About Us

Professional. Knowledgeable. Compassionate.

Who We Are

We are a team of experienced and dedicated pet care professionals committed to the well-being of your pets. Whether you’re away for a few hours or several days, we treat every animal in our care as if they were our own.

Our services are built on three core values: Professional, Knowledgeable and Compassionate

Welcome to House and Hound Care — a boutique pet care company led by Monika Stefaniak, a dedicated professional who has been providing loving, reliable pet sitting services since 2004. With over two decades of hands-on experience, Monika built House and Hound Care on the values of trust, compassion, and exceptional care — offering peace of mind to pet parents and personalized attention to every animal we look after.

Compassionate

• Genuine love for animals

• Personalized attention and care for every pet

• Support for local pet rescue and community initiatives

Meet Monika Stefaniak, Founder of House and Hound Care

Hi, I’m Monika — the founder of House and Hound Care, and a lifelong animal lover. My journey into professional pet care began in a way I never expected: with a walk around the block and a $20 bill I didn’t see coming.

Back in the early 2000s, I was working as an office manager at a small hotel in Sunny Isles Beach. One day, a sweet elderly couple checked in with their husky, Wolfy. Even though the hotel had a no-pets policy, I made an exception — they were displaced after a hurricane, and Wolfy clearly needed a safe place too. A few days later, I asked if I could take him for a walk, just because I missed being around dogs. When I brought him back, they handed me $20. I was completely surprised. I thought I was the lucky one for getting to spend time with their dog.

That small moment changed everything.

I began researching pet sitting, and it quickly became clear that this was what I wanted to do. I had no car at the time, very little money, but a lot of determination. I taught myself how to build a website, created my first pet care business, and started biking to every client. Slowly but steadily, my client base grew — and so did my passion for building something truly meaningful.

Over the next decade, I scaled my first company to a team of over 70 pet sitters serving clients across Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties. I eventually sold that business, moved to West Palm Beach with my husband Jeff (a firefighter), and we finally settled into a home with a big yard — something I had always dreamed about.

While I loved having more time to paint, garden, and relax, I missed the purpose and joy that came from working directly with pets and the people who love them. That’s why I created House and Hound Care — a boutique pet sitting company built on everything I’ve learned over the past 20+ years.

This time, I wanted to go back to what I loved most: forming real connections with clients and providing truly high-quality, personalized care. I’m committed to building a small, trustworthy team that shares my values: professionalism, knowledge, and compassion. I carefully select each team member to ensure that every visit reflects the standards I believe in — and the level of care I’d want for my own pets.

Today, our home is filled with small rescue dogs, and every day I’m grateful to be doing work that genuinely makes a difference. I believe that when you do something with love, it shows — and I bring that belief into every part of House and Hound Care.

I look forward to meeting you and your furry family soon.