Reviews (36)

Below are some reviews of Michelle S from real dog owners who have used their services on DogVacay.com!

Average Rating:

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  Danielle B

  My dog had a wonderful time with Michelle! I am new to the area and finding a safe place for my best friend while I travel - which I do a LOT for work. Michelle put me at ease right away during our meet and greet. She is clearly a "dog person" and her home is set up to cater to a dog's best wishes. After I dropped him off she sent me regular text up dates and pictures of my boy. He settled right in and clearly had a great time. When I went to pick him up he ran all around the house showing me his new favorite spots - I think he was hinting he wanted a memory foam bed like he got to lay on at Michelle's! I will be taking Boomer to stay with Michelle often - and I know he will be thrilled!
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  Lisa M

  Michelle is clearly a total dog lover. She stayed in touch with me, sending regular photos and even a couple of videos of Zorro's stay. These reports meant so much, this being the first time we have left 15 month old Zorro while we traveled. Zorro is a Border Collie and needs a lot of exercise and activity. Michelle's own dog and her other boarded dogs enhanced Zorro's experience.
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  Katherine A

  I would absolutely recommend leaving your dog with Michelle! Just picked my dog up from a 9 day stay and he was so happy and exhausted from all of the fun he had! I am so happy to have found Michelle to watch my pup while I am away. It was so nice to receive daily pictures and texts letting me know that Dunkin was doing good. Dunkin came to me as a stray who spent a good deal of time in different shelters and rescues. His sensitive nature and previous experience made me extremely worried about leaving him. The minute I dropped Dunkin off with Michelle all of my worries went away. She obviously understands and loves dogs, and enjoys sharing her home with them. I will definitely use Michelle again, and have already recommended her to many of my friends. I can not thank Michelle enough for the great care she provided Dunkin while I was away. Honestly, I think Dunkin is kind of bumbed out to be home :)
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  lauren b

  Michelle is truly someone special. Just 5 minutes after I dropped off my Sadie ('punkin' as Michelle lovingly refers to her!!), Michelle texted me with a photo of a severe inflmmation on Sadie's back paw. Something that happened days ago, but I hadn't noticed. Michelle is so thorough with her dog guests that she instantly knew something easn't right. I immediately made a vet visit for the next day and thankfully it wasn't a major concern (for the vet at least! i'm still having nightmares about her paw!). If Michelle hadn't seen that inflammation, I dont know that I would have noticed. That's the kind of person you want watching your precious "baby" when you need to be out of town. She is wonderful. Her home is so inviting for her dog guests and their people. She wants you to feel at ease leaving your furbaby and will keep you updated throughout the stay: texts, photo texts and she might even set up a FaceTime session for you and your pooch! The backyard is safe, secure and LARGE!! I adore Michelle and am sad to have left Minneapolis. I wish I could bring her to the East Coast! She is a gem. Your dog will be so happy you brought her to Michelle. And you will too!
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  Nicole G

  Michelle is an absolutely awesome dog sitter; I’ve not left my dog, Lilly, twice with her! I have never kenneled Lilly or left her with anyone besides family, so this was a huge step. I was at ease my entire trip, Michelle would send video and pictures of Lilly playing with other dogs! She has a great house that is set up perfectly for multiple dogs staying with her, she does not require the dog be kenneled (which was HUGE for us), and her backyard makes for great fun! If you are looking for a trustworthy sitter for you puppy, Michelle is wonderful and I would recommend her to anyone.
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  Diana J

  Michelle is a saint! Our dog Copper over-ate and got sick just as we dropped her off for the weekend. Michelle dealt with her being sick, keeping us updated, and getting Copper back to feeling well. We couldn't ask for anything more! Thanks again, Michelle!
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  Desi C

  Michelle is the best-our pup can't wait to have another vacay with her again!
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  Janet A

  Michelle was the best choice we could have ever made to take care of our high energy Welsh Terriers. She has such a calm and gentle personality and demonstrated knowledge and confidence. We felt very comfortable leaving them with her and as a result could enjoy our time away. We received frequent updates with pictures from Michelle, which we loved! She was so good with our girls, it seemed as though our pups were at a doggie B&B which is exactly what we wanted, a home away from home. Our girls have allergies and needed daily medication which was not a problem during their stay. We would absolutely recommend Michelle to anyone and look forward to having her care for our girls in the future. Thank you Michelle!!
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  Laura B

  I couldn't say enough great things about Michelle!! Every time she watches Che, he comes home exhausted from having so much fun! Michelle is amazing at keeping you in the loop and sent me adorable photo and video updates almost every day while I was out of the country. I am so happy to have found someone I 100% trust with my dog and I would recommend Michelle to anyone without hesitation.
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  Melanie S

  The first time I ever decided to use dog vacay was over a weekend that we were going to be out of town and we couldn't bring our pup. I was a little skeptical about it to begin with, but just to add to my anxiety - An hour before I was scheduled to drop him off, he got very sick and had to be taken to the vet. I was ready to cancel the entire weekend and stay home with him, but Michelle assured me that he would be in good hands. I dropped him off with his two new prescriptions and special dog food, and as soon as I met her I knew I wouldn't have to worry about him the rest of the weekend. She welcomed him into her home and I received text, picture, and video updates daily on how he was doing. I can't thank Michelle enough for her hospitality! Cooper had a blast playing with a few new friends, and we will definitely be going back to the K9 Kastle in the future!
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  Susan B

  Michelle took care of our 4 year old Briard for 10 days and it worked out better than we could ever imagine. We were worried because Rumba had never stayed away from our home before but Michelle professionally and lovingly made her feel at home in her house. Michelle exercised Rumba daily with walks, tennis ball chases at the park, and playtime in her backyard which was very important to us. The daily email/text and photo updates gave us peace of mind and enabled us to enjoy our vacation. We plan, without hesitation, to have Rumba stay with Michelle whenever we go away. We think Rumba hopes it is soon. Thanks Michelle!!
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  Jean K

  Miss Michelle was the best! She gave our high needs dog all the care and attention anyone could ask for-loved the updates and photos we received while he was in her care. Just the best experience for Bud and us! You will be so happy your pet gets this kind of care.
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  Heidi H

  Oh My Gosh! I had to beg my two puppies to come home with us after they spent two weeks with Michelle and Kathleen!! The early meet and greet we had was a great idea and I felt so comfortable, after meeting them, knowing my puppies would be cared for so well... by animal lovers.... They loved their home away from home vacation, while WE were on vacation!! It meant so much to receive pictures or videos and texts or emails everyday from Michelle so we felt like they were still with us! Michelle and Kathleen obviously LOVE the dogs and welcomed ours as if they were their own! They are very conscientious about making sure they get the correct food and supplements, enough time outside to play and lots of hugs and kisses! Their house and yard are lovely for the pets and their big puppy Kaylo is so sweet! Ours really didn't want to leave! They were very obliging with drop of and pick up times and also very organized with our items we brought for the puppies and ready to go when it was time for the pick up.... late, from the airport. Since we have been home Michelle is still checking on "her" puppies of ours, and I feel she really created a bond and friendship with them :) I'm sure our puppies can't wait until we leave again so they can go back and visit Auntie Michelle! I will never take my babies anywhere else! And I will worry a lot less about having to travel without them.... Thank you so much for taking the worry out of leaving them, and all of the great pictures, videos and updates every day to keep us from missing them so much!! Heidi and Pat and especially Lily and Linus XO
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  Diana J

  Michelle watched Copper, our 10 year old Yellow Lab, for 4 days and we couldn't be happier with the care she provided. We received at least daily e-mails and pictures showing us how much fun Copper was having while we were gone. We would highly recommend Michelle and hope she has space when we are gone again!
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  Erin P

  I'm am so glad to have found someone like Michelle! She is the only one we trust to watch our pugs. We left them with her for 10 days and they behaved like we had never left them at all. She takes such good care of them and we love getting pictures of them hanging out and make new friends. Michelle will always be our first choice whenever we need someone to take care of our pugs. Thanks for everything Michelle!
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  Kristen K

  As always, Michelle was the perfect dog sitter. I received videos and pictures daily and came home to an exhausted and happy puppy. Thank you, Michelle!
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  Alison S

  My Vizsla, Maggie, is 13 years old and not used to being away from home and out of her usual routine. But Michelle made her right at home and I returned from my 12 day trip to find my girl relaxed, content & happy. I could tell she had been well loved & well looked after. Michelle kept me updated that Maggie had settled with emails, texts & even a photo. A lovely thoughtful "extra" to reassure me all was well. I will definitely be using Michelle for all future trips. And I know Maggie will be happy to stay there again.
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  lauren b

  Yet again, Michelle took stellar care of Sadie over the New Year. Even though Sadie only stayed for one night, I got several photo updates and text updates. As expected, Sadie was so excited when she saw Michelle's house and of course when she saw Michelle herself! You know its a good sign when your dog's wiggle-butt goes into overdrive!!!! Michelle accommodated our pick-up time without hesitation. I cannot thank her enough for taking such great care of my little furbaby. I would go to the ends of the earth for my pup, but luckily I only have to go as far as Michelle's wonderful home (with a huge fenced in yard!)
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  Natalie L

  Ruby had so much fun playing with all the dogs here! This was the first time she stayed with someone other than our relatives and it went really well. We enjoyed getting a quick text or picture each day while we were away. Michelle was flexible with our flight delays due to snow as well. We will definitely use her again!
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  lauren b

  At the last minute, my usual dog sitter became unavailable... days before my week long international trip. I was left with little options. Luckily a friend directed me to DogVacay.com and I found Michelle. You cannot ask for a better dog sitter!!! First off, she responds so fast (within minutes it felt like!!). Michelle is a true dog lover, I could tell from the minute Sadie and I met her. I felt beyond comfortable having her care for my furbaby. There's something special about Michelle. Every day I got texts/photos of my Sadie playing in the yard, with other dog friends staying at Michelle's, just laying around exhausted from a fun day playing. Michelle understood how anxious I was and even scheduled a FaceTime session while I was abroad. WHO DOES THIS? I'll tell you: Michelle. Beyond all of this: her house is great! dog friendly, a HUGE (well-secured!!!) yard, a loving environment for your "kid". Sadie didn't want to come home with me after the week. Michelle cared for her as if she was one of her own. Sadie is already planning her next vacay! (I couldnt even wait to write a review... Got back from Michelle's 30 minutes ago. That's how fantastic she is!!)
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  Michelle and Christie N

  Toby had a fantastic 4 day staycation with Michelle and would go back in a heartbeat! As a matter of fact, I think he was really bored to be home after having such a nice time away.
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  David R

  Michelle was a great host for our 10 year old boxer. I could tell right away she knew what she was doing when she allowed Roggie to get comfortable in the yard before bringing out the other dogs one at a time. It was also great to get updates from Michelle, including a video of Roggie playing with another dog, something she rarely does!
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  Paul E

  This was the first time we had boarded our small Yorkie mix. We were a little nervous, but Michelle made us feel comfortable right away. It was clear that she loves dogs and knows how to deal with their different personalities. She sent us pictures and text messages to let us know that our little guy was okay. We are happy to have found a place for those times when we are unable to travel with our dog.
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  Liz S

  We had an AMAZING experience leaving our 3 year-old dog with Michelle during an extended weekend vacation. She was so flexible with our constricted drop-off and pick-up timing and was superb to work with. She sent us pictures of our pooch a few times while we were gone and we could tell our dog had a great time as she just collapsed in an exhausted heap on the floor when we got home. All in all, the whole experience, from meet-and-greet to the boarding itself, just left us wondering how, or more precisely, IF we could ever go back to a kennel. We will definitely be booking with Michelle again the next time we need to go out of town!
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  Megan B

  I can not say enough about Michelle!! She was absolutely wonderful with my pup! He is going on 16 and is very fraigile and really requires special time and attention from someone and Michelle went above and beyond that. I actually have a hard time leaving him with anyone else now since i've seen how great she was with him! She got back to me right away and made meet & greet times available within days of contacting her, which was greatly appreciated especially under such short notice. While on my trip we communicated via text, I recieved pictures and was updated on how he was doing which is a very comforting feeling for us dog owners. Having a big beautiful fenced in backyard and a lovely home was icing on the cake! If you get a chance to let Michelle take care of your dog while out of town it makes the trip that much better and at ease knowing your dog is in such great hands!!
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  Danna D

  This is the second time that my dog, Mia, has stayed with Michelle while I've been away on business. She loves having a backyard to run around in and all of the attention that she gets while she's there!! I really appreciate that Michelle is very proactive about providing updates and pictures of my pup while I'm away. We will definitely be using Michelle again in the future! Thank you!!
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  Dean S

  Michelle was such an excellent host. Our pugs, Oliver and Surely had a blast! Our Surely is bossy, but like Michelle says no problem and there wasn't any problems. It was a wonderful experience for them, and it was our first time using a dog sitter instead of a kennel. Michelle will definately be our first choice when we have to leave our "kids" with someone. Thank you so much Michelle!
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  Kristen K

  Michelle was everything I could have asked for in trusting someone with my puppy for a few days. She sent me pictures daily with updates on how he was doing and he looked so happy in every picture. I will definitely book with Michelle again. Thank you!
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  Michelle K

  Michelle was extremely quick to respond to my frazzled message needing last-minute boarding for my 10 y/o bulldog Simon. When I dropped him off a couple of days later I could tell she was very knowledgeable about the different personalities and temperaments of dogs, and more importantly, how to deal with them to ensure a safe and happy "pack." They have a wonderful fenced-in yard and it was nice to be able to see Simon comfortably explore it as soon as we got there. If he doesn't mind going off on his own right away I know he'll be just fine! Their home is on the way to the airport so that made it even more convenient. Simon was on a couple of medications for his allergies and Michelle was able to get him to take his pills with no problem. She sent me a couple of text and picture updates which was wonderful. It's nice to see that our "boy" was enjoying himself. We will definitely be using Michelle again if the need ever arises!
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  Mary M

  Our second time leaving our two dogs, Chewie & Jack, with Michelle. It was perfect, again! Thank you, Michelle.
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  Mary M

  Wow! Are we happy to have found Michelle's site. Both my dogs, 60 pound Aussie named Jack and the little mixed-breed, 11 pound Chewie, had a wonderful time while we were out of town. They played with the other 2 dogs there, Kaylo and another little visitor, Lucy, and had a blast. We loved seeing pictures of them (on my cell phone and even on her site!) and knowing they had a great time. When we dropped them off, they immediately starting romping and running in the huge, safely fenced in yard. They came home tired and happy. We knew they would be well cared for. It makes our time away much more pleasant, knowing they are having a little "vacay" of their own. We've booked another weekend and I'm sure they'll have good time again! Thanks, Michelle.
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  Erin G

  Boarding our yellow lab with Michelle S was a great experience! She was very accommodating and took great care of our Duke. We had just moved back to MN from Seattle and had to board Duke within just a few days of arrival and we were a bit nervous about the transition. Needless to say, our worries were useless as Duke LOVED being with Michelle at her home. I received daily text messages and pictures and believe Duke just may have wanted to stay longer! :) We had some changes to our drop off and arrival times and Michelle was great with working with us and understood our crazy schedule from having just moved. We loved boarding with Michelle and would use her services in the future as well as recommend her to anyone who wants a caring, fun place for their four legged family members!
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  Randy M

  Our little black-and-white 2-year-old Yorkipoo - Lucy - is in some of Michelle's photos. She kept Lucy for nine days and we can't say enough positive things about the job she did. Lucy got along fantastically with Michelle's German Shepherd Kaylo, she went on several walks daily with them, we were kept posted by text messages and photos, and Lucy actually seemed to miss them when we brought her back home. Every time we have to leave town, reserving a spot with Michelle will be at the top of our to-do list.
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  Hope T

  My Sherlock felt right at home the minute we walked in the door and went right into the kitchen. Where else would a dog go first but where the food is! Michelle sent updates throughout the day to let me know how he was getting on. She even had a ramp for him to get up the stairs. We've already made future reservations. I think we've found his second home.
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  Michael C

  Staying with Michelle for a week was a great experience for my Huskie/Lab/Beagle mix puppy. She was so kind and so was her full grown 100 pound German Shepherd! She took great care of her even though she can be a handful. She also kept me updated daily and photographically documented her stay quite well. I'm very happy with the experience. It was well worth the money and honestly a pretty good deal in my book. I know who I'm going back to if I leave town again! Thanks Michelle
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  Kristi O

  Michelle gets 5 stars across the board. She was available with last minute notice to take care of my 2 dogs. Her home was very comfortable with lots of outdoor space for my dogs. She provided comfort by sending occasional texts with photos throughout my dogs' stay, confirming all was going well. And, she took the dogs for daily walks and play sessions in the back yard. I trusted they were in excellent care. Thanks, Michelle!!