock

Harleysrock

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Gaspar Hernández, Espaillat, Dominican Republic
I think people prefer people coming to their house for the most part but i had A LOT of business with people dropping off their dogs at my house in Vancouver but it it soooo different here! I charged $50 a night and people treat their pets like babies there. Not the same here at all!!! Huge business where i come from.
Here it would be good to have someone stay in your house as well so it doesn't get broken into!!! Gotta trust the person of course.....
 
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Harleysrock said:
I think people prefer people coming to their house for the most part but i had A LOT of business with people dropping off their dogs at my house in Vancouver but it it soooo different here! I charged $50 a night and people treat their pets like babies there. Not the same here at all!!! Huge business where i come from.
Here it would be good to have someone stay in your house as well so it doesn't get broken into!!! Gotta trust the person of course.....
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I dunno if it is different, I have lived all over the world and never known an expat community so helpful as far as animals go, there seems to be an unusual amount of pet people here. Obviously very few Dominicans are aware their animals actually have feelings and can process thought and so they are probably out of the question.
I was more thinking of a few people with pets in the locals areas could get to know each other through simply asking if they could look after the dogs for a couple of days, maybe just have a little meeting at a park ever other Sunday walk all the dogs together for a while to form some trust and see who bonds well and who are nuts.
But I'd doubt there is a business in it here, advertising is the issue here, it's difficult to get noticed as the place is such a mess, in the city it is anyways.
House sitting is a good idea, but everyone has maids here and so not much need.
 
Harleysrock

Harleysrock

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Nov 4, 2012
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Gaspar Hernández, Espaillat, Dominican Republic
I agree that there might not be the business in it as where i used to live but i have had quite the number of people ask me about it.
Our neighbors and I talk about taking care of each others pets when we go away at different times.
My maid and gardener have taken care of our dogs and cats when we go away for a few days but I WORRY a lot so i would prefer someone who loves their pets as much as us.

I'm not really thinking about it as a huge business just if people need it kind of thing. I am not looking for full time work!!!!!
 
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dv8

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our issue is that one of our cats, pichi, has epilepsy. i've been giving her meds for years so i know how to handle her but miesposo has scars on his arms. i cannot imagine a stranger being able to find her (she hides at med times, she's not as crazy as you may think), catch her (it's a game of tag) and deliver the medicine (she offers some resistance or, as doctor bob describes it "goes berserk"). our last trip we had to leave her with doctor bob and even he had difficulty handling her. she ripped apart a bag used to subdue cats. i presume she did not kill anyone there or we'd be sued already. ;)

add to the mix two rotties who weigh about 100 lb each and you have a situation, if you get my drift. i think maybe next time pichi will go back to doctor bob and our maid will come over every day. she likes our dogs and think they are cute, despite their numerous attempts to lick her face.

pich, btw, is a great dr1 story. fellow members saved her life with their great advice and support. she has been living with epilepsy for over two years now and she is as fine as she can be.
 
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dv8

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oh, thanks, you are so sweet :) we live quite far thou :( but i may ask you do come along and check on the zoo ;)

before we used to fill up cats bowls to the max and feed the dogs double and leave for the weekend. admittedly the dogs would miss one meal but hell, they could always eat cats, right?
 
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skynet

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I'm always available if anyone lives in POP...Former Vet Tech, current owner of 2 small mutes I rescued, 2 love birds, 45 or so budgies, and a pigeon in the pantry..Bring one, bring all!!! well, time to hit my bird room, electricity just came back again..they are having a ball today with the damn off switch!!!
 
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Eugeniefs

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We live in a residential where we are all expats of one form or another, some living all the year round some for only a few months of the year etc. We didn't want to get tied down to a dog but she followed us home nearly four years ago. The first time we had to go when she was very small (we had already booked a two day holiday) and left her with the vets, she didn't like that at all. So later when we went a way for a few days we would let her have the run of the communal garden, everyone was happy with that (bar one of the hubbies who is Dominican and married to a Swiss lady here) and she was looked after by our Dominican day guy and a neighbor at night... when we came home after a longer spell away than usual, she had changed. So now we leave her inside the house with the neighbor and she is fine. But of course not all neighbours are willing to do this.

Harleysrock - do live in the PC area? Sorry I can't remember. I would love to get my dog more used to other dogs, as she is getting older she is getting more neurotic and doesn't always get on with other dogs (last year a neighbor brought three small dogs who attacked my dog, she has never been the same since!)
 
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Britcouple

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There is a lady called Savanna Wade who has a business doing this, she advertises on 'everything sosua' and 'everything cabarete' on facebook. I have no idea if she is fantastic or not, as I have not used her services but just to let you know.
 
Harleysrock

Harleysrock

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Nov 4, 2012
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Gaspar Hernández, Espaillat, Dominican Republic
Eugeniefs said:
We live in a residential where we are all expats of one form or another, some living all the year round some for only a few months of the year etc. We didn't want to get tied down to a dog but she followed us home nearly four years ago. The first time we had to go when she was very small (we had already booked a two day holiday) and left her with the vets, she didn't like that at all. So later when we went a way for a few days we would let her have the run of the communal garden, everyone was happy with that (bar one of the hubbies who is Dominican and married to a Swiss lady here) and she was looked after by our Dominican day guy and a neighbor at night... when we came home after a longer spell away than usual, she had changed. So now we leave her inside the house with the neighbor and she is fine. But of course not all neighbours are willing to do this.

Harleysrock - do live in the PC area? Sorry I can't remember. I would love to get my dog more used to other dogs, as she is getting older she is getting more neurotic and doesn't always get on with other dogs (last year a neighbor brought three small dogs who attacked my dog, she has never been the same since!)
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I live on the North Coast :)
I am so sorry about your doggy being attacked!
I trust very few people with my furbabies!
A few bad experiences back in Canada with "friends"!
So i guess we have to find a hotel here that will take all of our animals as well as us :)
I snuck our Chi into the Hilton in SD.

I wanted to stay at the Hard Rock in PC but they won't let me bring my Canadian Chi and he does not do well with others! My other dogs would be ok with most people but not him.
 
caribmike

caribmike

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What kind of dog you have?

Eugeniefs said:
We live in a residential where we are all expats of one form or another, some living all the year round some for only a few months of the year etc. We didn't want to get tied down to a dog but she followed us home nearly four years ago. The first time we had to go when she was very small (we had already booked a two day holiday) and left her with the vets, she didn't like that at all. So later when we went a way for a few days we would let her have the run of the communal garden, everyone was happy with that (bar one of the hubbies who is Dominican and married to a Swiss lady here) and she was looked after by our Dominican day guy and a neighbor at night... when we came home after a longer spell away than usual, she had changed. So now we leave her inside the house with the neighbor and she is fine. But of course not all neighbours are willing to do this.

Harleysrock - do live in the PC area? Sorry I can't remember. I would love to get my dog more used to other dogs, as she is getting older she is getting more neurotic and doesn't always get on with other dogs (last year a neighbor brought three small dogs who attacked my dog, she has never been the same since!)
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Smart

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Jun 16, 2012
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Derfish said:
My little 8 pound dog attacked the neighbor's burro yesterday when he had it tethered at our side of his field. Heard the commotion and ran out and she was attached to his nose as he swung his head back and forth trying to free up his nose. It was something I could visualize a cat doing, bit not a dog. While I go back to Florida milady will be here to care for her,but a dog the same size was hit and killed in the road outside our house last week.
Der Fish
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So you beat the sh1t out of the dog right?

I remember seeing a pit bull like dog attached to a horses head on Lincoln one day, eventually the horse collapsed and I seems to be the only one upset by this.
 
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