Whether rushing to a meeting in London or enjoying some rest and relaxation in Northamptonshire, Jonathan uses DogBuddy to find a local dog sitter wherever his busy job takes him. We caught up with him to hear about how DogBuddy has helped him retain his lifestyle, whilst knowing Russell is getting all the care he needs.
DogBuddy: Hi, Jonathan, tell us a bit about you and Russell
Jonathan: I grew up with dogs as a child, and always wanted a dog as an adult. However, my wife, Lisa, thought she was scared of dogs and was convinced she was a cat person. One weekend we looked after a friend’s Jack Russell, Stan, after that she was besotted, and needed a Stan of her own. So that’s how we found Russell. We probably didn’t think through the commitment that getting a dog would be, as we found quickly that we couldn’t just go out for a meal or to see friends like we had before – it’s more like having a child than you realise.
DogBuddy: What difference has DogBuddy made to your life as a dog owner?
Jonathan: Both Lisa and I have very busy lives and jobs which isn’t always conducive to the demands of having a dog. You want a dog in your life, but at the same time, you need to be in different places at different times. DogBuddy makes it easy to retain that sort of lifestyle, whilst also knowing Russell is being properly looked after when we are busy.
Since finding DogBuddy we were able to regain some of the freedom and flexibility that we lost when we first got Russell. It’s the best of both worlds, we can maintain our lifestyles and also come home to this little guy, knowing he’s been properly cared for and looked after.
DogBuddy: What do you like most about DogBuddy?
Jonathan: For us, it’s the ultimate in convenience and reassurance. We split a lot of our time between London and Northamptonshire and use sitters in both areas. Having a nationwide service like DogBuddy means wherever we are, if we need to go away for a day, or overnight, we can leave Russell with a local DogBuddy sitter without any hassle.
I also love the fact it’s app-based; I can pull out my phone and book a sitter without having to call around – it’s so simple. It also makes it really easy to message your sitter, and you get photos of them having fun. It’s strangely reassuring when you’re in a far-flung place to get a photo of your dog looking really happy with their sitter. It means you can just relax that little bit more.
DogBuddy: How did you find the perfect sitter for Russell?
Jonathan: As I said, we use sitters both in London and Northamptonshire, so we have a couple of sitters who we use regularly.
We have one in London called Hannah at the moment who is really great. For us, the main reason we messaged her about looking was that she lives just 10 minutes away so it’s really local and convenient. From her profile, we were confident in her approach and convinced she had a real love of dogs and would be a good matched for us, and more importantly, for Russell.
Although we were already confident it was a good match, she actually suggested a meeting before we booked, so that Russell could meet her and her dogs. It was even more reassurance she was a real dog person and understood the importance of making sure Russell would fit into her “pack”. It also helps us that she’s really accommodating and flexible – she was able to come and collect Russell from our house, which meant we didn’t have to worry about him when we were getting ready to shoot off out the door.
I can say quite honestly I would never go back. DogBuddy is the ultimate in convenience and reassurance.
Looking for your perfect dog sitter for a late-summer getaway? DogBuddy has thousands of reliable sitters across the UK ready to look after your dog – at just the click of a few buttons or a few taps in our app.