Deb does the care herself — never a rotating team.
Basic medication
Routine, already-prescribed doses and senior-pet support.
You stay informed
Photo and video updates, plus a written visit report.
Meet Deb
The woman behind the standard.
A little particular about the details. Very big on genuine connection. Probably going to take way too many pictures of your pet.
Hi, I’m Deb — the person behind PETS, BY DEB.
I’ve always been someone who gets attached to the little things — the way someone takes their coffee, the song that makes them light up, or the little routines that make a day feel like their day. Naturally, I’m the same way with animals.
A little about me? I’m a Towson local, incredibly creative, artistic, and wildly musically inclined. Music is a huge part of how I experience the world, and I’m definitely the type to give a random Tuesday its own carefully curated soundtrack.
I love fashion and styling, interior design, beautiful spaces, a ridiculously good book, cooking for people I love, and getting lost in a great playlist. I’m naturally curious and expressive, and there’s usually something new I’m creating, discovering, or falling in love with.
I’m also someone who notices. I read the room, pick up on energy, and pay attention to the things people — and animals — communicate without saying a word. I notice personalities, moods, habits, and the little quirks that make every animal who they are.
The things I want to know
Whether your dog likes the long way home.
Whether your cat prefers affection on their terms.
Who gets excited when they hear the treat bag.
Who needs a little extra reassurance when their person leaves.
Because to me, good pet care isn’t about simply keeping an animal alive and accounted for while you’re away.
It’s about paying attention.
It’s about learning them.
It’s about making their day feel as normal, comfortable, and happy as possible — even when their favorite person isn’t home.
My background in hospitality has taught me a lot about taking care of people: anticipating needs, communicating well, respecting someone’s space, and understanding that the little things are rarely actually little. I bring that same energy into your home and into the care of your pets.
But more than anything, I genuinely enjoy this.
The personalities. The weird little habits. The dramatic greetings. The judgmental stares. The zoomies. The cuddles that happen when they decide you’ve finally earned them.
I love getting to know an animal on their terms and becoming a familiar, trusted part of their routine.
And I take the trust seriously.
When you invite me into your home, you’re trusting me with something incredibly important to you. I don’t take that lightly.
I want you to be able to leave, enjoy your trip, work your long day, or simply breathe a little easier knowing that your pet is being cared for by someone who is actually paying attention.
Because I don’t believe your pet should simply be watched while you’re away.
They should feel known.
They should feel comfortable.
They should feel cherished.
And if I’m doing my job right, when you come home, everything feels a little easier — because your pet didn’t just have someone there.
They had Deb.
Welcome to The Deb Standard
The Deb Standard
Consistent, low-stress routines
Unrushed, focused visits
Attentive health & comfort monitoring
Thoughtful, personalized updates
No kennels. No rushed drop-ins.
Just high-touch care delivered with skill and heart.
Backed by lifelong, hands-on experience and a professional Pet ER background.
They are not just watched — they are safeguarded and deeply cared for like family.
Services & Investment
Thoughtfully structured care options designed around your pet’s routine.
Dog Walks
A focused neighborhood walk tailored to your dog’s pace, energy, and familiar routine. Includes fresh water, a quick comfort check, and a visit update.
30 minutes$25
45 minutes$32
60 minutes$40
Drop-In Visits
In-home care for dogs and cats, including potty or litter care, feeding, fresh water, play, affection, and a basic home check.
30 minutes$35
60 minutes$50
A drop-in covers more ground than a walk of the same length — feeding, litter or potty care, fresh water, play, and a home check — which is why the rate sits above the walk rate for equal time.
Three-a-Day Pet Care
Three thoughtfully spaced visits — morning, midday, and evening — for pets who need dependable care throughout the day without continuous sitting.
Three 30-minute visits$90 per day
Three-a-Day Plus
Longer morning, midday, and evening visits for pets who benefit from more exercise, companionship, or a slower care routine.
Three 45-minute visits$110 per day
Day Sitting
Dedicated, one-on-one care in your home for pets who need company, supervision, routine support, or extra reassurance. Includes feeding, fresh water, walks or potty breaks, enrichment, affection, and personalized photo or video updates.
Up to 4 hours$125
Up to 6 hours$185
Up to 8 hours$245
Up to 10 hours$305
Up to 12 hours$365
Additional time$30 per hour
Day sitting reserves Deb’s time for your household. Only brief, pre-agreed departures for essential errands or pet walks are included.
Overnight Care
A calm overnight stay in your home that protects your pet’s bedtime and morning routines. Includes evening and morning care, companionship, and a home check.
10 PM–7 AM$95 per night
Daytime visits or extended daytime presence are booked separately.
Extended-Care Packages
Bundled care for pets who need coverage beyond a standard visit or overnight stay.
Overnight + 30-minute midday drop-in$115
24-hour dedicated care$495
Overnight + Midday Drop-InAn overnight stay from 10 PM–7 AM plus one 30-minute midday visit for feeding, potty care, fresh water, play, affection, and a home check.
24-Hour Dedicated CareNear-continuous in-home presence for one 24-hour period, including the full daily routine, overnight care, enrichment, and updates. Up to two total hours away may be used for brief, pre-agreed errands.
Sitting in Deb’s Home
For owners who would rather their pet not be home alone at all: your pet stays at Deb’s house instead of yours, with their own food, bedding, and routine coming with them. A calm alternative to a kennel — and to leaving your pet by themselves between visits. Two pets maximum, house-trained, and no other animals in the home.
Per night, one pet$125
Daytime stay, up to 6 hours$70
Daytime stay, up to 12 hours$100
Second pet, per night+$25
Second pet, daytime stay+$10
Extended stay, 7 nights or more−$15 per night
A night covers the full 24 hours — the same as four hours of Deb’s time in your own home, except your pet is never left alone. The holiday fee applies to stays on a holiday. Medication support is added from the add-ons above.
Add-Ons
Optional care enhancements are added to an eligible booked service.
Extra Dog+$10
Extra Dog Overnight+$25
Puppy Care (under 1 year)+$10
Basic Medication Support+$5
Cat Enrichment+$5
Extra 30 Minutes+$15
Holiday Fee+$20 per day
On-Call and Last-Minute Care
Priority consideration for unexpected schedule changes, travel delays, or urgent additional care needs.
Added to selected service+$15
Subject to availability. The fee applies in addition to the selected service rate.
Recurring Care
A standing weekly schedule holds the same times for your pet and keeps one familiar routine in place week after week. The reduced rate applies to every walk or drop-in on the schedule.
3–4 visits per week−$2 per visit
5 or more visits per week−$3 per visit
Applies to dog walks and drop-in visits booked on a regular weekly schedule. Holiday and on-call fees are unaffected.
What each visit includes
It is not the same for every service — a 30-minute walk and a full day of sitting are two different visits. Here is exactly what comes with each one.
Dog Walks
The walk itself, at your dog’s pace and on their familiar route. Fresh water topped up, a quick comfort and safety check before Deb leaves, and a visit update.
Drop-In Visits
A potty break or litter care, a feeding, fresh water, play and affection, and a basic check of the home. Dogs and cats both.
Three-a-Day Pet Care
Everything in a drop-in visit, three times over — morning, midday, and evening — spaced so your pet is never waiting too long between them.
Three-a-Day Plus
The same three visits, each 15 minutes longer. The extra time goes into more exercise, more company, or simply a slower pace for a pet who needs one.
Day Sitting
Deb stays with your pet rather than dropping in. Feeding, fresh water, walks or potty breaks, enrichment, steady company, and personalized photo or video updates through the day.
Overnight Care
Evening care and settling for bed, company through the night in your home, a check of the house, and morning care — so bedtime and wake-up happen the way your pet already knows them.
Extended-Care Packages
An overnight plus a 30-minute midday drop-in, or 24 hours of dedicated care. Each combines the visits above into continuous coverage.
Sitting in Deb’s Home
A full stay at Deb’s house rather than visits to yours — overnight or daytime. Two pets maximum, house-trained, no other animals in the home. Broken down in detail just below.
Included with everything
A written visit report posted to your client portal, and photo or video updates on request. Any add-ons you booked are carried out during the visit they belong to.
Sitting in Deb’s home
Some pets do better with a person than with an empty house. If that is yours, they can come to Deb instead.
Two pets maximumOne household at a time, and never more than two pets. This is deliberately small — it is the reason the care stays personal.
House-trained onlyYour pet needs to be reliably potty trained. Puppies still working on it are better suited to care in their own home.
No other animalsYours is the only animal in the house for the whole stay. No other clients’ pets, and nothing strange to get used to.
What the stay includes
Your pet stays in Deb’s home with Deb there — not alone between scheduled visits, and not in a kennel run.
Meals, fresh water, and basic medication on your pet’s normal schedule, using the food and doses you send.
Walks or potty breaks through the day, and a last one before bed.
Play, enrichment, and company — time spent with your pet, not just around them.
Their own bed, blanket, bowls, and toys set up so the smell of home comes with them.
Photo or video updates while they are there, and a written report in your portal.
What to expect as the owner
A meet & greet at Deb’s home first. You see the space, your pet meets it, and you both decide before anything is booked.
What to bring at drop-off: food for the whole stay, medication with instructions, bedding, bowls, leash and harness, and your vet’s details.
Agreed times. Drop-off and pick-up are set when the booking is confirmed, not left loose.
An honest answer. If the meet & greet shows your pet would be happier in their own house, Deb will tell you and suggest overnight care at your home instead.
Your pet has the house to themselves. No other clients’ pets share the stay, so there is no pack to join and no other animal to negotiate with.
Sleeping arrangements and health records are gone over at the meet & greet, so nothing is a surprise once your pet is there.
The rate is on the card above, not invented at drop-off. $125 per night for one pet, $150 for two, less again from the seventh night.
To book a stay, choose Sitting in Deb’s Home on the request form below and give your dates. If your pet is not house-trained, or you have more than two pets, ask about Overnight Care or Day Sitting in your own home instead — neither has those limits.
What falls outside Deb’s care
Two things are worth knowing before you book, so nobody finds out at the meet & greet.
Pets with aggressive tendencies cannot be accepted. If your pet has bitten, or has a history of aggression toward people or other animals, Deb is not the right fit — and taking the booking anyway would not be fair to your pet, who would be handled by someone without behavioural training. A certified trainer or veterinary behaviourist is the right first call, and many offer boarding alongside the work.
Medication support is basic administration only. Routine, already-prescribed doses on your pet’s normal schedule. If your pet needs injections, fluids, or anything more involved than that, say so in your request — Deb will tell you before you book rather than after.
Shyness, anxiety, a nervous rescue, or a pet who simply needs a slow introduction are a different matter entirely, and all welcome. Put it in the notes box and it gets planned around.
In Their Words
From clients who have handed Deb their keys and their routines.
The Deb Experience
More than pet sitting. A thoughtful, personalized experience built around your pet’s routine, comfort, and emotional safety.
The Heart Behind the Care
For my once-in-an-eternity love, Cooper Gregory Rike 🤍
Cooper & me — long before PETS, BY DEB. 🤍
Before there was PETS, BY DEB, there was just a little girl and her profound love for a dog named Cooper.
I was seven years old when Cooper became my best friend.
Looking back at this picture, I think maybe the little girl in it already knew something she couldn’t yet put into words:
This wasn’t just a dog. This was her person.
A bond without words
From the moment we brought him home from the shelter, something in me just knew. We were going to be inseparable.
And we were.
He followed me everywhere. If I went into the bathroom, he was coming too. If I left the house, he was waiting at the window. If I came home, he practically knocked me over with excitement.
We had our own secret language.
But the truth is, we hardly needed words.
Cooper just knew. He knew me.
He knew when I needed him before I ever asked. He knew the sound of our car coming down the street. He knew when I was home. He knew me in a way I had never experienced with anyone or anything else.
He was my right hand. My protector — as I was his.
And although he may have looked like a small dog, he was BIG DAWG.
People underestimated him. I never did.
What he taught me
Cooper taught me something I carry with me every single day:
Animals are communicating with us all the time.
Sometimes it isn’t through words.
It’s through a look.
A routine.
A little change in behavior.
The way they follow you from room to room.
The way they wait for you.
The way they trust you.
You just have to know how to listen.
Love became a calling
When Cooper passed, I thought grief meant losing him.
But I see it differently now.
I didn’t lose him. I gained.
I gained a deeper love than I knew existed.
I gained patience. Intuition. Tenderness. A sensitivity to the little things most people might overlook.
He taught me how to feel animals — not simply care for them.
And somewhere along the way, that little girl who loved her dog so fiercely became the woman behind PETS, BY DEB.
That is why the care I give isn’t just about feeding, walking, or checking in.
It is about noticing.
Understanding.
Protecting their routine.
Respecting their individual personalities.
And making sure that while their person is away, they still feel safe, loved, and deeply cared for.
Because I know what it means to trust someone with your best friend.
And I will never take that trust lightly.
Cooper may no longer be waiting for me at that window, but he is still with me — in my instincts, in my heart, and in every animal I have the privilege of caring for.
He is the reason I don’t simply watch pets. I cherish them.
For Cooper. My Sunshine. My Bubby. My Stinka Butt. My Uncle Pete.
The only one I’ve ever known to have enough nicknames to fill Merriam-Webster’s entire dictionary — and somehow, every single one suited him.
My once-in-an-eternity love. 🤍
May you blind everyone with your light, forever.
Booking Experience
Before You Book
A personalized Meet & Greet is required for all first-time clients to ensure comfort and familiarity.
All bookings are subject to full payment at the time of booking.
Thoughtful photo and video updates are available upon request.
Same-day cancellations are subject to a 50% visit fee.
No-show appointments or lack of home access will be billed at the full visit rate.
Payment Options
Zelle: Debrike@outlook.com
Cash App: $TheDebExperience
Apple Pay: (443) 602-6512
Cash is not accepted.
How Your Booking Is Secured
Request care
Deb reviews your request
Availability is confirmed
Payment is made in full
Your booking is secured
Submitting a booking request does not automatically confirm availability.
Payment is not automatically charged before availability is confirmed.
Questions & Policies
Everything worth knowing before you send a request, in plain terms.
How does booking actually work?
Every request moves through five steps, and you can watch it move: your request is submitted, Deb reviews it, availability is confirmed, payment is made in full, and the booking is secured.
Sending the form does not reserve the dates. Nothing is held until step five, and you will be told clearly when you reach it.
Is a meet & greet required?
Yes, for every first-time client, and it happens before the first paid visit. It is a short visit in your home so your pet meets Deb while you are still there, and so Deb can learn the routine, the doors, and the small things that matter.
It is not a sales call. It is the reason the first real visit feels like the tenth.
How and when do I pay?
Bookings are paid in full at the time of booking. Until payment is received, the dates are not secured — this is what keeps a confirmed calendar honest for everyone.
Payment can be sent by Zelle, Cash App, or Apple Pay. The exact details appear on your reservation in the client portal, where you can also mark a payment as sent so Deb can match it up.
Cash is not accepted. Please use one of the three methods above so every payment has a record attached to your booking.
What is the cancellation policy?
Same-day cancellations are billed at 50% of the visit fee. Cancellations before the day of care are not charged.
Plans change; say so as early as you can and it usually costs nothing. You can request a change or a cancellation directly from your reservation in the portal, which timestamps it.
What if Deb cannot get into my home?
A no-show visit, or one where the home cannot be accessed, is billed at the full visit rate. Deb still travelled, and your pet still needs someone to reach them.
This is almost always preventable: access details are confirmed at the meet & greet and kept current in your portal profile, and it is worth telling Deb about a changed lock, a new code, or a jammed side door the day it happens.
Where is my home access information kept?
In your client portal, behind your own password — never on the public request form and never in an email thread.
The form on this page deliberately does not ask for door codes, alarm information, or key locations. Those are collected in the portal once your booking is confirmed, alongside your emergency contact and your veterinarian.
Are there extra fees I should expect?
Holidays are $20 per day. Last-minute and on-call requests are $15 on top of the service rate, and are always subject to availability.
Optional add-ons are priced openly in the services section: an additional dog, puppy care for pets under a year, basic medication support, cat enrichment, and extra time in 30-minute increments. Nothing is added to your total without appearing on your reservation first.
Can Deb give my pet medication?
Basic administration, yes. Routine, already-prescribed doses given on your pet’s normal schedule, as a $5 add-on to the booked service. Senior pets on a settled routine of oral medication are well covered.
Anything beyond that, ask first. Injections, fluids, wound care, or a condition that needs judgement calls about dosing go past basic administration. Put it in your request and Deb will tell you before you book whether she can cover it — rather than you finding out once your dates are held.
Dosage, timing, and how your pet prefers to take it belong in your pet profile in the portal, so the instructions are the same on every visit rather than remembered from a text message.
What is included in a visit?
It depends on the service — a 30-minute walk and a full day of sitting are not the same visit. The services section breaks down exactly what comes with each one.
Two things come with everything, whatever you book: a written visit report posted to your client portal, and photo or video updates on request.
Do you care for cats?
Yes. Drop-in visits cover litter care, feeding, fresh water, play, and company, and a cat enrichment add-on is available for pets who want more interaction than a standard visit provides.
Do you take pets with aggressive tendencies?
No. Pets with aggressive tendencies, or any history of biting people or other animals, cannot be accepted. Handling aggression safely takes behavioural training that a pet sitter is not the right person to substitute for, and taking the booking anyway would not be fair to your pet.
If that is your situation, a certified trainer or veterinary behaviourist is the right first call — many offer boarding alongside the behaviour work, which is a far better outcome than a sitter learning on the job.
Please tell Deb up front rather than at the meet & greet. Bite history and known triggers belong in your request, so nobody wastes a visit and no one gets hurt finding out.
Shyness, anxiety, a nervous rescue, or a pet who needs a slow, patient introduction are all a different matter, and all welcome. Note it on the form and it is planned around.
Can my pet stay at Deb’s home instead of mine?
Yes. Sitting in Deb’s home is an alternative to overnight or day care in your own house, for owners who would rather their pet not be home alone at all. Your pet comes with their own food, bedding, bowls, and medication, so the routine stays the same even though the address changes.
It starts with a meet & greet at Deb’s home, so you can see the space and your pet can meet it before anything is booked. The services section breaks down what the stay includes and what to expect as the owner.
Three limits apply: a maximum of two pets, from one household only; your pet must be reliably house-trained; and no other animals share the home during the stay. Those limits are what keep it calm — but if your pet does not meet them, Overnight Care or Day Sitting in your own home has none of them.
Stays are $125 per night for one pet and $150 for two, with daytime-only stays from $70. From the seventh night the nightly rate drops by $15.
Can I book recurring or ongoing care?
Yes. The request form asks how often you need care — one-time, occasional, recurring, or ongoing monthly — and recurring dates are scheduled as a series so you are not re-submitting the same details every week.
Ongoing clients are limited in number so that each household keeps the same level of attention.
What happens in an emergency?
Your emergency contact and your veterinarian are recorded in your portal profile before the first visit, so they are on hand rather than being looked for.
If something seems wrong, Deb contacts you first. If you cannot be reached and the situation needs attention, she contacts your veterinarian. Specific instructions you want followed — a particular clinic, a spending limit, a condition to watch — belong in your pet profile, and are confirmed at the meet & greet.
Full service area — every service
Anything on the list above is available here, from a single 30-minute walk to a 24-hour stay.
Towson
Rodgers Forge
Stoneleigh
Anneslie
Idlewylde
Lutherville
Timonium
Riderwood
Ruxton
Loch Raven Village
Hampton
Mays Chapel
Care is centered on Towson and the neighborhoods immediately around it, because short distances are what make three visits in one day possible without rushing any of them.
Also covered — longer stays only
Pikesville, MD
Hampden, Baltimore
These two sit outside the core area, so a short visit does not work there — the drive would take longer than the care itself. For a longer booking the drive stops mattering, and Deb covers both.
Available in Pikesville and Hampden: Day Sitting, Overnight Care, Overnight + Midday Drop-In, 24-Hour Dedicated Care, and Sitting in Deb’s Home.
Not available there: single dog walks, single drop-in visits, and Three-a-Day schedules. Those stay inside the core area.
Just outside all of this?
If your address is near either list but not on it, send a request anyway and say where you are. Deb will tell you before you book whether she can cover it, which services would apply, and what — if anything — the travel would add. You will never be surprised by a fee after the fact.
Book Your Care
A short request — about a minute. Deb reviews it against her calendar before any care is confirmed, and the detailed care instructions come later, in your portal.
Now accepting a limited number of monthly clients.
