We've completed nearly forty housesits since we began this adventure in 2013. We've met wonderful people, seen facinating places, but best of all we've had the privilege of caring for dozens of amazing animals who have taught us a great deal about patience, loyalty, acceptance, and living in the moment.
We are an active, retired, non-smoking couple with the skills and life experience to do a great job caring for your animals and minding your house. I am a visual artist, designer, and amateur gardener. I taught at a large university for several years. My husband founded and ran a management-consulting firm for 30 years.
We enjoy reading, walking, cinema, and gardening. We've always enjoyed traveling and experiencing other cultures.
When we had companion animals of our own, we found it difficult to find carers we trusted, and consequently, we didn't travel much. Based on our experience, we made a decision to combine our love of animals and our love of travel with the goal of providing peace of mind to pet people like ourselves—and like you.
Our assignments help us to experience new cultures in a more realistic way than we ever would if traveling as tourists. Pet/house sitting involves extended interaction with locals and an opportunity to learn and adapt to new customs--different than traveling as tourists. We also find that having pet/house sitting responsibilities gives us structure and a sense of accomplishment.
We have common sense, significant life experience, and we're flexible. We're good at solving problems. Although not wealthy, we are financially independent. And we can, of course, provide excellent references.
We have a lot of experience caring for houses--primarily our own. We've successfully completed several major remodeling projects, including total replacement of three kitchens and two bathrooms as well as major landscape/hardscape projects (e.g., patios, screened porches, theme gardens, etc. We completed much of the work ourselves. Household emergencies don't rattle us, and we know when to call for help!
We're comfortable with and love working with animals of all kinds. We've had dogs and cats of many shapes and sizes, birds, and fish. Our petsitting experience includes dogs, cats, goats, donkeys, horses, ponies, hamsters, and chickens. We also have a lot of experience caring for special-needs animals (e.g., blind, deaf, diabetic) and we always consider it a privilege.
We have a positive attitude, a strong work ethic, willingness to learn and adapt, and curiosity about the world. We're also pleasant and funny.