Tails on Trails, LLC

We used Tails on Trails for the first time this month to watch our 2 dogs for 2 weeks. Before the trip, the sitter came to our house to meet the dogs. During the visit, the sitters texted us with notes on how the dogs were doing and often sent photographs. When we returned home, our dogs were relaxed and clearly happy. I will never send my dogs to the kennel again. Overall, our experience was terrific.

We had used this service with no issues back in August when we were only gone for a few days. This time we were gone for over a week and we were not at all happy with the service we received. We have two cats, and per the instructions on the company’s website, the doors to all areas of the house that the cats do not need access to were closed off. Our cats enjoy being in the master bedroom, but the website says that only areas where the cats need access to (i.e. food, water, and litter box locations) should be left open as the workers will not check any other areas. I understand this policy as if something happens in an area the worker doesn’t check, it could sit there for days. However, it was still with some trepidation that we closed off the master bedroom, but we wanted to follow instructions. One or both of our cats tore up the carpet under the door of the bedroom so bad that you can see the wood underneath. It will need to be replaced and this carpet is barely even a year old. We were not informed of this either via text or phone call or in any of the daily notes we received. It is possible the workers did not notice the growing amounts of carpet pieces in that location, but it seems unlikely they didn’t notice the same issue outside of the upstairs hall bathroom, which was also closed per the company’s instruction. In retrospect, I would have rather ignored the company’s suggestion and dealt with an easily fixable mess if one of the cats had vomited than have to spend so much extra money on replacing the carpet. I’m not blaming the company for the cats tearing up the carpet, but I am blaming them for not letting us know it was happening so that we might provide instructions for how to stop further damage (i.e. open the doors).
My fiancé put notes on the locations of the wet food and silverware, but for some unknown reason, another food was used. I received a text while on vacation that there was an ant problem and the food bowls had been moved. The person also reported the cats weren’t eating very much, and upon arriving home and seeing the wrong food cans in the trash can (not in the recycling), I knew immediately WHY the cats weren’t eating. Our one cat was a little hefty and she has noticeably lost weight. If there was any question as to which food to use, it would have been nice to receive a text or phone call for clarification. There were also multiple handfuls of treats left on the stairs, presumably for the cats to snack on when they were more comfortable (they are rather shy around strangers), but they had been sitting out so long, they were dried out and hard as rocks.
Finally, the litter box had not had fresh litter put into it for the entire week we were gone. My fiancé said it wasn’t scooped very well either as there were still many remnants in the bottom to be scraped off. There were 2 boxes of fresh litter right next to the litter box, one of which was unopened, so I don’t understand why the box was not refreshed.
Based on our two experiences, I think this company is a much better fit for something like daily dog walks when owners are at work or short weekend trips. I would not recommend using them for any lengthy vacations and I will personally not be using them again at all.

I’ve been using Tails on Trails for just short of 3 years and if I would’ve given them a review a year ago, it would’ve been 4 – 5 stars, but unfortunately, they have gone downhill. I’m not sure if they’re just too busy or have hired some new, inexperienced people.
I have a cat that needs shots twice a day and I was gone for over 2 weeks and called them, like usual, to help. When I got back, my cat who needs medicine twice a day was very sick and I discovered extra pre-​filled syringes that should’ve already been used — meaning they had not given him all of his dosages. I brought him to the vet and they gave him a BG curve as well as a fructosamine test (which specifically gauges his average levels over the last 2 weeks). Both came back really high meaning, as I suspected, there were dosages missed, but when I contacted Michelle about it, she basically told me that she spoke with the sitters and that they said they had given all of the dosages… so ultimately, it was my word against theirs. It’s unfortunate that this is how Michelle decided to deal with a pretty severe customer complaint given that I was gone 16 days and there were potentially 4 days (8 visits) where my cat didn’t receive his medication.
In all honesty, I’m actually sad to say that I’m now currently looking for a new petsitting company. Michelle has been absolutely great in the past; she helped me in a time crunch, she credited me when one of the sitters didn’t clean the litterbox the whole time I was gone, and they’ve always been available. But unfortunately, because of the last 2 – 3 visits, I have to give Tails on Trails 2 stars and look elsewhere for help.

Always excellent care. They say people only write in if they love it or hate it… becoming obvious that people come here to rant. Reliable, especially for overnight visits and long term.

I have been using Tails on Trails for 4 — 5 years for all types of services — daily dog walks and overnight in home dog sitters. My dog is full of energy though hesitant around other dogs. She also requires medicine at various times. The staff at ToT has always been more than accommodating, able to respond to last minute requests, good with my dog, and able to take care of all of the dog’s medical needs. During over night visits the sitters always send me updates and pictures of my dog to keep me informed. ToT offers great and reliable service!

I have had several times where I have relied on Tails On Trails with nothing less than stellar service. My three dogs are my babies and knowing when I cannot be there for them, which is rare, that they are being cared for by this team puts my mind at ease. I have a senior border collie who is suffering from dementia, and after speaking with the owner of this company and hearing her compassion for my sick girl and how her experience in caring for her own ill dog gave her the knowledge of what to look for with an aging pet, I was really alot less anxious about leaving her. They check in daily when I am traveling to let me know how things are going and that makes me happy to hear they are doing ok. I highly recommend this team if you are looking for a professionally trained team of pet sitters!

I do not recommend this service. Tails on Trails put my family and home in danger.
I had daily walking service for almost a year (over 200 visits by 17 different walkers), with minor issues such as a new walker being unable to find our house, and instructions not being followed. Today was the tipping point: THE WALKER LEFT MY FRONT DOOR OPEN! My home was open for my dog to run away and people to rob me… for hours!
Tails on Trails should be held responsible for this incident, which is why I ended my service with them. I am disappointed in the lack of change that resulted from this abominable event and am worried that other families will receive the same disservice from Tails on Trails.
The management of Tails on Trails has been extremely unprofessional during my ending of services and I am extremely disappointed in their utter lack of rectitude. I do not appreciate emails attacking myself, and my family.

I called and spoke with Michelle, the owner, about watching my pet yesterday evening. I was very honest and explained to her that it would be last minute because our other pet sitter flaked on us. At that time, she explained that she needed to be in front of her computer. I told her I would call her back because I was at work and may not be near my phone. By the time I went to call her back, it was 8 pm, and hour past the time, I had told her I would call her back. I checked the website and there weren’t my office hours, and I did not want to be rude and her place of business so late. I called the next morning right before 8:30 am so that we could complete the meet and greet as we discussed the day before and the paperwork. She then proceeds to tell me that she can’t provide me with services because I didn’t call her back the night before. I explained to her that I did not want to call her place of business so late and that I had already taken the time to fill out the application on-​line, etc. I also proceeded to tell her the night before, that we were in a bind, since our previous sitter was not available. All in all, based on that experience I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS BUSINESS UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE! The customer service is not there and they over promise and under-​deliver. By her not willing to fulfill her end of the bargain, she really left my husband and I in quite a predicament. I would have hired someone else the day before. Now we are in a situation where we leave tomorrow and have to hire someone in a day, because I was counting on her service. I think it’s extremely rude for her (Michelle) to back out at the last minute based on me not calling at 8 pm at night to be considerate of her business hours vs. 8 am the next day especially once she committed.

Had to find a sitter in a last minute pinch. Went to Tails on Trails based on reputation and was not disappointed. First time dog had experienced unfamiliar people coming into home and caring for her. Scheduling and setup process was efficient and thorough. Staff used online scheduling apps and texts to keep you updated with care. Online access to system allows to see that visits are completed. Came home to a happy puppy and detailed account of all the visits. Much better than a cold kennel. Definitely recommend.

I have been a client of Tails on Trails for about a year now. We have used them a several occasions and haven’t had any issues. Our neighbor knows one of the employees so she is always able to catch up with him when he visits or dogs. We have three dogs and usually have them over to keep an eye on them two or three times a day each day we are gone and we have no complaints. We would highly recommend these dog sitters to watch your animals when you are away from home.

I use them to take care of my dog that has fear issues. He eventually warms up to people but it does take some time and patience. Tails on Trails has been wonderful scheduling meet and greet sessions before we travel so everyone is comfortable. Just spent 2 weeks away and the overnight and walker were great, I even got photos and text reports of how things were going. Having my dog so well taken care of makes vacation so much better. Michele is very responsive and understanding and luckily for me is one of the few people my dog trusts. When I plan a trip Tails on Trails is my first call if my «baby» cannot go along. Highly recommend!

Tails on Trails is wonderful. Not only are they patient with my very shy cat, I often have foster animals (I volunteer for a rescue organization) and they happily take care of whatever animals I happen to have — pregnant cat moms, litters of all ages, behavioral/​medical issues… I highly recommend them!

We used them to take care of our two dogs for a week.
To make a long story short, the data that was provided by the walker was inaccurate as to the times she was reporting for the visits which were suppose to be 30 min according to the website, but the owner said they were for 20 min, although this was not specified in the contract.
We know that as our house has multiple cameras with LIVE view as well. One camera was sitting right in the living room, with a green light on it, so it was not even hidden.
What really aggravated us was how short some of the walks were and what actually was reported.
Once we got back we confronted the owner with the info, not for any type of refund or other but just informational so she knows. She did confront the walker who apparently denied that the visits were not cut short. Altogether not very happy and will not use them again.

I have used Tails on Trails for a while and early on they were okay, but now they have instituted all kinds of new systems and have forgotten what personal service is about. The sitter was told deliberately to disregard my instructions and when I complained was treated rudely by Michelle Cohn, owner. I cancelled my service and requested the return of my keys. She said she would send them out certified mail and has still not done so, therefore, she is illegally retaining my keys. She told me I could contact my attorney or law enforcement all I want. I will certainly do so. I don’t know who this woman thinks she is that she can get away with such shenanigans. I saw other negative reviews here and usually where there is smoke there is fire. Watch out for the security of your home people; there are other reviews out there where people claim to have videos of her employees doing things they should not be doing in their homes. I will continue to update this review as things progress.
Update: Response from Michelle Cohn via email «You can try whatever you want. I am not legally bound to return them in a specific amount of time. I have chosen not to charge you for key return. You are so argumentative and are trying to control every aspect of this transaction. I said I would return them, via certified mail, and will do so. I will not be turning them over to any police officer, regardless of who you call. The chain of custody will be from me to you, via certified mail, tomorrow. If you don’t like that resolution, I really do not care.»
I will first point out I have been waiting for my keys since last Monday and you cannot tell me she didn’t have a second to go to the post office or send one of her employees. AND, YES, she is right. I do want to control every aspect of this transaction. We are talking about the security of my home. What pet/​house sitter doesn’t respect that? Folks, I think you can see the answer to that and you should carefully consider your options.

I recently moved to Odenton from Virginia and I was sad to leave my beloved pet sitter. I have two cats and one of them is shy around new people. They get fed twice a day and are a little particular.
I called Tails on Trails just a few days before I had to go out of town suddenly and they called me back within a few minutes even though it was after business hours. Michelle, the owner, scheduled a visit with me for the next day. She was friendly, professional and took great notes.
Michelle told me that the sitter who came the first evening would text me and I realized later that it was after the time they were supposed to visit. I called and left Michelle a voice mail. She called me back within an hour and said that the pet at the visit before mine had gotten sick but the sitter was on her way. The sitter texted me a little later and all was well. There were two different sitters (one covered morning visits and the other evening) but they both left notes after each visit so I knew they had been there after I go home. The cats seemed happy and everything was neat. I will be using this service the next time I go out of town!

I was going to NYC for the weekend and needed a last minute sitter for my dogs. I called Tails on Trails and they agreed to meet my three dogs late on Thursday and we were leaving on Friday. There was a slight issue as one of my dogs does not trust new people, well men mostly, and we agreed that if the guy that was coming to the house to meet the dogs did not work out that the owner would be able to watch the dogs. Just as expected, my dog was really uncomfortable around the guy and I did not feel comfortable have the guy in the house with my dog alone. We let the owner know and we though everything was good to go so we left for NYC. Well, my family and I were about 15 minutes out of NYC when I get a TEXT saying that she will not be able to look after my dogs and said that we will have to find someone else. When I read that text, I felt my heart drop as my dogs are my babies and I had no idea how we were going to get someone else to look after them. When I responded back to her, I got nothing but attitude in return. I even called her and she just yelled and said that it was last minute anyway. I totally understood that what I was asking her to do was last minute but she did not have to agree to watch the dogs. I can’t see how she could call herself a dog lover and own a dog walking company and then think it is OK to leave dogs without care for days.
I will never ever recommend this company.
Thank goodness for my family and coming through at the last minute.

I’ve been using Tails On Trails for about 6 months now and everything has been great so far. I like that Michelle takes credit cards and that she sends invoices before scheduled service. I only use them for dog walking when I have to go out of town occasionally for a weekend. They have a good team of walkers so even if your pets need 3xday walks, there is always someone available, even on New Years Eve weekend. Highly recommended.