Business Details
16 Years
experience
Emergency
services
Your Trusted Pet Care Experts in Thousand Oaks
Welcome to True Friends Pet Care, where we treat your pets as cherished family members. Since 2010, we have provided professional dog walking and pet sitting services in Thousand Oaks, California, and surrounding areas. Our team is fully insured, bonded, and background-checked, ensuring your pets receive the highest standard of care. With over a decade of experience, we specialize in customized services tailored to each pet's unique needs, including daily walks, in-home sitting, and overnight stays. Founded by Natalya Karelina, a passionate animal lover with a veterinary medicine background, we combine expertise and compassion to deliver reliable, personalized care. Our commitment to transparency includes 24/7 communication with clients through text updates and photos, offering peace of mind while you're away. Recognized for exceptional service, we pride ourselves on building long-term relationships with pets and their families. Our mission is to ensure every pet feels safe, happy, and loved, while maintaining the highest ethical standards in the pet care industry. Thousands of satisfied clients and glowing reviews attest to our dedication to excellence. Let us bring comfort and joy to your furry companions while you focus on your daily life.
Services
Dog Walking
Pet Sitting
Cat Sitting
Dog Sitting
Overnight Stays
Served areas
- Thousand Oaks
Details
- Year established: 2010
Highlights and features
- We are fully insured, bonded, and background-checked for your peace of mind.
- Locally owned and operated with over 10 years of specialized pet care experience.
- Customized visits tailored to each pet's unique routines and medical needs.
- 24/7 communication with text updates, photos, and emergency availability.
- Recognized for 5-star service by thousands of satisfied Conejo Valley pet parents.
Associations and certifications
- Insured
- Bonded
- Background Checked
What people say
Amazing care
Highly recommend
Peace of mind
Frequent updates
Excellent hands
Services
Dog Walking
Customized daily dog walks tailored to your pet's energy level and neighborhood. Our walks include exercise, bathroom breaks, and socialization opportunities. Clients receive detailed notes and photos from each visit, ensuring your dog stays healthy and happy while you're away.
Pet Sitting
Professional in-home pet sitting for all animals, including dogs, cats, birds, and exotic pets. Services include feeding, medication administration, playtime, and overnight stays. We maintain routines to reduce stress, with 24/7 availability for emergencies or special needs.
Cat Sitting
Specialized cat sitting services focusing on comfort and routine maintenance. Includes feeding, litter box cleaning, medication administration, and interactive play. Our caregivers build trust with shy cats, ensuring a calm environment while owners travel for work or leisure.
Dog Sitting
Personalized dog sitting with attention to dietary needs, exercise requirements, and behavioral quirks. Services include multiple daily visits, potty breaks, and companionship. We accommodate pets with medical conditions, providing detailed updates to owners through photos and text messages.
Overnight Stays
Overnight pet sitting services for added security and companionship. Our caregivers stay in your home to maintain routines, provide comfort, and ensure safety. Ideal for pets with anxiety or medical needs, with 24/7 availability for urgent care situations.
People
Natalya Karelina
Owner & Founder
Natalya founded True Friends Pet Care in 2010 after working in veterinary medicine and local pet resorts. With a background in animal care and rescue experience, she combines professional expertise with genuine compassion to provide exceptional pet services in the Conejo Valley.
Questions
What services does True Friends Pet Care offer?
We provide dog walking, cat sitting, in-home pet sitting, overnight stays, and specialized care for pets with medical needs. Services include daily visits, medication administration, and 24/7 emergency availability.
Are your caregivers insured and background-checked?
Yes, we are fully insured, bonded, and all caregivers undergo thorough background checks to ensure the highest safety standards for your pets and home.
Do you care for pets with special medical needs?
Yes, we specialize in caring for pets requiring medication administration, mobility assistance, and specialized diets. Our team has experience with diabetic pets, senior animals, and post-surgery recovery care.
What areas do you serve?
We serve Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village, Simi Valley, Moorpark, Oak Park, Agoura Hills, Newbury Park, Wood Ranch, and Lake Sherwood in California.
How do you communicate during pet sitting visits?
Clients receive regular text updates with photos and detailed notes about feeding, behavior, and any concerns. We're available 24/7 for urgent communication during your trip.
Reviews (14)
Harry Ju
Jun 10, 2021
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Finding a reliable, professional, trustworthy and caring pet sitting service is not that easy, but one that can take care of a cat with special needs is even more challenging. Our cat needed two types of medications daily and True Friends Pet Care came to the rescue. They went above and beyond making sure our cat was well taken care of and all her needs were met. If you are in need of professional and caring pet sitters, look no further, True Friends is truly a gem and we will use their services again and again!
Professor D.
Jun 23, 2020
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True Friends is an amazing an reliable company! The staff provided excellent attention to detail and lots of love to our pets! 10/10 will use again.
Mario Alaniz
Aug 08, 2019
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Natalya is just the absolute best. Shes been taking care of our Bucky almost since he was born. He absolutely loves her, and shes generous with her praise and love for our little fella. I couldnt imagine trusting Bucky with anyone else as Natalya is just a phone call away!
Shes responsive to our communications, lets us know if there are any hiccups with other clients that might make her late to meet with Bucky, and her services are well priced for the care she provides. If youre in Ventura county, you absolutely MUST add her as a contact on your phone for all your pups walking and sitting needs!
Shes responsive to our communications, lets us know if there are any hiccups with other clients that might make her late to meet with Bucky, and her services are well priced for the care she provides. If youre in Ventura county, you absolutely MUST add her as a contact on your phone for all your pups walking and sitting needs!
Brenda Schwartz
Feb 13, 2019
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We frequently use Natayla at True Pets when we travel. It so comforting to know that our fur babies are getting the best of care while we are away. Very professional and loving at the same time. We get updates and pictures with every visit.
Jennifer Newby
Jan 26, 2019
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I love Natalya. I wouldn't trust any other sitter with my kitty. I get wonderful text updates, including photographs-daily when I'm away. When my kitty needed medication because of a new health condition, Natalya had no problem adding that into her daily visit. She really is a gift to anyone who needs a petsitter!
J. Shemisa
Dec 26, 2018
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Natayla is amazing! After multiple disappointments with flaky people "caring" for my cats while I was away, I am grateful to have found her. My kitties love her and run to the door to greet her whenever she stops by. She also provides a little extra TLC like bringing in the mail, watering my plants if needed, texts me pictures and provides daily progress reports. She is kind, caring and trustworthy. I can travel with peace of mind knowing that my pets and my home are in excellent hands.
Hilary Sullivan
Dec 16, 2018
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I'm a first time client and I'm proud to say that I found the best pet sitter in town. My usual sitter went out of town so I booked last minute. My dogs warmed up to Natalya immediately. She took detailed notes, had me fill out a form for each pet with a veterinarian release (just in case) and tested the key to make sure it worked. While I was away, I recieved daily updates and pictures of the puppies which I appreciated as I am a nervous dog mom. When I got home, the dogs were overjoyed to see me, but not in a stressed out kind of way. It was clear they had been well looked after. I highly recommend and will use again!
Katie Ascenzo
Jun 04, 2018
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My boyfriend and I moved from Chicago to California with our 2 cats in mid 2016. We didn't know anybody so we had to rely on hiring someone to come and check on our cats whenever we went out of town. True Friends Pet Care gave us peace of mind about letting a stranger into our home to take care of our kitties. Natalya sent videos and photos and updated us whenever she checked on them. Even my cat who takes weeks to warm up to new people walked up to her immediately. With true friends pet care, your pets are without a doubt in the hands of someone who genuinely cares for them.
Mary Racine
Dec 06, 2017
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Natalya is the BEST! She takes such wonderful care of my kitties. It is obvious that she loves animals. I trust her to take good care of my home and my cats. I never have to worry about anything. She is diligent and responsible. I receive a text and photos every day that I am away from home. I highly recommend True Friends Pet Care and Natalya!
Amber Bendrihem
Aug 27, 2014
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The best ever!!! My fav is the photo text updates. They warm my heart knowing my babies are happy and well taken care of.
Sarah
Natalya is the best pet sitter I have ever had. Not only is she prompt and her schedule flexible, but my two dogs adore her. She is responsible about changing the puppies' water if it is low, adjusting the temperature of the room depending on the weather conditions and alerting me to any changes is my babies' behavior. I also LOVE the little notes she leaves each time she takes the dogs for a walk. I would recommend Natalya for anyone looking for a dependable, responsible, enthusiastic pet sitter!
Marianne
Last year, we found ourselves in a situation where we needed someone we could trust to come in and walk our beautiful puppy. For the past year and half, Natalya has been providing us with the most incredible service. Our dog is an energetic, fun loving Norwegian Elkhound who requires lots of walks. We needed to find someone who both understood Northern breeds as well as puppies and the fun and games they can get into. Natalya is kind, firm and consistent - which is exactly what Bjorn needed and needs. Natalya has become part of ours lives and I don't know what we would do without her.
I love the notes she writes to us about the small adventures of the daily walk, the places explored and other details which she knows we would like to be informed about with respect to our dog. We highly recommend Natalya!
I love the notes she writes to us about the small adventures of the daily walk, the places explored and other details which she knows we would like to be informed about with respect to our dog. We highly recommend Natalya!
Cathi
Luna is a very loving dog. Because of her high energy and need to explore and sniff, she runs out of energy very quickly. In addition, she has had heat strokes in normal temperatures because she is BIG and white. Like all dogs, especially her breed, she needs exercise. Since I started working round the clock, she wasn't getting the exercise she needed to balance her energy. I knew I needed a disciplined, knowledgeable, compassionate walker to ensure she was exercised properly, without getting overheated.
I am ever so grateful I found Natalya. She knew exactly what to do from the get-go, even more than I did. Thank you Natalya for taking care of my Luna. You are an advocate and care-taker that is helping responsible owners eliminate the media propaganda and abuse of this breed.
I am ever so grateful I found Natalya. She knew exactly what to do from the get-go, even more than I did. Thank you Natalya for taking care of my Luna. You are an advocate and care-taker that is helping responsible owners eliminate the media propaganda and abuse of this breed.
Jared I. Perry
Natalya is now our go to pet sitter. She took great care of our dog while we were gone for two days. When we first met her, we could tell she genuinely loves dogs. During each visit to our house, she sent us a long text message describing what they did to play, how he was, and if he was eating and going to the bathroom. Additionally, she sent us pictures of our dog to let us know he was fine. Natalya even brought in our trash cans from the street and put a package that was delivered inside our house. I highly recommend Natalya and her services!