As owners and operators of Calvert Ways Pet Sitting, we have been pet owners all of our life. Growing up around assorted types of cats, dogs, fish, birds - not to forget the pigs, cows, chickens, sheep, bunnies, hamsters and even a few mice, which started a love and respect for all animals that has grown more each year.
While preparing to take a vacation in January 2006, we were unable to locate a pet sitter that was available for our Woogie and we had to cancel our plans rather than subject him to a kennel. As being retired from Verizon, I found that I now had the time to follow my heart and assist people in simplifying their lives and give them peace of mind by providing the means to keep happy healthy pets and a more secure home........thus, Calvert Ways Pet Sitting was born.
Pet First Aid Certified - Southern Maryland Red Cross
*Former Member - PSI * Pet Sitters International *As of 3/1/11, with rising gas prices and almost everything else, in an attempt to keep our fees from doing the same, we have decided Not to stay a member of PSI as we are an established company and the only service they provided for us was their 'Locate a Pet Sitter' service.
Member and Fully Insured - PSA * Pet Sitters Asscociates
Member - PUPS * Professional United Pet Sitters
Member - ASPCA * The American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Member - HSUS *Humane Society of the United States
Member and Active Volunteer - CAWL * Calvert Animal Welfare League
Active Volunteer for Calvert Meals on Wheels, Inc.
Life Member of Verizon Telecom Pioneers committed to making a positive difference in the community.
All of this and deep sincere love of animals, provides us with the best experience in what it means to care for your beloved pet and give that extra-special personal touch that you and your pets will appreciate. We will provide love, life care, respect and companionship for your pets and home, according to the guidelines and instructions you set out for us.We are a full time, very reliable, trustworthy, non-smoking husband and wife team. We live in Drum Point and have lived in Maryland our entire lives. We are Not a franchise or in any way linked to a franchise. We do Not hire employees so we can assure you that your pets and home will be treated with the same love, care and respect that we treat our own. When we come to your home and meet you and your pets, you can be assured that we will be the only ones coming to care for your home and loved ones.
About Our Website - please note that our website was built, from scratch, by us alone. This is not just another generic form website built by a professional webmaster to get your attention. We know it's not fancy like the professional websites but we wrote and firmly believe every word. We understand how important it is for you to have peace of mind and get the best care possible for your home and pets. What you see and read is what you get.... open, honest and caring. We have tried to provide you with enough information so that you can get to know us but if you have any questions, ideas, comments or concerns, just email or call and we will be more the happy to talk with you.
As a member of Pet Sitters Associates, LLC), we are fully insured by Pet Sitters Insurance Program, exclusively for members of Pet Sitters Associates, LLC (Administered by: Insurance Facilities Eau Claire, WI and Underwritten by an: A.M. Best rated: A (Excellent) Insurance Company).
Calvert Ways Maryland Business License # 11691390
Garrett's Story Cinder was a very young, very pregnant black lab/husky mix in a West Virginia shelter that was scheduled to be euthanized. When the call went out to rescue groups, CAWL (Calvert Animal Welfare League) took her in and on 2/12/07 she gave birth to 7 adorable pups. All her pups were immediately adopted and you would think.....they lived happily ever after.... but not for Garrett (originally know as Rock). He was adopted by a truck driver looking for a road companion but was returned the next day. He was then adopted by a family in CRE but again, was returned after just a couple weeks. Arriving at CAWL for my routine volunteer work, I inquired as to the reason that "Rock" had been returned, yet again. The reason given to CAWL was because he was not house broken and he chews. Imagine that, a three month old lab mix puppy that chews and needs to be house broken?! As I looked into his eyes, he said, "Please take me home", so now the story will end....and they lived happily ever after.
July 2011 - an interesting update - although we have always believed that Garrett is a lab mix, I spoke to the Dad of Garrett's brother who had a blood DNA test done at Prince Frederick Animal Hospital and believe it or not the results came back as Chinese Shar-pei and Standard Schnauser. Despite the results of the test, we still believe he is a lab mix due to his features.
What To Expect
When you call, you may receive voice mail because we are in and out all day. Please leave your name and number and we will contact you shortly. When we return your call, we will need to ask some basic information, where you are located, what service you need, the dates that you would need the service, etc. Once we talk and we both determine that a meeting is required, we will arrange a Free 'Get Acquainted' visit to your home.
If you require our Pet Services, we will come to your house to:
Meet you and your pets
Together, we can decide on the services that will fit you and your pets individual needs. Every pet is special in their own way and we need your help to keep them happy.
If your pet requires medication, we must be assured at the 'Get Acquainted' visit that this will be an obtainable goal. This pertains, but not restricted to, cats with claws. Injections will be discussed in advance.
When we come to your home for the Free 'get acquainted' meeting, it is recommended that we come close to your departure date so your pets (especially dogs) will remember us on the first visit. If you suspect that your dogs temperament may be a problem, we will be glad to come out for an addtional meeting at a standard visit cost. You are under no obligation to use our services, as we are also under no obligation to accept until the contract is filled out. If you contract with us, we will then give you our cell phone number, in case we are out of the office when you need to reach us in a hurry.
We welcome all questions. It is understood that this is a big decision you are making and we want you to feel absolutely confident about your final choice. If you have a special situation or request that we have not listed, we will be glad to discuss it with you.
If you require services other than Pet Services, we still require a 'Get Acquainted' visit prior to the service you need in order to find out exactly how we can best serve you, fill out a contract, obtain a key (if required) and collect payment in advance. A standard 'Get Acquainted' visit should be 30 minutes or less and is Free, no matter which service you request. If you wish to extend the visit beyond the initial 30 minutes, our standard rate would apply.
We cover the Southern End of Calvert County from White Sands to the Thomas Johnson Bridge including Solomons Island, CRE, Drum Point, Cove Point, Dowell and all other local areas in zip codes 20657, 20629 and 20688. If you are slightly outside of this area, we will consider your request. If the request is accepted by us, there may be additional mileage fees. We may also be able to refer you to another Pet Sitter that covers your area.
Rates
Keep in mind that there are many costs covered by the fee we charge. Rates are determined so as to cover our fuel, vehicle maintenance, insurances, advertising costs, office supplies, membership fees and most of all, our time and experience. So while, at first, it may sometimes seem like an expensive endeavor, remember the many benefits, not least of which are peace of mind and quality care for your pet and your own home while saving you valuable time. Also note that a kennel will not only charge you the initial stay fee but also extra for exercise time, giving medication, etc. while we care for all of your pets needs, along with your home, for no extra charge.
A visit rate pertains to any services offered; Pet Sitting, Dog Walking, Potty Breaks, Pet Taxi**, Kitty Litter Clean-Up, Poop Scooping***, House Sitting, LockOut Service, Errand Service** and Special Requests. Additional fees beyond the initial basic rate would be determined by you and your pets individual needs ( See policies for more details ). At this time, we do Not do overnights or stay in your home beyond the 30 minute visit time unless scheduled differently by you. As always, special requests will be considered on a case by case basis. In most cases, we do Not charge extra if you have multiple pets. As part of the service industry, tips are greatly appreciated.
All Visits Start at $16 Per Visit except on Holidays between Cove Point Road and Solomons Island
All Visits Start at $18 Per Visit except on Holidays between Cove Point Road and White Sands
Extended visit - $6 Per Visit Per 15 Minute Increment above the Initial 30 Minute Visit
Special Time Visit Requests outside of regular office hours - Start at $20 Per Visit
Special Time Extended Visit - $7 Per Visit Per 15 Minute Increment above the Initial 30 Minute Visit
*Holiday Visits Start at $21 Per Visit between Cove Point Road and Solomons Island
*Holiday Visits Start at $23 Per Visit between Cove Point Road and White Sands
*Holiday Extended Visit - $10 Per Visit Per 15 Minute Increment above the Initial 30 Minute Visit
*Holiday Special Time Visit Requests outside of regular office hours - $32 Per Visit
* Holidays include: New Years Day, Easter Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
**Due to gas prices, mileage will be a factor in final cost according to the current price.
***Poop Scooping rates may vary due to the size of your yard and your dog and/or number of dogs.
As everyone is an individual and has different circumstances which may cause rates to vary depending on your requests. Please call and we will be glad to give you a quote for your individual needs.
********* Unavailable Dates and Times *********
As we are a Full Time Service, there are very few incidences that we are ever unavailable But if this occurs, we will post the dates and times here to keep you informed.
Monday March 13 only available in a.m. and late p.m.
Please Note: When contacting us via email, we will respond generally within a few hours. If you do Not get a timely reply, please call us, our internet maybe down. On the other hand, if you call and do not get a request to leave a message, the phone line is out of service, please email. If you are already a customer you will have a cell phone number, please try that also. Technology is a wonderful thing but when it breaks..........
General Contact Information - We do not Text nor do we get Email on our cell phone. We only have our cell phone on when Not in the office. If it is urgent for you to contact us, if you do not get an answer on our office phone, please call our cell phone. However, if it is Not urgent, please leave us a message on the office phone or send an email and we will answer as soon as possible.
UpDate 9/9/11 - As we had anticipated, Irene was very damaging! Our electric was off for 7 days and the telephone and internet were down for 13 days. Although everything is back on track now, please keep the above contact information in mind, service can go out even on a sunny day.
Pet Sitting Visits RequiredHow many times a day we come to your home depends upon you and your pet.
Most dogs require a minimum of two visits per day.
Cats usually require a minimum of one visit per day.
Other pets will be discussed.Most all dogs really need to be seen at least twice a day for vacation sitting. Some dogs only need 1 visit a day if they have access to the outside and are used to being left alone for a good part of the day. We recommend three visits for most dogs, especially if they are used to human interaction. They will get bored and possibly depressed or even become destructive to the house or yard if they are alone all day. Although three visits is the most requested, in somes cases, two visits would be sufficent but some dog owners request as many as four visits. It all depends on your unique situation and the comfort level of you and your dogs.
Most cats do well with one visit a day, depending on their feeding schedule and how much attention makes them comfortable.
We recommend that every pet be seen at least once every day. We will Not take a contract on a dog without at least a minimum of one visit per day (even with a doggie door) and cats, no less than every other day.
If you are still undecided regarding the number of visits you would need, here is an approximation of our standard visit times but are negotiable to fit your pets needs.
Two Visits a Day Request - We visit somewhere between 6 and 8 A.M. and the same time in the evening to keep the visits no longer than 12 hours (example - if we come 7 A.M., we would also come at 7 P.M.).
Three Visits a Day Request - We visit somewhere between 6 and 8 A.M., again between 12 and 2 P.M. and the last visit of the day between 7 and 9 P.M.
Four Visits a Day Request - The first visit is between 5 and 7 A.M., second visit is between 11 A.M. and 1 P.M., third visit between 4 and 6 P.M. and the fourth visit between 9 and 11 P.M.
When we come to your home for the visits, we fill out and leave for you a Visit Report Sheet which will give you the highlights of how your pet was while you were away. We do not go into great detail because that would subtract from the time we spend taking care of your pets needs. If you have any questions at all while you are away or upon your return, Please do not hesitate to call.
What We Do in a Nutshell. We simply come to Your home and care for your pets and home. We do Not bring your pets to our home. Due to regulations and insurance issues, bringing your pet to our home would put us into the same regulation category as a kennel and we would have to follow the same rules set for a kennel which would defeat our purpose. Our goal is to keep your pets in your home where they are happy and comfortable and where we can also care for your homes necessities. We provide our phone number and email address on each page so you can easily contact us. No matter how small the question, please ask.
In Addition to Pet Sitting, we also provide the following services as needed.Pet TaxiWe will chauffeur your pets to;
We can accommodate all pets (except Pit Bulls or aggressive animals) up to 120 pounds. One way and 'sit-n-wait' options available. All pets are transported securely in your carriers. If you have a request for transport that is not listed, call or email us .Dog Walking
Quality daily exercise time is extremely important for your pets physical and mental health. Size does Not matter, they all need exercise just as much as they need your love. Even if you have a fenced in yard where your dog can run and play or take them to the dog park, they still need their walks.
As weather allows, we will walk your pet around your neighborhood for approximately 25 minutes so they can work off any pent up energy. This helps keep them healthy and from becoming bored which may lead to possible destructive behavior. Walking schedules can be set up to match your individual needs, as a one time, occasional or regular basis. If you are home or not and too busy or unable to walk your pets for any reason, we can be there for you. Extended time walks are also an option. We do Not 'share walk' with other customers pets (unless requested by you) so we can devote our full attention to only your pets.
Do you have neighbors that do not leash their dogs or strays roaming the neighborhood that may cause a potential hazard to your pet? Don't worry! We always carry protection to prevent any situation from turning bad. Your pet and their safety is our first concern.
Although dogs are the prevalent walkers, cats are Not excluded. If your cat is leash trained and likes going for walks, we will be more than glad to accommodate them. They need exercise too.Potty Break The Potty Break was designed for dogs as a Doggie Day Care Alternative. As dog owners with long work days, the last thing you need is to leave earlier and get home later due to transporting your dogs back and forth every day. This is not only inconvenient to you but also for your beloved pet who would rather sleep in their own comfy bed.
Most dogs will do their best to cross their legs until you return home, but accidents will happen. A Potty Break is most important for puppies and older dogs but all dogs love it. Potty Breaks not only create a break in the boredom, but also relieves stress physically and mentally from them and their bladders. As dogs are very social, they crave human interaction. Even if you have more than one pet, it is still not the same as human contact. We can also help reinforce any commands that you may be training your dog.
We schedule to come around the middle of your work day and go for a walk unless requested not to by you and, of course, weather permitting. If the weather is bad, we will let them out to "do their business" and than it's playtime and a treat for happy wagging tails. Keep in mind, we need your input to tell us what keeps those tails wagging and will use all information provided by you to meet your dogs individual needs.
Again, we do not want to exclude cats. Most cats are fine with your away time but, there are some cats that crave human attention. If you have one of these cats, we will be glad to accommodate them with lots of love and attention.
Additional Potty Break/Walking Service: As a customer of Calvert Ways, you will have our cell number. If you get tied up at work, stuck in a traffic jam or any reason that would prevent you from arriving home around your usual time and your pet needs attention, call us. If we are out of the office, call our cell and let us know. We will go to your home for an emergency visit.Poop Scooping Somebody has to do it, but it doesn't have to be you! You have better things to do with your time than scoop dog poop, the least pleasant aspect of dog ownership. Remember, when your dog goes on the lawn, it doesn't just stay on the lawn! Rain and irrigation washes the waste into creeks, storm drains & street runoff. Dog waste is Not fertilizer, it will burn and damage your lawn if not cleaned up on a regular basis. Dog waste contains bacteria and parasites such as: Parvo virus, Whipworms, Hookworms, Giardia and Coccidian, as well as organic matter and nutrients, notably nitrogen and phosphorous. Managing dog waste properly is something that everyone can do to make a difference in their respective watersheds. Proper individual actions result in significant water quality improvement when carried out by the majority. Unlike some forms of storm water pollutants, dog waste can be easily and economically managed.
It's Simple....we find, we scoop and we bag and trash. If requested, we can arrange to remove the dog waste from your premises entirely. You decide how often, a one time cleaning for a backyard Bar-B-Q party, once a week, etc. Our tools and boots are sanitized and disinfected after each visit. We use a kennel disinfectant used by vets that kills Parvo, distemper and other viruses. We will notify you as soon as possible if we ever see evidence of worms, parasites or eggs in your dogs droppings. We do Not "disinfect" yards or apply chemicals to your lawn in any way. No available product will penetrate deeply enough to do any real good and we do not want our customers to spend money on products claiming otherwise. See Policies for more information.
Kitty Litter Clean-Up
This service has been designed, but is not restricted to, pregnant women who must use extreme caution when disposing of cat feces. Pregnant women should be aware of a condition known as toxoplasmosis which is caused by a parasitic organism found in cat feces and can cause severe damage to a fetus. We will clean and/or replace kitty litter as needed according to your litter box requirements. All used kitty litter will be removed from your premises.
Errand Service Whether you have errands that you are too busy to do or just don't want to do, We Can Help! Are there just not enough hours in the day and you would rather be spending quality time with your family and friends or just relaxing after a long, hard week at work.
Just need some assistance, or an extra hand? We will:
Dry Cleaners
We can run just about any errand for you except for transporting people. Have an idea not listed above? Just call us - We Listen! One Time Service, Ocassional or Regularly Scheduled options available.House SittingWhen you are away from home there is nothing more disturbing than not knowing what’s going on at home. That's where we can help...We are not a home security alarm service, but our visits help deter intruders by giving your home the 'Lived-In' look. Your home deserves only the best protection while you are away! We take the security and integrity of your home very seriously! While we are on the premises, ONLY those people you have authorized shall be permitted to set foot on your property. Any unauthorized visitors will be removed by the police. It is our policy to work closely with local police departments to prevent any suspicious activity.
We will:
Your away time will be stress free knowing that your home is being cared for by reliable, trustworthy, non-smoking professional adults. If your stay away is for an extended period of time, we will even cut grass, shovel snow, water lawn, etc. We will also do some light cleaning so your home will be like when you left. If an emergency occurs, we will contact you or your trusted contractor specified by you on the contract.
Very simply, we come to your home, take care of it according to your specifications and leave. We do not 'spend the night' so no one will be sleeping in your bed, eating your food, using your 'stuff', etc. We are very respectful to your property and know you want it to be the same when you return as when you left.
LockOut Service Another benefit of being a Calvert Ways customer and keeping your keys on file with us is that you can call us in case you are locked out of your home. Why call a locksmith when we can let you in? We'll get your keys and get you inside as soon as possible! Also, if you are away from home and need someone 'let in' (relative, delivery, etc), you can call and provide a preapproved 'code word' to prove who you are and we will go open the door for you.
Call us to discuss the services, schedules and individualized care your home.CWPS Contract/Invoices and Forms Calvert Ways requires a separate contract for All services listed above, in advance. The contract not only gives us precise directions from you but also gives us permission to be on your property and is required for insurance purposes. Our contracts are very detailed because we take your pets, your home and both yours and our safety very seriously. You only have to fill out the contract one time. Once the contract is in place, future visits are as easy as a phone call. Just like you, your pet has their own personality and needs specialized attention. The more information you supply us, the better we can satisfy you and your pets individual needs.
Please review the contract that pertains to your needs. You may print and fill them out prior to our 'Get Acquainted' meeting as a convenience to you. If you have more than one pet, you will need the Additional Pet form for each extra pet because we need to know what each pet needs to be happy and healthy. If you have any questions, Please call or email, you and your pets will be very glad that you did.Pet Sitting
Additional Pet
Walking / Potty Break
Walking - No Key Required
Pet Taxi
House Sitting
Errand Service
Poop Scoop
Reference
Office Hours
7 AM - 7 PM * 7 days a week
Payment Methods
Cash is always prefered
Money Order
Check
Credit Cards - Via Pay Pal (3% added for fees)Call Us (410) 326 - 3326
Send us an e-mail: info@calvertwayspetsitting.com
Fax Available - email or call first for instructions
Calvert Ways Pet Sitting
Lusby, Maryland 20657©2006, Calvert Ways Pet Sitting . All rights reserved.
For Professional Pet Sitting, Dog and Cat Walking, Pet Transportation, House Sitting, Poop Scooping and Errand Services in Southern Calvert County Maryland, Call Calvert Ways Pet Sitting at 410 326-3326 for a Kennel and Doggie Day Care Alternative and happy healthy pets and people * Pet Sitter, Dog and Cat Walker, Pet Taxi, Potty Breaks, Kitty Litter Clean Up, Poop Scooper, 'Lived In' look House Sitter for Home Security, LockOut Service, Errand Service and Special Requests