A Better Way Errand and Pet Sitting Service

I have been using A Better Way to watch my kitties for the past year. My travel schedule is quite challenging and constantly changing.
Wendi, Michele and the team have been so accommodating and I feel comfortable knowing that the girls are in good hands and well cared for well loved.
I love my kitty reports and the occasional photo of Fred or Ginger from their visits.
I also want to comment on the care that the team shows my home while I am gone. They are respectful of the house and help sweep up after the cats if they make a bit of a mess.
As much as I miss the girls when I am away from home; it is great to know that they are well cared for by a trusted team.

A Better Way, Wendi and her team are absolutely the best. I have been using A Better Way (ABW) for almost 8 years. Prior to bringing my dog Bentley home, I was looking at different options for care. The best decision I made was to select A Better Way.
The moment I met Wendi, I felt extremely comfortable. Wendi has an admirable love and respect for animals and is extremely nurturing and very trustworthy. It’s obvious, the walkers who take care of Bentley possess similar attributes by the times I’ve met them and/​or read their cute and very informative «Bentley visit reports».
Wendi and her manager, Michele are the epitome of customer service. They go above and beyond to accommodate changing schedules on short notice. They are very flexible and understanding.
I have piece of mind that Bentley is in great hands and care with ABW. Wendi and her team treat and love Bentley as part of their family.
More importantly than how I feel about ABW is how Bentley feels about them. Bentley’s love for them is heartwarming. I have seen Bentley when he sees any of his walkers. He is so excited to see them and he can’t wait to spend time with them.
I highly recommend A Better Way.

Very professional, personable and caring service! It is obvious they love animals. And the price is reasonable. I am new in the area and found the service after searching Internet. I was going to a business trip overseas and with short notice. Of course I was anxious to find someone quickly to look after my cat Toffee, who was adopted only a month ago. Michelle fit me in her busy schedule and when I met her I knew immediately that my cat was going to be in good hands. She and her assistant Candy
did a great job: they left nice little notes about each visit. Michelle even text me couple times to tell that everything was going well. They even picked up my mail!
It is not easy to leave keys to your home to a total stranger. But I relied on my intuition and I was right. You can also leave your home to Michelle and her staff with a piece of mind. It is comforting to know that I can always rely on them
I would recommend A Better Way Errand and Pet Sitting Service 100% to any pet owner.
Yelda from Burlington

I found A Better Way on Unilocal when we were having a medical emergency in my family and I needed someone to let my dogs out & give them some attention during the day. Wendi and her employee Lauren have been lifesavers for me. They are very organized and professional. I feel comfortable giving them access to my house. The dogs are happy. I was able to juggle work and my family member’s needs. And they’ve been tremendously flexible with sudden changes in schedule. I’m hoping life will settle down soon, but I’m really glad to know they’re there.

To describe how I discovered A Better Way, a little backstory is in order…
Last week, my dog Cali got herself kicked out of a local doggie daycare center.
I don’t have to rely on pet sitters often. But last Friday, Cali would’ve been home by herself for about 11 hours because her humans both had long workdays ahead. Even for dogs that *can* handle that kind of alone time (the ones that have their paws crossed when you return home because they need a potty break so badly!), that’s a long, boring and lonesome day. That said, Cali is only ~2 and has seperation anxiety — so she’s definitely not an «alone time» kind of dog.
I brought Cali to the dog-sitter’s house. Cali’s sitter was also her trainer. Things seemed to be going okay when I left Cali there. It wasn’t great, because Cali was doing her alpha-​dog routine and the other dogs weren’t taking kindly to her pestering and grandstanding. But we figured she was just holding her ground as a new arrival to the yard, and that she’d simmer down.
We figured wrong.
By early afternoon, the sitter texted me and requested I pick Cali up right away. The pet-​sitter, who has never had to turn away a dog before, said things weren’t working out with Cali and that it would be best to find other arrangements from now on. Essentially, Cali and the owner’s dog were fighting violently and constantly for alpha status in the yard and in the house. Her dog is «non-​reactive». Mine, admittedly, is a lightning rod of a pup. Cali would not be welcome to return.
I drove Cali home, and cried. I know Cali’s just a dog, but I imagined that this must be what it’s like to have your kindergartener expelled. I was ashamed that despite my best efforts, I hadn’t been able to train Cali well enough to play nicely with other dogs. I worried about what I’d do the next time no one would be home all day, since Cali would have nowhere to go. The sitter even warned me that with Cali’s behavior, it was likely that no other doggie daycare centers would take her!
Fortunately, Cali’s vet had a list of contacts available for professional pet services. On this list, we found A Better Way Errand and Pet Sitting Service. I scheduled an interview with the company’s owner Wendi, since she meets the owner and pet (s) before agreeing to pet sit. I called her Saturday, and she squeezed us in for a free visit the next morning. You read that right: she took my call on a Saturday, and scheduled us for a free visit Sunday! Given that we knew we’d need someone Tuesday, I can’t praise this business enough for their quick turnaround time and professional approach to their work!!!
I was honest with Wendi when she arrived, on time, at my home. Cali’s a sweetie, but she’s young and very reactive. Cali wasn’t exactly on her best behavior during the visit, jumping on me and Wendi and whining for attention while we tried to fill out paperwork. But Wendi was willing to take a chance on Cali, guessing that perhaps Cali might even behave better without her owners around. Wendi also noticed that while Cali is very emotional and active, she’s also quite smart when it comes to obeying verbal and even sign language commands. Wendi, and her staff of sitters, really know and understand dogs.
Wendi, instead of operating a doggie daycare, comes to people’s houses during the day to spend time with the dogs. Or, she personally acquaints one of her staff pet-​sitters with the dog before assigning that staff member to the pet. We scheduled Wendi for a day to see how things would turn out.
Cali had her first visit today, since I had to work ~15 hours. I came home to the following very thorough progress report, left by Wendi and her associate Colleen:
«When the pet sitter arrived, Cali’s tail wouldn’t stop wagging and Cali had lots of energy. Cali went for a walk on a nearby trail, played with her toys inside, had a treat, and got a belly rub. Cali was super friendly and didn’t jump once! Cali was relaxed and tired when the sitter left (45 minutes), she did excellent for her 1^st visit!»
I had kept my phone on me the whole day, anxious that the visit would go poorly and that I’d have to get home. But not only did the phone never ring, I also came home to this AWESOME progress report, telling me what I already kind of know: my dog ROCKS. :)
The progress report is a standard offering, left each time a sitter comes, to highlight good things but also to explain if the dog was sick, chewed something up, or had an accident. Wendi’s staff even obtains written permission in advance to rush your pet to the vet if they find your pet is sick when they arrive. They are fully insured and bonded, their service is top notch, their pricing is very reasonable for the care they provide. They also can water your plants, bring in the mail, or run errands for you. They’re just fantastic!
I’m framing this progress report. A Better Way is definitely the best way for your pets!