Introduction:
We are a newly retired couple in our mid-50's who have discovered the absolute joy of house/pet sitting! We would be honoured to be given the opportunity to care for and pamper your pet(s), showering them with love and kindness as though they were our own. We consider the care of your pets and home to be a huge privilege and responsibility which we will commit to fully making it our highest priority at all times. This assurance will give you complete peace of mind to be able to enjoy your time away. We are financially stable, practical with good common sense and a genuinely caring couple. We are healthy (non-smokers), fit, and love exercise outdoors. We enjoy walking/hiking, especially if we have a four legged friend or two to join us.
Duane worked as a Medical Social Worker, with Interior Health in Kelowna for 28 years until retiring in September Following his retirement, he instructed part time at the Okanagan College in the Adult Education Program for one year. Catherine was employed as an Optometric Assistant and retired at the end of January We have two grown children aged 22 and 24. In September 2015, our son entered UBC Vancouver to complete his Masters in Physiotherapy and our daughter is employed with Interior Health as a Therapist Assistant. Our daughter maintains our home in our absence.
Why We Like to House Sit:
We are pursuing our passion for house sitting in order to fulfill our love for pets and our desire to keep our lives interesting with new and varied experiences. We are particularly interested in exploring other communities within Canada initially before venturing to other countries. We both love animals and meeting new people and house sitting is a wonderful way to combine these interests. Our house sitting experiences thus far have well exceeded our expectations and we now must admit that we are hooked. Nothing makes us feel better than to have homeowners return expressing their complete satisfaction with the services that we have provided. This is our goal and what we continually strive for. We realize that a pet is best cared for in their safe and familiar surroundings and we receive tremendous gratification in knowing that we are providing them with the absolute best care possible. We take pride in the bonds that we form with them during our stays...which always it hard for us to leave.
What We Bring to the Assignment:
We began house sitting in January, 2013, and been loving every minute of it! As of the time of this writing (October we are on our 63rd house sit which has encompassed 26 different families. We are currently booked for six future sittings (one new and five repeat families). We have owned our home for 30 years and are very familiar with the routine maintenance and repairs that go along with it. We have also owned several rental properties which we managed ourselves. We take great pride in keeping our home clean and tidy. We are a mature and extremely responsible couple whom you would have complete faith in while you are away. We are both avid walkers and would ensure that any pets receive the love, care and attention they require. We understand that each pet is unique and has its own specific needs. We will follow their routine and your instructions precisely while ensuring that they are well protected, exercised, played with and loved. Catherine likes to cook and we enjoy our meals at home. Evenings would entail a quiet evening reading or movie watching along side your pets. If they enjoy sleeping with us on the bed, there will always be room. We would be more than happy to maintain close communication with you while you are away. We enjoy sending photos or videos of the pets to the home owner when they are away to help them feel more in touch. We realize that having someone care for your home and pets requires a huge leap of trust and faith. We would be able to furnish you with excellent references. We want to provide you with complete peace of mind knowing that your most prized possessions in life are in the absolute best of hands.
We will always be mindful and respectful of your home, neighbours and surroundings. We are very security conscious and will always ensure that your home and property will be kept safe and secure at all times. We can collect your mail, forward messages and ensure all correspondence is communicated to you in a timely fashion and with the utmost privacy. We are adept at working through and handling any situation calmly and with maturity. We are adaptable and can fit into any situation easily to keep the continuity in your pet's life.