Full-Time Dog Walking & Pet Sitting

Amy Cusick Dog Walking and Pet Sitting

Minneapolis, MN

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About Amy Cusick Dog Walking and Pet Sitting

10 Thumbtack jobs completed

I service Minneapolis residents (from Bryn Mawr to Lake Harriet). If you need cat sitting or in-my-home small dog pet sitting, the neighborhood is flexible.

I have over 10 years of full-time experience in walking dogs, house sitting, and pet sitting in client's homes and in our home (small dogs are welcome to stay with us, if housebroken).

Services that are available include the following:

* Cat sitting (usually one visit a day works best for cats)

You choose how frequently I visit. My cat sitting service is $15 plus tax ($16.16). Prices include up to 3 cats. This is available across Minneapolis.

* Dog walking

Daily dog walks are $15 plus tax ($16.16). Add $5 plus tax per visit for each additional dog ($21.55 for 2 dogs). The walks are about 1/2 hour.

Your dog will either walk by themselves or with other dogs, so your dog must be dog friendly and up to date on immunizations. Most of the dogs I walk are small dogs, so your small dog will feel secure among other dogs their own size.

I service most neighborhoods from Brownie Lake to Lake Harriet.

* Dog and house sitting

If your dog(s) are small and housebroken, they are welcome to stay at our house. Otherwise, I can either stay at your house or come to your house several times per day (most dogs are fine with 3 visits per day, but you know best).

If your dog(s) comes to our house, and you drop him/her off, I serve all neighborhoods. If you want me to stay in your house or visit several times a day, I serve most neighborhoods between Brownie Lake and Lake Harriet.

Daily rates are the same as 3 walks per day ($48.48 for 1 dog or $64.65 for 2 dogs).

Here is what one of my clients had to say about me:

"Amy has been my sitter for approximately 6 years (maybe longer. I just don't remember life before Amy). She is extremely reliable, always gets back to me in a timely manner, and most importantly, my dogs love her.

There are not a lot of people I would trust my house and my 'girls' to, but I never felt that way about Amy." Gen G.

Consultations are free. If you email, please use the word "petsit" in the subject heading, so that your email will stand out for me among the junk mail.

Amy Cusick
Pet Sitter and Dog Walker

Location

Minneapolis, MN 55405

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Reviews

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  • 5/5 stars February 15, 2013

    Amy did an awesome job walking my dog while I was on a long vacation. She was caring, reliable, and flexible. After a few walks, my dog loves her. I would definitely hire her again.

  • 5/5 stars February 12, 2013

    I called Amy upon my new 6 week old family member Brie, whom I did not want to leave home alone at such a young age. Not only has Amy been great with the puppy (also assisting with training), she played with the other 3 dogs. When I arrive home, my dogs all look relaxed and comfortable. I could not have done this without Amy's help. She is truly compassionate with my pups, and I trust her to the utmost, which is extremely difficult for me when it comes to my pets. She again, is excellent, and I can't recommend her highly enough. Thank you Amy from; Brie, Zoie, Lexi and Daffie (even the parrot - Mandy).

  • 5/5 stars January 15, 2013

  • 5/5 stars January 6, 2013

    I found Amy through a Craigslist post. We have a LOT of pets, two reptiles, two bunnies, two cats (one diabetic) and two hyper dogs who are not exactly housebroken. She did a fantastic job not just feeding them & keeping up with their messes but loving our pets. I know this because the dogs and cats were not in the least bit needy on our return, in fact they barely seemed to notice were gone. Highly recommended by Sue's home petting zoo!

  • 5/5 stars December 15, 2012

    Amy has done a great job sitting my cats. I will definitely use her again.

  • 5/5 stars October 22, 2012

    Referring to Amy as a "dog walker" is simply an inadequate description for the service Amy has provided to me, my home and my pets. While I hope my situation is a little unusual, my puppy had health issues at the time I adopted her. When the Vet and I thought the issues had passed, Amy was attuned enough to think otherwise. Amy called me at work one day and offered to take a sample to the vet. Amy was right. My dog was still quite ill. When I estimated the extra compensation for Amy's time and travel, Amy left the extra money on the counter. When I next saw Amy, I'll never forget the look I got. While an astute enough business person, Amy's fundamental concern is clearly for the welfare of those in her charge-- and I include myself some days. She's taken in my deliveries, shut off devices I've left on and is beyond simply trustworthy and reliable. I can leave my pets and home each day knowing Amy will be here-- and that my home, my dog and even my cats have a friend and protector that we depend on to stay safe, healthy and happy. My dog loves her walks with Amy and I couldn't be happier we found Amy. Michelle C.

  • 5/5 stars August 30, 2012

    Amy is the *only* person we trust to care for our dogs when we go out of town. She is flexible, patient, very caring and our goofy pack absolutely loves her. We do too. Amy goes above and beyond in every aspect of service. She is a gem -- once you've discovered her, you won't be able to live without her!!

  • 5/5 stars August 2, 2012

    Am looking forward to having Amy in our lives.

  • 5/5 stars July 6, 2011

    Amy was great! We will gladly call on her, again.

  • 5/5 stars June 3, 2011

    We are incredibly fortunate to have had Amy Cusick as our dog's walker for more than 2 years. She has been a fabulous addition to his life.
    She is extremely reliable, trustworthy, and takes great care with our
    little guy. On a scale of 1 - 10, Amy deserves an 11!

  • 5/5 stars June 1, 2011

    Amy is the most wonderful dog walker and sitter there is. My dog adores her, and when he's with her, I know he's in the very best hands. You cannot find a kinder more reliable person for your pet.

  • 5/5 stars May 31, 2011

    Amy knows my cats better than I do. After being gone for a few days, I come back to detailed notes of pettings, brushings, playing and how each cat was behaving that day. Several times she has taken care of my pets on short notice and when she hasn't been available, she has made a suggestion of a replacement sitter (who was also incredible). Amy is beyond dependable and is thoughtful and considerate (she has offered to take care of plants and bring in the mail). We're moving from Minneapolis this summer and I don't know what we're going to do without her!

Question and answer

Q. Describe the most common types of jobs you do for your clients.

A. Dog Walking is the bread and butter of the business. The other services are dependent on peoples' travels. For a couple of years, people weren't doing too much traveling, but now, they seem to be getting away more. Maybe the economy is improving or maybe people are just sick of the weather we've had this year. For whatever reason, the pet sitting part of the business has become more popular lately.

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. A lot of people focus more on the cost of things than the quality. Set up a meeting with your potential pet sitter/dog walker. Do they show up when they said they would? Do they seem trustworthy? Does your pet seem comfortable with the pet care provider? Consider your pet's normal routine. Will your pet enjoy the comfort of home or are they comfortable in someone else's house? Also be sure to book the service as soon as you know about your trip so you're not scrambling at the last minute to find someone.

Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. I would want to have some contact with the pet provider during my trip so I'd know everything was going well. I often will send photos, emails or texts to keep clients updated on how their pet is doing while they're away. Feel free to request that.

Q. What questions should a consumer ask to hire the right service professional?

A. How long have you been in business? Do you have employees or will it be you performing the service? How often will you be visiting my house or walking my dog?

Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?

A. I usually try to personalize the experience to what the owner has told me about their pets and their own preferences. I try to deliver more than what's expected.

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. My job combines several of my favorite things--I love to be active and I love spending time with pets. Everyone always says do what you love and the money will follow. I may not be making a lot of money doing what I'm doing, but for more than 10 years I've been able to do what I love and get paid to do it.

Q. How did you decide to get in your line of work?

A. This sort of became a job by accident. I was in between jobs and saw an ad in the paper that said "Must Love Dogs." I called and got a job as a dog walker/ pet sitter for Pet Pals of Winchester the next day. I thought it would just be a temporary job until I could find a job in the non profit world. I ended up loving it so much that I ended up working for Pet Pals for 7 years. When I moved to Minnesota, I started my own service.

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