"Grandpa" wants to walk dogs

[katydid]

I was approached by a gentleman at Westcrest Park last weekend. He asked if I wanted one of his business cards which contained his name, picture and a telephone number and said “Let Grandpa ** walk your dogs”.

He said he would do it for $5. He just liked to walk and figured he may as well walk dogs too as he liked them. Claimed to be 70 y.o. and looked it.

Anybody else take his card and/or know him. I’m looking for info as to whether he is reliable etc., etc.

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[flowerpetal]

I would want to know more. For my buck, I would want a licensed business with insurance and be bonded if the dog walker is coming to your house when you are not there. There are a number of such businesses that include West Seattle in their service area.

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[WSeaFam2]

I have a friend who paid to have someone like that come in and walk her dog. Turned out all they did was spend time at her house and take the dog out on a litte patch outside her garage for about 2 min. Her dog got more and more stressed because did not have a good walk. Thanks to an awsome neighbor who saw this gong on, and reported it to her she was able to get a reliable Dog Walking Business to do this for her with good results. So beware of the unliscensed unless you know them and thier reputation :(

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[JanS]

and ask for references…

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[flowerpetal]

Yeah, the references are really important. A license doesn’t mean squat. Poor business practices can and do occur daily with a license.

http://www.4ontheflooronline.com does dog walking in West Seattle.

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[BBGuest]

I think it is a really BAD idea to consider someone who has access to your treasure(s) for $5.

Sort of like giving your car keys to just anybody in a parking lot that claims they will take good care of you car.

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[JoB]

grandpa could be just what he claims to be…

a lonely old guy looking for company

or …

he could be a con artist who will take your money and hang out in your home

or a thief who is casing your home

and will sell your dog to a research lab.

these days it’s really hard to tell.

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[katydid]

Precisely, JoB….that’s why I’m asking around :->

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[homedk]

I don’t have any info regarding this specific person, but wanted to mention that this could potentially be a great arrangement for all concertned.

.

In my neighborhood, there is an older retired gentleman who faithfully walks one of the neighborhood dogs. For various reasons, he doesn’t have a dog of his own anymore. To anyone who sees him, it’s obvious that he loves dogs & is very responsible; he always has the dog on leash, cleans up after him, & lavishes attention on him. It’s truly a win-win-win; for him, as well as for the owner & the dog.

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[JoB]

it’s all about managing risk, isn’t it.

if grandpa lived in my neighborhood i might risk it…

you could call and ask to do a home visit to talk to him about this…

and then check to make sure he actually lives there.

that might help you assess your risk level..

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