Established in 2003, A Friend in the Woods is an independently owned company, serving the Jacksonville area. With over 19 years of experience in the Pet Sitting industry, A Friend in the Woods fills an important need in the lives of your pets by keeping them happy and comfortable while you're busy at work or away on vacation. Whether we're needed for one visit or one month, its our job to give you and your pets complete peace of mind, and we take that responsibility very seriously. We've been using A Friend in the Woods for over three years now for our three greyhounds.
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Business Hours - While we work 365 days a year, our "office hours" are from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Friday. All voicemails, emails and text messages (with the exception of emergencies from current clients) will be returned within 1 business day. We answer emails very quickly (within 24 hours) so if you don't receive a response, please resend the message or call us.
We require at least 3 visits a day for dog vacation visits. Since we operate using 2 hour time windows, we do not do visits more than 12 hours apart. For example, if the window for the morning is 7-9 AM and PM is 7-9 PM, the visits can potentially be 14 hours apart so a midday is required. We arrive between 9:00 - 10:00 pm, stay overnight then leave the next morning between 6:00 - 7:00 am.
Please complete the following questionnaire to help determine whether we can meet you and your pet's needs. If your area is not listed then you are not in our service area. We cover the Beaches as far south as Butler Blvd, ICW as far West as Kernan and as far North as McCormick. We don't do exact times, we operate in the time windows ie, 7-9 AM, Midday - 11-3, Evening - 8-10 PM.
Reviews (10)
Derek Radisky
Nov 09, 2020
Outstanding service and reliability. We have been using Friend in the Woods for our many different pets for more than 5 years now, and have always been beyond satisfied. The quality of our trips has improved greatly knowing that they will be caring for our pets. I can't say enough good things about Barbara and Matt!
Susan Deaton
May 27, 2019
Courtney Trefry
May 18, 2019
AFITW have looked after pets for 4+ years. They came referred to us and we couldn't be happier we found them. They come to walk our energetic dog during the workweek and multiple daily visits when we are out of town. They are super responsive and are accommodating to our sometimes changing schedules.
Debhora Cummings
Feb 09, 2019
Meredith Da Silva
Apr 28, 2018
Matt is the best! A Friend in the Woods puts you at ease when you need to go out of town and give your pets the same love and care you do. From the initial consultation and paperwork - which I greatly appreciated - to the photos of my cats and check-ins, A Friend in the Woods is reliable, great pet care in Jacksonville. My cats agree, too!
Janette Hawkins
Jun 16, 2017
Debbie Hallam
Dec 23, 2015
I recently used this sitter service and was sooooo happy with the results. I had recently rescued two kittens who had been ill for the preceding two months prior to my vacation, have an elderly cat with renal failure on daily blood pressure medication, and one of my remaining two additional cats had a complete urethral obstruction and was hospitalized the morning of our departure to Europe for 2.5 weeks. Matt was so great and upon my return all of my cats were happy and healthy. Matt even facilitated contact with my family regarding an A/C issue that arose during our absence. I can rest assured that during any future away time from home my cats will be in good hands. This is such a relief and allows me to enjoy my time away. Thanks. Debbie Hallam
Jennifer Green
Mar 13, 2014
Matt and Barbara are a godsend. Found A Friend in the Woods on Angie's List. I won't just trust anyone to care for my babies while on vacation. After extensive online research all recommendations pointed me here. I called several pet sitters for rates and they are worth it! Matt spent at least 30 minutes and was very detailed with planning and pet needs when meeting for the first time. Discount for paying with cash. Vacation without a worry. Check out the article in the Florida Times Union.
Collette Carroll
Nov 08, 2013
I have 2 dogs and 2 cats and I know that they are well taken care of when I leave town thanks to A Friend in the Woods. I have several animals who are older and need special care and that is all part of this service. They also have us call when we arrive back home so that they know that our animals are being cared for and they can discontinue the service. We will not use anyone else and can now travel with piece if mind!
Katie Salz
Nov 03, 2013
