Ruff Mutts

In the past year my wife and I have used Ruff Mutts’ dog walking, dog sitting, and dog park adventure services for our golden retriever, Molly. The owner of Ruff Mutts, Rae, is absolutely wonderful and her visits are the highlight of Molly’s week. When we moved to Portland two years ago, Molly was very shy, 20 pounds overweight, and had a few bad habits. Thanks to the dog park adventures, now she is extremely outgoing, is down to a healthy weight, and Rae has corrected her bad habits. We really like that Rae posts pictures of the dog park adventures on instagram and leaves us a note to let us know what happened on the adventure. We highly recommended Ruff Mutts to any dog owner in Portland.

I’m too tired to figure out how to post this directly to them, but probably it will do more good here anyway. I set up dog walks with Ruff Mutts a few weeks ago, in anticipation of an insane semester. Ruff Mutts was a GREAT choice. Lindsay is way better with my large, leash-​reactive pup than I am, and has even changed the way that I walk him (for the better.) It’s a huge, huge chunk of mental peace to see those positive just-​walked notes in my e-​mail in the middle of a long, hectic day. Best decision ever.

My 2-​year old Australian Shepherd was very perplexed when we moved to an apartment in the city, and Rae has made that transition both smooth, and a joy for both of us.
My pooch, Luka, goes with Rae on her Dog Park Adventures. Rae comes to our apartment and picks him up, takes him out for a few hours to an off leash dog park, and then returns him home.
Rae is consistent, always shows up and does what she says she is going to do. She is extremely flexible, allowing for wiggle-​room in your schedule if needed, and will always ensure coverage with one of her other walkers if she is unavailable for whatever reason. The pricing is fair, very comparable to other similar businesses. Rae goes above and beyond and even teaches Luka new commands, practices his old ones, and works through any behaviour issues that might arise both in the car (which causes him some anxiety) as well as at the park. Luka has learned to listen better through spending time with Rae, which has improved his behaviour at home in general as well. Rae even has a very active Instagram/​Facebook account, which is incredibly thoughtful and brings me peace since I get to see a smiling, waging, running, playing, jumping picture or video of Luka everyday he goes out with Rae. To top it off, they go to the park rain or shine, and Rae always ensures Luka is wiped down well and that our bedroom doors are clicked shut to save our bedding from doggy smell. It’s the little things that truly make Rae exceptional at her job, and Ruff Mutts the only place I will go for our dog walking needs.
Most of all, Luka LOVES Rae. She has a special nickname for him, which, if you say out loud, will get his tail wagging so hard he loses balance. «Rae Today!» used to mean little to him, but now he knows it means he gets to go on an adventure with his friends. It has improved his quality of life, and allowed me to take a breath in between my many commitments. I would recommend Rae to my best friend, my mother, and a stranger on the street– if you haven’t had the joy of curling up with your pooch after a DPA day, you’re missing out on the best cuddles!

We have a problem dog. His name is Booger. Maybe he decided early on to live up to his name, or was just born boogerey, but there is no doubt he is one. In the past we have been able to either take him with or arrange for one of our long suffering and patient relatives to care for him while we were gone. This time, my poor Mom pulled the Booger card, but she was not able to potty break him during the day. Cue Rae, the amazing dog walker/​dog whisperer/​Booger magician! Rae updated Mom with written notes, us with e-​mails and pics, and was all around awesome! She went way above and beyond, even cleaning up a kitty pee (of course, we must be punished for going away by the kitties, which entails peeing in things like slippers, the blender, or basically anywhere but the litterbox) which was WAY out of scope for her. We are so happy to have found Rae and her wonderful service. I highly recommend Ruff Mutts.

I can’t say enough good things about Ruff Mutts (Rae and Kelly). I moved into the NE Portland neighborhood, and as an RN work long hours. They were so accommodating with my rotating schedule. I could trust them 100% with my most prized companion. At Christmas time they even left behind a small gift for my dog Samson. It was a toy that he ended up LOVING. They definitely go above and beyond. You knew that your dog was in good hands. After the walk they would send photos via text of my dog, out and about in the neighborhood. It was so nice knowing that while your at work, your dog is being well taken care of. I would highly recommend Ruff Mutts for all your dog walking needs!

Ruff Mutts is wonderful. Rae is the best!
Last year my pooch, Hugo, was diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma, an aggressive cancer. In the month between diagnosis and having to say good bye Rae was so amazing. She was flexible and responsive to my and Hugo’s needs on any given day. She had been his dog walker for a while so I already knew that she would be loving and attentive and that he would be comfortable around her.
It took a huge load off of my mind knowing that Rae would be by to check on my pup.
She had always been great as a dog walker — sending pictures and videos so you know your friend is out having fun, leaving little notes and special little treats for you to give your pup when you get home.
I can’t say enough good things about Rae and Ruff Mutts. They are wonderful people and do an amazing job. Your kitty or pooch would be lucky to know them!

I admit, we have a weird, complicated assortment of dogs. When I moved back to Portland last year, the first thing I did was look for a pet sitter that would be able to handle my pups and that I felt comfortable leaving them with. Rae has been amazing from day one. I have a dog that is large and can be intimidating with her nervous barking when she meets someone new. Rae took the time to let Pooh get to know her and now they are the best of friends. And when my big senior dog took a turn for the worst she never hesitated to keep caring for him, even when it took a lot of extra effort. Her thoughtfulness and great care of my animals cannot be topped. Her daily updates with pictures are wonderful. Her prices are amazingly reasonable. If you need a pet sitter, please call Ruff Mutts — you will be very happy that you did.

Ruff Mutts is amazing. They have provided congenial and unwavering in-​home care for my cat for a very reasonable price! They had me fill out paperwork on my cat’s preferences, behavior, dietary/​medical needs and I really feel that if anything ever went wrong while I was away that I could absolutely trust them to handle it well. Also, they send me photos twice a day of my sweet Maine Coon, which is the next best thing to actually being *with* my pet. I highly recommend them!

I have been using Rae and Ruff Mutts for over a year now. I had never used a dogwalking service and didn’t exactly know what to expect. I was nervous as I have a 120lbs Rottweiler, who is strong and can be a barking jerk on walks when he sees a kitty or squirrel. Rae came over for a meet and greet and we took a practice walk around the block. I immediately saw that she was a kind, sincere individual who bonded with my pet and I was also so impressed with how she got him inline with his leash manners – on the first walk!
From then on, it’s been pure bliss! I frequently tell friends, family and coworkers about how Rae has changed our life! She is amazing! I really don’t think I could do it without her. I work at the hospital, have long shifts, and occassionally pick up call shifts and contact her last minute. She is highly flexible and extremely reliable.
I love the emails and texts she sends me after each walk to see how the day went. But what I love most are the little love notes with a treat she leaves for Chief. He is more than just a pet to me and Rae truly understands this and relieves much worry and stress. I know with each visit Chief gets exercise and a huge dose of TLC in the middle of my long days away.
In addition, he is almost 11 years old and has some special needs. He had a rough month of pneumonia a few months ago and wasn’t up for much. Rae is able to assess his needs and energy and get him out for the full 30 min visit when he is up for it or see that he get out and go potty and gets lots of pets and treats when he is sick.
I think her services are well priced, a great value, and her invoices and billing are extremely user friendly.
When either of my roommates get home (Chief has known each of them for years) the dog does not get up or greet them. When Rae walks in, he greets her at the door – and if you have a dog, you know that speaks for itself! I could not recommed Rae enough to care for all your animal care needs!

Rae and her team have looked after my cat with great care. I appreciate her thoughtfulness, enthusiasm and genuine concern for my pet’s wellbeing. Plus daily email updates with photos and videos keep you connected with home, which is reassuring with an older pet. Can’t say enough about how much I appreciate her services and my cat seems less stressed when I get home.

Rachel and the folks at Ruff Mutts are the most professional and responsible pet caretakers you could find in the Portland area (and we’ve tried a few). But all the promptness and diligence in the world (which they have in spades) is nothing compared to how much my pets love them! Rachel actually films her interactions with our dog and cat daily and sends them on to us — so we can feel a connection with our girls when we are far away. I can’t recommend Ruff Mutts enough: never a snag; always friendly and accomodating; real animal lovers; and priced very reasonably. Give them your business. Sincerely, John and Terri in Southeast Portland.