Utterly reliable animal lovers for long sits in a piece of paradise
We need someone, a non-smoker, who can commit to long-ish sits throughout the year and can devote themselves to caring for our adorable 2 dogs and 3 cats, as well as our beautiful house, with only short periods out of the house. As we live in countryside, the sitter needs not to be of a nervous disposition and has to have a car. He/she/they also need to be very caring, good (a little firm occasionally) with animals and have "somerthing about them" - no wet lettuces please!! We would prefer someone, who is friendly and really nice of course!!
Our fantastic11 year old Boxer is delicate and rather frail (though holds her own, of course - you try convincing a Boxer that she is old!). She is the most wonderful dog in the world. Our 4 month old French Bulldog is a bundle of fun (and trouble!!) and absolutely adorable. Not yet house- trained, but getting there, so hopefully will be by the time of the first sit. Our mostly outdoor cats, but they come in for the occasional cuddle & snuggle. All rescued cats, they are so lovely. These are the main responsibilities and you will find them a joy to live with. The sitter will need to be house-proud & tidy. We have a cleaning lady, who will come every week, except when she takes a holiday, so the house will be thoroughly cleaned once a week, but we do expect it to be kept clean & tidy in between. We have a large garden and we often summon the help of a friend to care for it during our absence. However, a keen gardener might enjoy the challenge!! The sitter would need to bring own sheets, towels, etc and be prepared to equip everything they need for their time at the house. They would always have to await our return, but then be prepared to leave with all of their stuff packed and ready to go. We like the house to be as we left it (or better!!).
Our house is detached and a couple of miles from a lovely market town, in an area of outstanding natural beauty, in South Shropshire. We have 7 acres in all and it is ideal for walkers, garden lovers, bird-watchers, etc. It really is in a wonderful location. In our grounds, we have a working office, which is staffed 6 days a week, so there is usually someone on hand to help with queries, etc. They can do the odd bit of "baby-sitting", when absolutely necessary too.
We are looking for someone, who can do several sits (1. two weeks or so in April; 2 from approx 25th May to end July; 3. end August to mid- October; 4. couple weeks in December). We would LOVE to establish a long-term arrangement, as these dates are needed every year. We would prefer someone with a back-up plan. Couples are possibly better, although we are open to a single person, so long as there is a plan for a stand-in (whom we would need to meet) in case of emergency. We know that this is a joy of an arrangement for the right person/persons, but they do need to be able to commit. We are prepared to discuss payment for the right sitter.