"HALF PINT,"
"ZACK" &
"ZOEY"
Elgin, IL
"SHADOW"
Wauconda, IL
Testimonials & Recommendations
"Carrie is one of the most dedicated and passionate people I have encountered regarding my dog, Shadow. If I ever have a question, I know I can call her. I know that, when watching my dog, it is like she is watching her own. She treats animals like they are her children. She takes time to play, talk to them, and truly enjoys every minute she spends with them. In addition to loving animals, Carrie is extremely trustworthy. I know that she will do as I ask when it comes to watching my home and my dog, and I don't have to worry when I am away. Using Safe Haven Advocate Pet Care makes me feel exactly that--that my dog
is in a Safe Haven when I am gone. Hiring Carrie was one of the best decisions I have ever made regarding my dog Shadow, and I will do so again and again whenever we need someone to help. Shadow is always so excited to see her!
You can't go wrong with this company!"
- Christie Sommers
"JAKE"
Bolingbrook, IL
"If I didn't have Carrie to turn to, I don't know what I would have done. I was in the process of losing my home and my dog Jake was in desperate need of medical attention that I couldn't afford. When I called Carrie she was there in an instant. After much discussion and soul searching on my part, I had to make the decision that the best thing for him would be to find him a loving and caring person who could take on the responsibility of his medical needs and give him the attention that I could no longer give. She took us to a vet to get an idea of what he would need and to make sure that Jake would be able to go on to be adopted, as she knew of a rescue who took in pets and made sure he would be placed in a loving home. Yes, I miss my Jake and a part of me was lost the day I gave him up, but knowing that Jake had Carrie to make sure things would go well for him made me feel that I didn't have to worry if he would be loved.
Carrie is so compassionate and is a great advocate for pets. I couldn't think of a better person than her to take care of your pets while you're away. If you find yourself in need of someone to take care of your "baby," look no further.
You have found the right person/place for in-home pet care. You can trust that they will be loved and well cared for until you return! She is so much more than a Dog -walker or Pet Sitter. She's an angel to watch over them while you're away.
Thank you Carrie for doing what you do!"
- Jackie Prendergast
"I highly recommend Carrie to anyone who needs pet care!
Carrie has taken great care of my little beloved furry friends. Not only is Carrie fun-loving, very
caring and has a huge love for all animals; she is dependable and trustworthy. Carrie also has a lot of experience and the proper skills from working at a day time Veterinary clinic and an Emergency Veterinary Clinic for years.
While I had 2.5 rescue kitty cats, Carrie was instrumental in helping me care for Zack, Zoey and ".5" a.k.a. Half Pint.
When you open your home to rescue animals, you never know about their health history or what they have been through. Unfortunately, ".5" had become deathly ill, we almost lost her to kidney failure. She needed I.V. fluid therapy every 3 days - due to the help and care that Carrie provided, we got to enjoy her company for 4 more years. I was very thankful for that extra time with her.
With my corporate job and crazy and stressful schedule, Carrie gave me the peace of mind that my little loved ones were in great hands. I truly believe that when your pets become a huge part of your family, it's important who you hire to help take care of them when you go out of town, need special medical assistance and/or have long work schedules. I highly recommend Carrie for the job!"
- Wendy Thompson
"GORDO"
Saint Charles, IL
"I first met Carrie when she was working as a technician and receptionist in a busy emergency veterinary service environment. Carrie was our "Rockstar" --Calm, organized, personable, friendly. She took great care of the clients and treated all the patients as if they were her own pets. She was the kind of nurse you would pay extra for your own care -- Gentle, loving, and considering every need. She is so attentive and kind to all animals and, with her friendly personality, she is immediately trustworthy. I wouldn't hesitate to ask her to watch over my pet family for me. She is the perfect pet care provider when you have to be away from your fur family!"
- Dr. Kacee Lingner, DVM
Emergency Veterinary
Services of St. Charles
"CUPCAKE"
Geneva, IL
"Carrie is an incredible dog trainer!
She's kind, loving and unbelievably patient with both puppies and their people. Not only has she trained our beautiful, albeit, somewhat stubborn Goldendoodle, Cupcake, but watching her has also taught me and given me the confidence to work on training with Cupcake myself.
Almost (but not quite) better than all of that, is that even when Carrie no longer comes for training sessions, we now know our babies will be safe, loved, and cared for when we leave them in Carrie's care, as she dons her pet sitter hat. I cannot recommend her any higher than I am!"
- Chris Hadley
"BAUER," "ROMEO,"
"KITTY," & "GUS"
Elgin, IL
"Carrie did a wonderful job! I needed her last minute so I could go out of town and she had no problem coming to my rescue. She went above and beyond what other dog walkers/ sitters do. Lots of play time and love.
I would recommend her to anyone who wants their pets treated like a king or queen because she does, she treats them like her own and will do what you
ask for your pet! I love Carrie and how she treats my babies!"
- Jacki Letsinger
"MAZIE MOE"
& "BEAU BABY"
Elgin, IL
"Carrie has been a lifesaver for our family with regards to our cats, especially one that is high maintenance due to a tricky illness like diabetes. She keeps in constant contact with
us while we are away and monitors everything including food and water intake, behavior, and happiness level! Carrie is a master at taking just the right pictures so we can see them happy and healthy! She truly has our animals as her number one priority and takes her job very seriously. I am so grateful to have found her at a time when circumstances beyond our control have kept us away from our pets longer than we wanted or expected. This last time Carrie recognized that one of our cats had an eye that was infected. She didn’t panic but kept us in the loop with pictures, and eventually took our sweet boy to the vet to get him started on eyedrops before we came home. I would whole heartedly recommend Carrie to anyone who loves their pets and wants them to have a stress free environment in their home while their owners are away. She has been a gift to our family!"
- Ruth Clemens
"SWISHEY"
Saint Charles, IL
"We are so happy with Safe Haven! Carrie is the 4th dog sitter that my Swishey has had in 5 years. Carrie is by FAR the best! She cares about my girl and treats her just as good as I do (maybe better!). I know that my baby will be well taken care of when Carrie comes to visit her. I love that Carrie shoots me a text that she is there and when she leaves. Even better yet is that I get pictures of my baby dressed up or of them playing together and I can see how happy she makes her! I can't wait to see the pictures that I get in the Spring/Summer when they can go outside more to play. I would highly recommend Carrie to anyone that is considering pet care or even if you want your pet to get some exercise during the day or night. I've already told many of my furry friends parents about Carrie and to let me know if/when they want her info! Thank you Carrie!"
- Kris Gregory
"PIPER"
Saint Charles, IL
"We had Safe Haven pet-sit our four month old puppy, Piper, when we went to Mexico for the week. It was great to have someone not only taking care of our dog, but also our house. Our flight was delayed several hours on the way home and Carrie was willing to stay an extra night! And bonus, our puppy even learned some new tricks while we were gone!"
- Angela Heathman
"ZOEY"
Elgin, IL
"Carrie is genuine, honest, skilled, personable and truly cares about her relationships with both the animal and human client. She is prompt, hard-working, dedicated and loyal. Sending photos is a great bonus -- especially with Carrie (who I am sure could make it as a photographer, too)-- You can SEE for yourself that your fur-kid is getting the attention and time she promised (and often, even more!). Carrie communicates every need and is always looking out for what is best for our little guy!
CAUTION: You will find yourself wanting to hire Carrie for longer and longer periods of time... she is just that good -- Your pet will love her that much!! If our dog could talk -- I'm sure she would ask us to invite her more often!!!"
- Amy Schauble
"JASMINE"
Elgin, IL
"Recently, I hired Safe Haven Advocate Pet Care to look after our precious girl Jasmine while my husband and I were out of town. Carrie came over prior to the day/night that we were going to be out of town to sit down with us to discuss any concerns we may have had, as well as to explain to us what we could expect from Safe Haven. Since Jasmine is new to our family and was formally a street dog rescued in New Delhi, India, she has some special needs. Each time Carrie came to our home she didn’t just walk her or feed her and return her to her crate, she stayed with Jasmine for at least an hour at each visit. Knowing that I was anxious about leaving our little girl, Carrie took photos of Jasmine throughout our absence and sent them to us. What a comfort! The fact that Carrie provides in-home care AND even more importantly, she is a Veterinary ER Tech, makes Safe Haven in our opinion,
#1 in pet care. Thank you Safe Haven!"
-Betsy Kozial
"GIGI," "MINI-MO,"
& "CECIL"
South Elgin, IL
"This was the first time I used Carrie to house
sit and care for our three rescue adult cats.
We have two senior kitties who both have
different stages of renal failure, a common killer of adult cats. I'm a very particular person who doesn't do well with leaving my animals to to begin with. I have had a couple of sitters over the years... some great, some who just didn't like details - which makes choosing a sitter a hard decision, especially for pets with medical conditions. One was very nervous with their medical issues or just wanted to do the basics, which then made me uncomfortable leaving them.
Most pet parents will understand this...
Carrie is one of those special people who loves all animals, understands details, provides communication and is not afraid of responsibility. She is medical professional and reliable caregiver. In fact, I think this was the first time they didn't act like they missed us when we arrived home.
Should I be worried? LOL! A sign that she did a great job!
One cat also likes to be kind of pushy (in a lovable way) when it comes to the food train. Carrie understood this behavior and didn't let him get away with anything! She provided the same care to my pets as if they were her own. Because she has a great understanding of animal behavior, she really gets them (and me). I felt very comfortable with her taking care of them and plan on using her again for future time away, along with medical assistance."
- Sheila Verschoore
"KULAP"
Elmwood Park, IL
"The best out there!!! You will not find anyone who will care for your animals better then Safe Haven Advocate Pet Care & Photography!!! If your looking for someone to care for your animals like you would, Safe Haven Advocate Pet Care & Photography is the way to go!
Thank you Carrie for all the love you put into taking care of my baby. Kulap would never have been saved if it wasn't for you. Thank you for loving animals
so much. And thank you for loving them as if they were your own!!! Keep up the amazing job you do on a daily basis!!!! "
-SCL
"BEAR" & "DAISY"
Elgin, IL
Testimonial Coming Soon.
"HOLLY"
Bartlett, IL
"Carrie was the answer to our prayers! I could not be more pleased with her puppy and socialization training!
Holly is our (now) 8 month old Schnauzer who is FULL of sass and energy.
Due to financial constraints, we were unable to use a doggie daycare/ training facility to train our sweet Holly, and boy, was she giving us a run for our money! We liked the fact that Carrie was willing to come into our home for training and could give her the one-on-one attention that she needed. Carrie was so knowlegable, patient, and caring towards Holly, as she had plenty of behavioral obstacles to overcome from the start. We were able to contact her at any time with a question or concern that we had and she had so many wonderful suggestions that we would have never thought of trying on our own! I feel like she trained us as new puppy owners just as much as she trained our Holly. She was so encouraging when we felt like giving up on what seemed like an impossible feat! Carrie is such a sweet and loving person and a real asset to any dog owner. Holly is now what Carrie likes to call a "well mannered doggie citizen" and we could not be more happy about the results that we have found through her work and dedication towards Holly. I would HIGHLY recommend her to anyone looking for a well behaved companion!
Thank you so much Carrie! She wouldn't be where she is today without you!!"
- Jamie Ellingsworth
"RIELLY" & "QUINN"
South Elgin, IL
"I used Carrie's services when I went out of town for a weekend. It was the first time I have relied on anyone but family to take care of my 2 cats while I was away. I was referred to Carrie by my vet's office and am thrilled with the service provided!
Carrie kept me updated throughout my trip with emails and pictures. I could tell that my boys were in good hands and happy as could be. I think they were a little disappointed to see me come in the door - I think they fell a little bit in love with her!
I highly recommend Safe Haven Advocate In-Home Pet Care to anyone who loves their pets like family - Carrie will treat them like her own!"
Thanks for everything, Carrie!" - Anne Duffy
"SADIE" & "JOEY"
Carol Stream, IL
"There is no one on this earth to whom I would rather leave my Joey and Sadie with than Carrie. She has been such a blessing to our family over the years, and I could not recommend her more! Having a
senior dog with medical issues, it made it very difficult for us to find someone to whom we trusted in times of need. Needless to say, we hit the jackpot when we met Carrie! Throughout every struggle and ailment that our pets have faced, Carrie has been there with advice, warm words and a gentle touch. She also loves taking pictures of our pets and sends us updates while we are away, which we LOVE!
It is incredible to watch her bond with pets unfold into something so beautiful. She has such a gift. She truly treats our animals as if they are her own and has done more than exceed our expectations in a pet caregiver. Our animals love her, and more importantly, are SAFE, spoiled, and well taken care of while in her care. (I think they were a little jealous when they found out that Carrie had rescued a dog of her own.)
There are no words to express how very grateful we are to have met and hired Carrie for our pet's needs. She is truly one of a kind!
Thank you Carrie for EVERYTHING that you have done!"
- Maggie Rothsman
"LITTLE BIT"
Geneva, IL
"Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Carrie, for taking care of my Little Bit!!
Back in December, Carrie was kind enough to offer to pet sit my Terrier Chihuahua mix, Little Bit, for three days when my regular pet sitter became unavailable. She did an absolutely amazing job!
Little Bit has some special needs; she was found as a stray back in September and is very fearful of new situations and people. She even has episodes of stress induced gastritis and is on several long term antacid and anti-nausea medications to control her condition. Because of Carrie's background as an emergency veterinary technician, she knew exactly how to help Little Bit feel at ease and even enjoy her time with her "Auntie" Carrie!
Carrie also sent me multiple pictures of Little Bit racing around, being cute, and clearly having a great time! That really set my mind at ease. Carrie was also extremely thorough in the timing and administration of LB's medications. Little Bit, despite weighing only 4.5 pounds, can be a bit of a handful sometimes when it comes to managing her medications and anxiety. Carrie did an absolutely wonderful job - LB had no episodes of nausea or vomiting while I was gone and maintained her weight (which can sometimes be an issue if she gets stressed and refuses to eat). I cannot recommend Carrie highly enough - her strong veterinary knowledge base and obvious passion for animal care made it possible for Little Bit to actually enjoy her time away from me and allowed me to enjoy my trip! Thanks again Carrie!!! :)
- Margo Frost
"AVA" & "LEO"
South Elgin, IL
"I had a very bad experience with a previous pet sitter, so I was very apprehensive to leave my cats again. Then I met Carrie. She took care of my cats for 10 days while I was on vacation. Before I left, she came over to my house and met with me and my cats for over an hour. She explained how she works and it was obvious
to me how much she truly cares about her clients. I felt totally comfortable with her right away. She went above and beyond. She texted me every single day, she sent me pictures of my cats every single day. I cannot tell you how reassuring that was, especially since the last pet sitter I had almost killed one of my cats! Carrie spent over an hour every day with the kitties. One of my cats is 19 years old and he takes forever to eat.
I highly recommend Carrie; You will not be disappointed!"
-Barbara Slager
"MAX," "MARTINI"
& "TEBOW"
Saint Charles, IL
"Safe Haven Advocate Pet Care is simply wonderful!
Carrie has taken care of our dogs many times when we go on trips. The last time was for 16 days and one of our dogs had late stage congestive heart failure that required four medications two times per day.
Carrie went above and beyond in her care of Max and Tini. She even stayed extra nights to make sure they were safe and comfortable.
We are so happy that it was Carrie that took care of our Tini in her last weeks with all her love and cuddles.
Carrie will love and care for your pets like they are her own, she truly loves them. Thanks for all your love and help Carrie!"
-Binna Porter
"So grateful for Carrie's services!!! I had to take one
of my dogs to the emergency vet a while ago and met Carrie. I knew immediately that I wanted to keep her on my radar for future pet needs. She recently came
to my home, and the service she provided was
"CUBBIE" & "BODIE"
Geneva, IL
phenomenal! My pets loved her, and bonded with her. I felt such relief knowing my babies were going to have a blast and truly be taken care of.
She sent pictures and videos during the day and it even made my work day so much better!!!! Carrie is the best!!! Thank you!!"
- Amy Barr
"GINGER SNAP"
Saint Charles, IL
"We could not be more satified and impressed by the services that Carrie provides! Our little 9 month old Boxer, Ginger Snap, is quite the character; VERY stubborn and full of life and LOADS of energy. Carrie is so patient and loving with her. From the second she walked into our home for the meet and greet, Ginger was in LOVE with her, and surprisingly LISTENED TO HER (Way more than ourselves) and began to behave better and better the more Carrie came for visits. It is evident how much Carrie loves her in return. She has gone above and beyond the "call of duty" for our family and Ginger. She is certainly much more than your average pet sitter or dog walker. SHE TRULY CARES. You and your furry baby will just LOVE her. And don't even get me started on the absolutely GORGEOUS photographs that she is somehow able to capture while she is with your pet. We have several displyed on our mantle for all to gawk over!!
I would highly recommend her services to anyone looking for someone who is not only very experienced and knoweledgable about pets, but someone who will love your baby like their own. Since using Safe Haven, we wouldn't go anywhere else!"
-Lisa McCord
"SCOOTER"
"BUDDY" &
"LITTLE GIRL"
Saint Charles, IL
"I cannot believe what peace of mind I had when Carrie took care of my dogs!
She treated them as if they were her own and took extra special care to
put me at ease. I don't know what I would have done without her.
My only regret is that I didn't know about her sooner!"
- Shelly Filippo
"LAYLA"
Saint Charles, IL
"It’s with great pleasure and appreciation that I write this! The words “ABOVE AND BEYOND” fall short when I think about my experience with Carrie.
Carrie is described in her testimonials as; professional, trustworthy, compassionate, genuine, courteous, skilled, and an ANGEL. I can say that all
of this is true and then some!!
Since moving to this area a few years ago, one of my biggest challenges was to find someone to care for our pets and home while I am away. It was always a stressful and difficult process and I had not found anyone or any other service that I could say I felt really confident with.
With a recent last minute holiday change of plans, I was simply not willing to once again leave my pets and home to a service that was less than I was comfortable with. WOW, finding Carrie-Safe Haven Advocate Pet Care & Photography was beyond what I ever thought I could achieve.
For the first time, when I was leaving and while I was away, all my worries were alleviated! Carrie came to our home to meet us and she patiently let me tell her all my concerns, listened to all my instructions, and it was obvious from the beginning that she was nothing short of all those character qualities that described her in her testimonials! She was in constant contact with updates and pictures. I was never worried that I could not contact her if I needed to. She handled our home and pet with a level of professionalism and care that I have not seen in all my years of searching! Along with her incredible professional services, she is the animal expert! Working in Veterinary Clinics and Emergency Care, along with her obvious passion for her rescues, she knows more about my pets than I could ask for!
I am truly grateful for the gift of Carrie for all our animals……
She is the angel we are looking for!"
- Ann Innes
"CHARLIE"
Elgin, IL
"Carrie is the BEST! I know Carrie personally and professionally. I’ve witnessed her dedication to her patients. She is very knowledgeable in regards to veterinary medicine and has experience as an ER vet technician. She loves working with animals and your pet will love her! She will go above and beyond your expectations as your pet caregiver. She makes each one feel special. They’ll get lots of hugs and kisses. I definitely recommend Carrie for your pet care needs. You can trust her with your loved ones."
- Cate Weber
"GUS" & "MAZY"
South Elgin, IL
"I am "one of those" pet moms when it comes to my
two dogs. We had tried two other companies and
neither ended up working out. Obviously it turned
out in our favor because we found Carrie. She came
for ameet and greet, at our request, prior to arranging any
visits and we were impressed by her extensive background and professionalism. Unlike other companies, she is the only one who takes care of our dogs and enters our home. Some other companies have a list of employees coming in
and out of your house (no, thank you!). Carrie is fantastic with our finicky and rambunctious dogs and I know they like her from all the kisses they give her in pictures. She sends a text message every time she visits and includes a couple pictures. I love knowing my dogs are taken care of and seeing the pictures
makes our long work day a little bit better. I always recommend Carrie to
anyone I come across that needs a pet sitter!"
- Kelley E.
"ELLIE ROSE"
South Elgin, IL
"BRADEN," "GINGER," "WILBUR" & "HUEY"
South Elgin, IL
"We are so happy that we found Carrie to help us with our pets while we went away for a long weekend. We have 2 doggies and 2 birds. From the moment we met Carrie at the "meet and greet," we immediately liked her so much. Her love of animals is so apparent, and all of ours took to her right away.
It felt so good to go away, and know that our precious pets were so well cared for by Carrie. We appreciated the texts and pics that were sent every day...loved seeing the photos! And the fact that Carrie has a vet technician background is a huge bonus!
Thank you Carrie for putting us at ease, and showing such love, caring and respect for our dear pets. You are truly a gem! We're already talking about our next trip, so Auntie Carrie can come for another visit."
- Debbie Wright
"CUTTER" & "DOLBY"
South Elgin, IL
"We lived in our old house for over 10 years and had a wonderful lady that helped us with our dogs, almost daily. When we had plans to move to Elgin, my biggest stress factor was how on earth were we going to find another "family member" to trust in our home and to take care of our fur kids??
I thank the lucky stars that our path crossed with Carrie's, because she was the answer to our prayers! She was so professional and thorough when we first
met and quickly gained our complete trust.
We have 2 chocolate labs, ages 11 and 12. She sends me pictures of them
when she visits, lets me know her observations of their behavior and has been
so incredibly reliable; Sometimes even at the last minute!
I know she loves our "kids" as much as we do and they get so much love from "Auntie Carrie" when they are in her care. We are so grateful to have found her and look forward to having her as part of our family for a very long time to come!"
- Andi & Frank Vacca
"SHELBY," "DUNCAN,"
"ELLA,"& "CONRAD"
South Elgin, IL
"Carrie was born to be a pet caregiver!
Her kindness and compassion radiated through her from the moment we met at our “meet and greet.” We couldn’t have asked for a more dedicated and responsible professional to watch over our precious pets while we took a much needed vacation.
This was the first time we’ve had anyone watch over our three dogs and rambunctious cockatoo.
Our sweet Shelby has medical issues, and Carrie took special care to ensure she received her medication when she needed it, and because of her vet technician background, knew exactly what to do when Shelby had a few epileptic seizures.
In addition, our other dog, Ella, can be a bit barky and fearful of new people, and Carrie handled her just beautifully and without complaint.
She provided constant updates and photos, so we always knew what was going on with our pups and bird while we were gone. What a relief!
Thank you Carrie, for all that you do. We have never seen anyone love animals more than you. You are an amazing person – and you took such exceptional and loving care of our precious Duncan, Ella, Shelby and Conrad.
You treated our babies like they are your own, and we truly appreciate it.
We are so happy to have you in our lives, and look forward to many happy years together!"
- Cheryl Izard
"Honestly - 5 stars doesn't even come close to Carrie. I've moved a few times and she is the third caregiver I've had for Eleanor. Moving to a new area, you become concerned about how to find the perfect person to care for your furbaby. I found Carrie on Yelp and was impressed by her reviews. After our meet and greet, I was certain she was the one.
My pooch is an energetic young thing. We had a tummy spell and she had to spend some time at the vet (which Carrie also recommended and are fabulous!). After bringing Ms. E home, she had an IV pick in her leg in case she needed additional treatment the following day. Well, I turn my back for 2 seconds and that little stinker bit through the IV line. The vet is closed, my boyfriend was traveling for work and there I was was my bandaged up dog who was bleeding and I have no idea what to do. Panic doesn't even begin to cover it.
Carrie has 15 years of vet tech experience and experience as an ER Vet Tech and always stresses to call her any time, day or night. Not only did Carrie calm me down, she Face Timed with me and walked me through step-by-step how to remove the IV catheter! All of this at 9pm when she's at home with her family. Words cannot express the gratitude I felt that night. I'm still blow away by what she did for us.
Eleanor adores Carrie (I believe the feeling is mutual) and I can speak about Carrie by name and my dog goes nuts with excitement. There is no one I trust more to care and love Eleanor while I'm at work or away on a trip.
If you are looking for a caregiver for your animal, your first and last call should be to Carrie. She is professional, fun spirited, flexible with last minute requests and time changes. She goes above and beyond for her clients and truly makes you feel like family.
We are blessed to have her in our lives!"
- Lauren Marcin