My husband and I are desperately looking for a house/pet sitter for our home and two adorable dogs while we are on vacation for two weeks. We didn't expect to need someone on such short notice, as our dogs usually stay with a friend when we are away, but she is unavailable at the last minute. We would much prefer to have our dogs stay at home, with a kind and responsible sitter, than put them in a kennel for such a long time. It's not the cost so much as the emotional toll on these two former shelter dogs that concerns us. The last time they were in a kennel, it was because they were homeless, at the dog shelter. We just don't want them to have to go back to a kennel with all the bad memories and associations.
We live in the Clintonville neighborhood of Columbus, OH, just north of downtown and the Ohio State University. It is a very charming, safe, friendly neighborhood full of well-kept historic homes. Our house is a renovated 1940 Cape Cod, very clean and comfortable with comfy furniture and a finished basement. We have a huge fenced yard with a barbecue grill. We have Direct TV, DVD players, and an X-Box (with Rock Band!).
Our house is a short bus ride or drive (10 minutes or less) to everything in Columbus, especially the fun cultural centers of the Discovery District, Ohio State campus, the Short North and German Village. And Clintonville is really cool too, with fun (and funky) shopping along High Street, great parks and restaurants and a gourmet grocery store. We are also within easy walking distance of a huge Kroger, Target and Half-Priced Books.
Now for the dogs--the best part! We have a 6-year old male cocker spaniel mix and a 1.5-year-old female sheltie mix. Both are small-med in size, under 40 lbs. And both LOVE people and are really easy going and sweet. They also love to go on walks, and it is really a pleasure to go walking around this nice tree-lined neighborhood, full of great people and lots of other dogs. Neither dog has any health issues or requires medication. They just require food, water, daily walk, and lots of love. We do not crate them; they are very, very well-behaved in the house and also have the fenced yard to run around in.
If you are in the Columbus area already, or are looking for a fun mid-western adventure in Ohio's vibrant, friendly, culturally active capital city, please consider us!