Ask Amy: My neighbor’s deceit cost me my dog sitter

Dear Amy: Several years ago, one of my neighbors asked if I would give her the name of my longtime (about 13 years at that point) dog sitter/walker.

This neighbor said that she and her husband never traveled, so she would use the dog sitter only for occasional walks. I gave her the number.

Now the neighbor and her husband have begun traveling and have been booking my dog sitter for a week (or longer periods) sometimes a year in advance, so that I can no longer rely on the availability of the dog walker.

This neighbor has also given the name and number of the sitter to another neighbor.

I asked the neighbors, out of courtesy, to alert me a few weeks before they plan to use my dog sitter and to use another dog sitter if I need mine.

They both say they won’t do this. They won’t even allow me to use my dog sitter to walk my dog while they are using the sitter for weeklong stays.

What is the etiquette in this situation?

Dognapped Woman

Dear Dognapped: I understand how frustrating this is, but a clarification: This person is not your dog sitter, but a dog sitter who makes a living walking dogs and dog sitting for multiple clients.

This is not an etiquette question, but one of how to get your own needs met.

You are one of this person’s clients, and – just like other clients – you will need to book your appointments well ahead of time in order to secure your slot in the increasingly crowded schedule.

You should talk to the dog sitter and explore your options. The other clients cannot insist that this person cannot walk dogs for other clients while dog sitting. It is the sitter’s responsibility to serve various clients responsibly.

There are many in-home pet services advertising their business through various apps and websites. It might be time to find a reliable backup for those times when your regular person is not available.

Dear Amy: A few years ago, I realized that I could afford to send small amounts of money — $25, $50 and, once in a while, $100 — to worthy charitable organizations such as Doctors Without Borders, the National Geographic Society, Habitat for Humanity, etc.