Like so many pet owners, I struggled with what to do whenever I traveled. Boarding never felt right. Too many stories of pets being lost, injured, or mistreated made it impossible to trust. Still, I tried it once — and that one time changed everything. One of my dogs tore his ACL during his stay. He was never the same. What was meant to give me peace of mind left us both with regret. I vowed never again.
The truth is, pets don’t get to choose their company. If the energy feels wrong, they can’t walk away. They’re stuck — often scared, stressed, or worse. I wanted something better.
Traveling with pets wasn’t easier. Pet-friendly hotels were restrictive or overpriced. Hiring strangers to come in and out of my home gave no real peace of mind. And boarding or sitter schedules never matched the way I lived. I’d come home to accidents, anxiety, and behaviors that never existed before.
What pets deserve is care that mirrors their home life — their routines, their rhythms, their comfort. If I wake up at 4am to walk my dog, I expect the same when I’m gone. Familiarity isn’t optional. It’s everything.
That became the heart of Ruffurrals Only:
24-hour personalized care. Not average. Not cookie-cutter. Not “good enough.”
Because average care leads to average outcomes — and our pets deserve so much more.
In 2017, my Golden Retriever Tahoe passed. I wasn’t ready for another dog, but I deeply missed the companionship. So I began pet sitting for friends and family — and quickly realized I wasn’t just caring for pets. I was caring for homes, too. Because after travel, what people want most is simple: to walk in, hug their pet, take a hot shower, grab a bite, and relax. Not errands. Not stress. Just peace.
Looking back, I never once found a sitter who gave me 100% confidence my home and pets would be exactly as I left them. That’s the gap I set out to fill.
And that’s how Ruffurrals Only was born — from love, from loss, and from the belief that your pets and your home deserve care that brings true peace of mind.
Because when you leave, you shouldn’t have to worry. And when you return, everything — including your pet’s warm welcome — should be just as you dreamed it would be.
