I can't say enough good things about Melissa.  I have what I consider a "high maintenance" dog (he's very active, a little hyper, a little sensitive) who doesn't like to be crated or left alone for long periods of time.  I feel so fortunate to have found Melissa -- my dog immediately warmed to her and I have been able to travel with no worry about the care he is receiving.  Melissa provides great updates (even pictures) on how my dog is doing (eating, sleeping, walking, pooping, etc.), and I know he is in good hands.  I would totally recommend Melissa to anyone, she is a terrific caretaker and a lovely person. ~Mookie's mom

Chelsea is a bichon and we've had her for almost a year. I can't speak highly enough of Melissa. When we first got Chelsea she had been in a pet store for the entire first 8 months of her life so toilet training her was very hard. Melissa never complained about having to clean up her horrible mess and was always trying to help us with the training with good advice and tips. She also leaves super cute notes every day after she has walked Chelsea, she also lets us know when she is running late (in the dog walker world this is unheard of - friends of mine have come home to realize the dog walker is late but never been told). When we often go away for weekends or trips Melissa is happy to take Chelsea for us. Chelsea and Parker (Melissa's dog) get along really well and Melissa is always showering Chelsea with attention and lots of walks - I think she is sad to come back to us after a weekend with her! With all that said, we feel Chelsea is in such good hands with Melissa and we have total peace of mind when she looks after her for us.  ~Chelsea's mom

Melissa is terrific, reliable, responsible, has a great sense of
humor, leaves us fantastic notes about her walks with Tilden, has been
a huge help to us day-to-day and for occasional overnights and
boarding, and Tilden completely adores her. We so much appreciate
Melissa's care and skill, her professionalism and kindness. We really
can't recommend her highly enough! ~Tilden’s Mom

Melissa has walked our two dogs for almost four years now. In that period, she has not missed ONE day of dog walking. Yes, it's true; not ONE day in FOUR YEARS!

Melissa is one of the most trustworthy, caring, not to mentioned funny people we've ever had the pleasure of meeting. She writes a daily journal for us; while it may seem challenging to come up with something interesting to say every day, Melissa's other career as a creative writer is very evident in these humorous little scribblings.

She also takes care of our dogs when we're traveling, and it's just been wonderful to have someone we can trust so completely. So wonderful, in fact, that we've been spreading the word and three of the four apartments in our building now rely on Melissa to take care of their pets. And everyone has had the same wonderful experience.

I just can't begin to say how happy we've been with Melissa and I'm sure you'll have the same experience too.  ~Jimmy and Jackie’s Dad

Our dog has stayed with Melissa several times over the past 2 years. We have always had a great experience!

There's a lot to be said for having your pet stay in someone's home versus a boarding facility. When we first got our dog, we did tons of research on boarders taking into consideration references, prices, and convenience. We finally tried Eva's Pups in Williamsburg. Although it worked out fine, it seemed really silly to pay the same price to have our dog be a part of a massive group that got very little (if any) individual attention. Our dog came back exhausted, which made us feel like she had a good time playing with other dogs, but also worried us that she hadn't had a moment of calm the whole time she was there. Our dog is super high energy and has trouble calming down even when she's in our own home. I wasn't comfortable with the idea of her being worked up for days on end.

We then tried Melissa and haven't used anyone since. She is always on time (her pick up and drop off service is very convenient!) and stays in touch via text while we're away which always makes us confident in our dog's care. Most importantly, the one time I was at our apartment when Melissa came to pick her up, our dog was ecstatic to see her and even made my husband and I a little sad when she walked out, tail wagging and following Melissa, with seemingly no qualms about leaving home. 

Like I said, our dog is very high energy (she's a wheaten terrier) so we're always concerned when she meets someone new that she may be too much. But Melissa has done great with her and hasn't made any complaints to us, and certainly none have been made vice versa. 

As you can see, I highly recommend Melissa.  ~Jameson’s Mom

Melissa is an excellent dog walker! She is my backup walker taking over on weekends or when we need Zak watched when we're away. She is extremely responsible and loves dogs. She's terrific with Zak but what's truly great about her is that she follows the training regimen and or diet that has been set for Zak meticulously. She understands that continuing and supporting us at home is an important part of caring for Zak.In short, Melissa is awesome and I would recommend her highly as your dog's caretaker.  ~Zak’s dad

There aren't enough stars on Yelp to indicate how amazing Melissa is. That's all one can say. The warmest, most professional, responsible dog/cat care person in all of Brooklyn. I would even go so far as to say in all of the U.S. She was always responsive to emails/calls/texts. She always gave detailed updates on how the pets were doing when we were away. She was always helpful when it came to giving medicine to our pets. We used Melissa as our walker/sitter for our cat and dog for around 7 years total. We would continue to use her except that we have now moved out of state. If you can get on her calendar, she is really the best.   ~Jackson and Lois' Mom

I've been using Melissa as a dog walker and cat sitter since I moved to Brooklyn. I know that while I am away, I don't need to worry about the animals because they are in great hands. I know that they will be taken care of and given lots of attention while we're gone. I get updates about how the animals are doing while I'm gone and everyone seems to be happy upon our return. My dog has exhibited some nervous behavior with other dog walkers, but with Melissa, she seems to be happier which in turn makes me happy.Also, to put this in perspective...Melissa has also acted as a babysitter for my 1 year old. That is how much I trust her.I highly recommend Melissa as an animal caretaker. I really cant say enough good things about her.   ~Dolly's Mom

We've used Melissa as a dog walker/sitter every time we go out of town and she has done a fantastic job every time. Our dog is very comfortable with her and almost seems disappointed to see us when we come back! We would heartily recommend her services to any and all. .   ~Kevin's Dad

My pup is pretty picky about who she walks with. Melissa was always loving and patient with my dog, Pupuji, who is sometimes not so trusting, a little shy and also leash aggressive. Melissa, a true dog whisperer, was very good with her and my dog loved her. Where Pupuji would pull to get back inside with other walkers, my roommates reported that she would happily trot away with Melissa.Melissa was always available last minute. She was timely, responsive and flexible. And always had a willing and good attitude. She even referred me to other walkers when I moved.My only sadness is that I am no longer in Ditmas Park and I can't hire Melissa anymore, because I would again in a heartbeat!  ~Pupuji's Mom

I had pet sitter bail on me two days before I went away, and Melissa came to my rescue- and am I glad she did! Melissa is very friendly and personable. She sent me updates saying how my kitties were doing, commented on their eating, playing, etc. Even my most snarkiest cat warmed to her! I couldn't have been more pleased to have found her.It's always a leap of faith when you trust your pets and home to someone you have never met. I can say that I felt 100% comfortable leaving everything with Melissa, and anyone reading this should know that she is a complete gem.As long as she is available, she will always be my #1 go-to sitter. She's the best! ~The FurFive's Mom