Love At First Sit

Santa Monica, United States

5

20 reviews

Contacts

QR code, vCard

Telephone:
+1 310-310-8086
Website:
loveatfirstsit.net
Address:
Santa Monica, CA 90404
Santa Monica
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
880 ft26th Street/Bergamot
0.6 mi17th Street/Santa Monica College
1.1 miExpo/Bundy
QR code
Download QR Image Download vCard

Map

Streetview

Activate map

Today

Today –
Local time (Santa Monica) 03:52 Friday, 29 November 2024

Business hours

Monday –
Tuesday –
Wednesday –
Thursday –
Friday –
Saturday –
Sunday –

Description

Specialties

Love At First Sit strives to offer care by professionals that not only love animals, but those who are skilled & specialize in big dogs, animals with behavior issues & special needs — dogs and cats alike! Our pet sitters are also all licensed, insured, bonded, & certified in pet first aid.

Certified in dog obedience training, the owner is proud to staff dog walkers that are trained to not only give your pooch an exhilarating exercise, but to instill good behavior on each walk. Ask us about our on-​going dog walking package!

Proficient in feline language, our sitters are equally cat loving enthusiasts! Experienced with kittens to geriatrics, to independent, sometimes feisty, & affectionate temperaments, we revel in the opportunity to offer quality time with your cat that is both compassionate & invigorating!

No animal is left behind: welcome any & all types of pets! Fish, rabbits, turtles & more, we look forward to serving your animal relatives!

History

Established in 2011.

Providing experienced, trusted and loving pet services to Santa Monica and the immediate surrounding communities by people who love and advocate for animals. At our core, we share in a passion for animal advocacy and volunteering at local shelters and rescue groups with thousands of hours logged in collectively. This experience with a diverse group of animals, along with our love for animals, enables us to be to skilled at most temperaments, medical issues, and behaviors. With our unique perspective, we not only offer professional, and compassionate pet care, but a productive and stimulating environment for your pet when you are away!

Meet the Business Owner

Carmen Molinari M.

Business Owner

Hello! My name is Carmen Molinari and I am a native of Berkeley, California, and an alumnus of the University of California, Berkeley. A medic by trade, I transitioned out of medicine in a local ER and endeavored into helping animals at a local animal shelter. Ultimately, my immense passion for animal advocacy, my love for my own animal children (3 cats, 1 turtle, plus the 25+ dogs and cats at the shelter that I call family), and my work as a volunteer at the Santa Monica Animal Shelter, inspired me to embark on a new career to care for and rehabilitate animals. In conjunction with my work, as certified dog obedience trainer with an honors distinction from Animal Behavior College, I continue to train shelter dogs to help place them into good homes. I look forward to being a wonderful new friend to you and your animal relatives.

Love At First Sit also recommends

Vet2uLA

25

reviews

Veterinarians

Carmen Molinari M. says,

«An amazing vet who removes the stress for your pet by coming to your home for reasonable prices.»

Sweet Potato Pet Photos — CLOSED

10

reviews

Photographers

Carmen Molinari M. says,

«A brilliant photography who at her core advocates for our animal friends through her craft!»

Nearby

Near this location:
1
ft
Personal Chef Judy Aldler
1
ft
Zulema Tarot
1
ft
Goli’s Salads
1
ft
Organic Tango
1
ft
West Side Resume
1
ft
The Orthopaedic Center
Providence Saint John's Hospital 2001 Santa Monica Blvd, Ste 760

20 reviews of Love At First Sit

No registration required
Place rating: 5
PACIFIC PALISADES, CA
I wish every pet care-​taker could be Carmen. Hands down the most caring, loving, surrogate pet mom or dad you could ever ask for. Aside from the pets she takes care of, she give back her free time to homeless animals. Carmen took amazing care of my sweet Theo before he died. Theo was a nervous sometimes grumpy guy with all sorts of health issues. Carmen was so gentle and patient with him. It was as if she could read his mind. We have moved out of the area and would love to have her take care of our pack now, but we live too far away. I highly recommend Carmen and I’m jealous of you all who live in SM who get to have her love your pets.
Place rating: 5
Ventura, CA
When i moved back to the greater los angeles i was worried about what i was going to do with my dog Milo since i commute to work every day I did not want to leave my dog home alone your friend recommend that I check out website love at first sit so i when on and i took a chance on them, there i meet Shinise R. Milo took to like her off the back which made me comfortable with her you feel the love she has for the pets she looks after.
Needless to say after several months I’m still with her and I couldn’t be happier Thanks love at first sit
Place rating: 5
Santa Monica, CA
Do you want to go out of town and leave Fluffy or Fido behind without any worry or stress? Do you want to sit on the beach sipping a margarita while looking at pictures of your pets and reading about their antics? If this is you, then Love at First Sit should be your go-​to pet sitter. Carmen is the best, she gets back to you right away, prices are very reasonable, booking is easily done on-​line. All of this is great, but what really makes the difference is she loves animals, and spends time playing with them, petting them, and of course feeding and cleaning up after them. I always come home to happy and relaxed kitties. Also, she works with rescues and volunteers tons of time for animal causes. I recently had a stray cat living under my apartment and after failing to catch the kitty and ads and searches for his owner got me nowhere, I finally thought to contact Carmen. Her help and guidance on what to do and who to speak with along with her moral support, were absolutely invaluable. Happily, kitty was caught and from what I understand, adopted. Thanks, Carmen. You’re the best!
Place rating: 5
Santa Monica, CA
We are so happy that we found Carmen and LAFS! She is exceptional with our pups. We have two pit bull rescues, so people in the Santa Monica area tend to be timid around them – around any area really! That said, we really wanted to find the right dog walker. Although our dogs are in training throughout the year, it was still crucial that we found someone who was understanding of their breed and comfortable handling them. We found this and more with LAFS! They are so flexible with our schedule and really help reinforce training. They are very responsive and will provide you updates every time they come. We were even able to go on vacation and actually relax because we knew they were in such good care with LAFS. I can’t say enough about them. Our dogs definitely lucked out.
Place rating: 5
Los Angeles County, CA
We just used Love at First Sit for the second time. I feel very assured that my 2 cats will be taken care of, even if they won’t come out of hiding (they are cats after all). The email check-​ins are also a lovely touch, I thought I didn’t need them, but receiving the email with an update and pictures is always so fun! Carmen is very professional, organized, and understanding, we love her and feel 100% sure our kitties will be well taken care of and happy!
Place rating: 5
Santa Monica, CA
OMG I am soooo glad I found Love at First Sit. I moved to Santa Monica in January from London with my cat poppy and no family here to look after here. I have used Love At First Sit twice now and was so pleased. I got a picture every day with a little bio on how poppy is doing which really put my mind at rest. I can home to a clean litter try, empty bins and a happy cat. And my poppy is very nervous so i’m fussy about who looks after her. Thank you Love St First Sit x
See full review here:
Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA
Carmen we love you as much as we love our pets. Second time using Love at First Sit and we had love at Second Sit. Just wanted to update and keep it current, Carmen and Co are awesome.
Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA
Carmen is AhhhhMAZING. We have 2 cats. One is the devil, no, really. this cat is Ray Rices spawn, and the other is the sweetest kitty in the world.
Carmen knows how to deal with troublesome pets. Our one cat would attack and hiss at her everytime she would check on him, She was always calm and never overreacted to that little bastard. our other cat is a rescue cat from H. Katrina and will eat till she pukes.
She takes pics when she stops in and texts them to you with a little update on how your pet was doing that day.
She remembers details about your pets and gets all the facts and preferences before you leave.
When you come home from your time away little notes about your pets will be waiting for you.
Place rating: 5
Santa Monica, Los Angeles, CA
Carmen is the best! Professional, responsive, thorough and most importantly she genuinely cares!
Place rating: 5
Santa Monica, CA
Carmen at Love At First Sit knows and cares about animals (in our case, two cats). She is professional and is someone who lives up to her word. She sent us daily emails and photos (and even videos) so we knew our pets were doing well in our absence. When we returned, everything was as it should be.
We will book Carmen for every trip from now on. We give her our highest recommendation.
Place rating: 5
Santa Monica, CA
I usually get friends or family members to take care of my cat, Kitty while I’m away. This time however, I was going to be gone for 2 weeks over Christmas break and didn’t feel right asking friends to give up their break like that.
I hired Carmen, who came by every day for 15 minutes.
I really didn’t know what to expect with cat sitting services, I figured that like my friends, she’d come in, say hi and throw some food in the dish.
Carmen sent me daily emails updating me on how Kitty was doing and how she was progressing getting to know her.
She clearly cares a lot about cats, and worked hard to establish trust and a bond with Kitty.
It really showed when I got home. Though Kitty definitely told me off for a bit (she always does) she was not as timid and nervous as when I usually come back after long stints. She remained very well adjusted over the time I was gone.
Carmen also left us a nice note and a little gift, a great personal touch.
I will definitely be using this service from now on. It is incredibly well priced for the service you receive.
Place rating: 5
Santa Monica, CA
Carmen is amazing. She checked in on my cat over the Christmas holiday for a week and I am still so impressed with how professional, caring, and organized she is! Everything went perfectly, and with the daily photo and video updates I was put completely at ease throughout my trip. I even returned to a hand written Christmas card and treat! I will definitely be a repeat client and would recommend her services to anyone! Thank you Carmen!
Place rating: 5
Oakland, CA
Carmen pet sit for my two cats while I traveled. One of my cats has to be medicated daily, and I always worry when I travel because she can’t miss a day of medication. I was so lucky to find Carmen. She is so efficient and was super great about working with me when sudden out of town trips came up. I knew my cats were in good hands with Carmen, and I never worried at all. She’s great. I highly recommend her!!!
Place rating: 5
Culver City, CA
I love this service. I have a very persnickety cat who hates everyone but she loves Shinise! We have used them since Christmas last year and have used them twice since they are my first choice and we’ve been through 2 other services prior. I love that we can pay in advance online and how thorough they are during the consult and then each time they watch my cat.
Place rating: 5
Berkeley, CA
Folks, if you ever need a pet sitter don’t think twice about contacting Carmen. We’ve been away twice since adopting our kittens and Carmen’s care is absolutely fabulous. Our days away are sprinkled with kitten updates that we look forward to each day. Moreover, we get videos and pictures! Once we got home, Carmen had a meticulous account of the girls’ activities in their very own journal. I can’t tell you how pleased we are to have found Love At First Sit! We can enjoy our time away knowing our Roger and Mina are in great, loving hands. Thanks Carmen!
***
Update: We have since moved from Santa Monica to Berkeley. Carmen continues to be a great source to turn to for Vet/​Pet recommendations.
xoxo
Place rating: 5
Santa Monica, CA
Carmen has been walking Leila, our Siberian Husky rescue, since we adopted her last year. She is incredibly consistent, flexible, reasonably priced and attentive. Every day she sends us a text to let us know how things went. She also keeps a journal/​log with a more thorough note at home. This was particularly important in the beginning when we were trying to diagnose Leila’s mysterious stiffness and limping. Carmen also has caught some potentially more serious issues when Leila has eaten things she should not have gotten into (think Trident gum, Hawaiian chocolate covered macadamia – all toxic to dogs). Thankfully, this meant we were able to get attention before it was too serious.
On holidays, Carmen goes out of her way with sweet gestures. We came home to Christmas stockings filled with healthy treats and goodies for both Leila AND our cat (who Carmen has never even cared for)! We also come home on occasion to find nice quality printed pictures of Leila (Halloween and Christmas themed, for example).
Most importantly, we know we can trust and rely on Carmen. As she has gotten to know Leila, she knows what to look for and knows when something is not right or as it should be. We have piece of mind knowing that someone is checking up on things throughout the week and keeping it interesting for Leila during the monotony of long work days.
She is now also working to challenge Leila a little more in obedience and behavior during her walks. We look forward to seeing how Carmen’s business develops and continuing to support her excellent work!
Place rating: 5
Beverly Hills, CA
**MOST AMAZING DOG WALKER IN SANTA MONICA**
It took me awhile to find my ideal dog walker.
And finally after meeting Carmen, I knew she was the one for Yoshi.
Professional, YES.
Well-​organized, YES.
Caring and efficient, DOUBLE YES.
She walks him 4x a week with no drama.
Yoshi looks leaner and happier.
Best yet, she gives him healthy treats and sends me text photos.
Who wouldn’t love her?!
Very awesome.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND.
Place rating: 5
Santa Monica, CA
I’ve meaning to write this review for months! Carmen has watched my cat Meebo at least 10 times over the last year and she is FANTASTIC!!! I feel incredibly lucky that I was able to find her and she is the envy of all my friends who do not live in LA.
I wrote a blog about how great Carmen (the owner of Love at First Sit) was– and here is a part of it:
I travel a lot and that has created a problem for me: what to do with Meebo when I am away for more than 3 days. I mentioned the dilemma to one of my friends and she recommended that I get a cat sitter. Intrigued, I looked into the idea and realized there were a few companies in the LA area that focused on this amazing idea of providing dog/​cat sitters for people who do not feel comfortable with leaving their pet at a kennel and prefer a more personalized service. The price varies depending on how long you want the sitter to chill with your pet and level of the specificity of instructions.
Being an avid fan of craigslist, I decided to check out if I could find a cat sitter directly. And I was BLOWN away by the number of people advertising on craigslist. I followed up with a few people and decided to interview 3 people (necessary so Meebo could check them out and I could assess how he liked them). The woman, Carmen who I decided to go with immediately took to Meebo and Meebo to Carmen. She came in extremely organized – with a welcome folder and a contract. As well as a journal to chart how Meebo behaved. I am an instinct person (it’s a blessing and a curse) and she felt right so I offered the job to her after 3 minutes.
Meebo’s visits include am/​pm visits – (he likes to look out my screen door, so she opens it in the morning and closes it at nite). Food, water, brushing, and some loving!
I left on a trip last month, w/​o a worry about Meebo.
I come back and I am BLOWN away by what she has left: a «report card» (with a picture of Meebo) thanking me for hangtime with Meebo, and a full report of his behavior (she says that he was a perfect gentleman).
I’ve used her for two days up to two weeks– I’ve always felt very safe and confident in her services.
Even more– she volunteers at the Santa Monica animal shelter… thats how much she loves animals!
I fully believe that I have:
.sitter.ever.
Place rating: 5
San Francisco, CA
I was so lucky to find Love at First Sit. Carmen, the owner of this fabulous company, is amazing! And I can honestly say she has changed my life… I can now TRAVEL! My pets are my children and I can not imagine leaving them with just anybody! Carmen is so AMAZING you could not ask for a better pet sitter! Carmen has a way with your animals compassionate and kind… I hate to inform you but your fur friends will be so excited to see her they will not even look back at you… I almost was hesitant to write this afraid all of her time slots will fill up! However I know how hard it is to find a phenomenal pet sitter so I need to spread the gospel! I love how Butch and Trudy are just exhausted after a day with Carmen. if only little Dorothy could join in!
Big Shout out to Love At First Sit you really are the best!
Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA
Carmen at Love At First Sit is amazing with animals! I volunteer with her at the Santa Monica Animal Shelter and have seen her handle hundreds of dogs — big, untrained dogs at that. Plus, she’s a huge animal lover who works endlessly to help find homes for shelter dogs and cats.
And she’s not just someone who’s doing this on the side for a little money. She’s licensed, insured, and knows pet first aid. If you think of your pet as another family member, then you just have to go with someone who can be trusted with your baby. And Carmen is definitely that person.