Company Info
Please take a moment to read additional client reviews at the bottom of this page.
Barbara Meshnick, Co-owner & Pet Sitter
Barbara is the founder of the company. She grew up in New Jersey where she raised 6 dogs of various breeds. Her family instilled in her the unique place in a family that pets have and she has continued to foster that belief through today. Barbara worked for years as a Business Systems Analyst in the financial industry of New York City but she decided to open this business in order to put her love of animals to work.
Barbara has been active as a volunteer with local non-profit pet adoption groups here in Jacksonville as well as acting as a foster parent for many years. She has also been instrumental in finding homes for many unwanted or lost pets by utilizing her substantial pet industry contacts.
“Matt and Barb who run and own this company - are amazing people and stewards of animal well being. I have used them for about a decade and they have never let me down. They truly love my pets like their own. They have a great attention to detail and they will call you if you don’t let them know you are home. They care that much about your pets and their company’s reputation. I wish every service I use was run like theirs. - John from Atlantic Beach”
Matthew Meshnick, Co-owner & Pet Sitter
Matt is Barbara's husband and the co-owner of the company. He also was born and raised in New Jersey where the family home always had at least two dogs residing within. Pets were always viewed as members of the family and Matt was regularly called upon to care for the pets while the rest of the family members were away.
Matt worked as a Call Center and Business Processes Manager in the NYC metro area for years but gladly jumped on board with Barbara in this venture due to his undying love of animals.
Matt is the member of the team who conducts the Initial Client Consultations along with providing superior care for our clients' pets. He is adept at providing subcutaneous insulin injections for diabetic pets.
“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 from Jacksonville Beach”
Additional Client Reviews
“A Friend in the Woods has been taking care of my dogs for many years. They are very trustworthy and responsive to any needs I may have regarding my dog. Most importantly, they truly love their client pets and the pets love them. I wouldn’t trust anyone else to care for my furry family. They have always loved my dogs like they were their own! - Deb from Jacksonville Beach”
“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. - Jennifer from Intracoastal West”
“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! - C.C from Atlantic Beach”
“I’m not sure I have enough words to describe the positive experience we’ve had in this our first (but certainly not last) use of Matt & Barb in their pet sitting service. From taking out the trash to bringing in the mail, to excellent communication, to everything being neat and orderly with the critters when we came home, it was a 100% positive experience. The cats were the least traumatized I’ve ever seen them after we’ve been gone (leaving them has always been hard on them) and by morning everything had returned to normal with their craziness. Thanks again for making this part of going away so easy. Next time I will rest much, much easier knowing I’ve left the boys in such loving and capable hands. - Sher from Intracoastal West”