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Susquehanna River flood inundation maps to be updated

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Joe Bonamassa returns to Kirby Center this spring

<p>TAYLOR &#8211; Alana Hronich has used her love of animals as a career path compass. She has worked as a veterinarian&#8217;s assistant, a cashier at Petsmart and she has gone to school for dog grooming. In her latest pet-centric venture, Hronich has partnered with Rover.com, an online dog sitting site that allows dog owners to search a directory of potential sitters and get comfortable with them before arranging pick-up and drop-off times for their canine companions.</p><p>Seattle-based<a href="http://www.rover.com" target="_blank"> Rover.com </a>was started in November 2011 after co-founder Greg Gottesman had a negative experience with a traditional kennel. The site, which is functionally similar to Uber car service, now hosts a nationwide network of dog sitters. Rover.com sitters are site-approved, receive ratings from customers and get paid by Rover.com after their customers complete payments online.</p><p>Along with dog sitting (in either the sitter or owner&#8217;s home), Rover.com allows its members to offer services like dog daycare, walking or grooming. Hronich offers dog sitting and grooming through<a href="https://www.rover.com/members/alana-h-groomervet-assistant-will-sit/?centerlat=41.3948017&amp;service=home&amp;maxlng=-75.6612615965&amp;minlng=-75.7518988035&amp;centerlng=-75.70658019999996&amp;apt=False&amp;maxprice=100&amp;zoomlevel=12&amp;minlat=41.3494830965&amp;maxlat=41.4401203035&amp;hs=False&amp;promoted=False&amp;per_page=20&amp;minprice=10&amp;type=homes&amp;refer=search#photos" target="_blank"> her profile</a>, and she provides pet owners with real-time photo updates through the service. Hronich&#8217;s love for animals gives her an understanding of a pet&#8217;s importance in a family &#8212; that&#8217;s why she chose her line of work in the first place.</p><p>&#8220;I love meeting new dogs,&#8221; Hronich said. &#8220;My dogs get new friends to play with all the time. I love every dog&#8217;s unique personality, getting to know each dog and I learn something new every single time a new dog breed has come through the door.&#8221;</p><p>Tom Odzana Jr.&#8217;s dog Tyson, a red-nose pitbull/blue-nose pitbull mix, was one of the most recent canine clients to come to Hronich&#8217;s door through the Rover.com service. Odzana doesn&#8217;t feel comfortable leaving his dog at the kennel when he goes out of town, so he booked a two-night stay for Tyson with Hronich.</p><p>Using Rover.com &#8220;was so much easier than going online or looking through the newspaper or using Google,&#8221; Odzana said. &#8220;I didn&#8217;t really know what to expect, but it makes me more comfortable that she tells me how she&#8217;s going to handle him, what she&#8217;s going to do and whatnot. It helps release some of my stress.&#8221;</p><p>Odzana said he would use the service again because the transparency of Hronich made the experience stress-free. He was able to meet with her, witness her interactions with her own animals and talk to her about Tyson. Rover.com sitters take part in these meet and greet screenings so both sitter and client can decide if any future arrangements are mutually comfortable. The service further adds to that piece of mind with the insurance they offer for sitters and their clients.</p><p>Rover.com offers dog lovers who can&#8217;t take their best friends on the road with them a personable alternative to traditional kennels. Rover.com offers dog sitters who can&#8217;t afford to go into business alone an affordable alternative to traditional business practices. Odzana plans to take advantage of the service again, and with 18 certified sitters in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton area, Rover.com is a viable option for local dog owners.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Tyson waits for his owner, Tom Odzana, to pick him up from the residence of Alana Hronich in Taylor. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_TTL100215Rover11.jpg</photo0><caption0>Tyson waits for his owner, Tom Odzana, to pick him up from the residence of Alana Hronich in Taylor. </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_TTL100215Rover21.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Rover.com dogsitter Alana Hronich, left, watches as Tyson is reunited with his owner Tom Odzana. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_TTL100215Rover21.jpg</photo1><caption1>Rover.com dogsitter Alana Hronich, left, watches as Tyson is reunited with his owner Tom Odzana. </caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_TTL100215Rover31.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Tom Odzana gets ready to greet his pitbull, Tyson, at the residence of dogsitter Alana Hronich. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_TTL100215Rover31.jpg</photo2><caption2>Tom Odzana gets ready to greet his pitbull, Tyson, at the residence of dogsitter Alana Hronich. </caption2><photoCredit2></photoCredit2></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Gene Axton</p><p>gaxton@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p><strong>AT A GLANCE</strong></p><p><strong>What:</strong> Rover.com is a website that allows dog owners to search a directory of certified sitters.</p><p><strong>How:</strong> Potential sitters can be searched by the size of dog they&#8217;re willing to sit (small is up to 15 pounds, medium is 16 to 40 pounds, large is 41 to 100 pounds and any dog that weighs more is in the giant category). They can also be searched by the zip code and their willingness to sit at either their home or the owner&#8217;s home.</p><p><strong>How Much:</strong> Rates vary from sitter to sitter, but all Rover.com stays include veterinarian insurance and real-time photo updates. Some sitters also offer other services at an additional fee, such as grooming.</p><p><strong>Potential Sitters:</strong> To apply to become a Rover.com sitter, an application can be found at the top of the service&#8217;s homepage.</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Gene Axton at 570-991-6121 or on Twitter @TLArts</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Online dog sitting service Rover.com offers alternative to kennel with 18 certified sitters operating in the Wilkes-Barre, Scranton areas