Hi !
Thank you for taking the time review my profile. I'm happy to share with you a few interesting facts about myself and hope that I'm just the person you're looking for to care for your home and/or pets while you are away!
I am a single female who has taken early retirement after a successful 29 year career as a public school guidance counselor. I am a Christian, a strong, yet gentile southern lady, a non-smoker and I live a conservative life-style. I have a good sense of humor, can find good in just about anything, and am a very hard worker!
I used to raise Labrador retrievers and have had as many as 21 at one time... so I know how to care for pets!
I have enjoyed a number of successful house/pet sitting assignments. Two were for a week each in Brooklyn, New York where I cared for a precious little dog both times. A second was for two weeks in Tampa, FL where I oversaw the final touch-up details on a brand new home while the owner was abroad. I have cared for two Persian cats over a two week period in Boston, MA while the owners were abroad. Then on four separate week long occasions, I house/pet sat for a family in Charlotte, NC where I cared for a 10 year old German Shepherd and a Havanese. Additionally, I house/pet sat for another family in Charlotte where I cared for a collie. I cared for a Blue Heeler (Australian cattle dog) in Gastonia, NC for 5 days where I also tended the owners' vegetable garden during their absence. I enjoyed a 5 week cat/cottage sit in Fiji, cared for a 90 pound Bernese Mountain dog in Charleston, SC, a precious 12 year old lab in Wilmington, NC, a sweet kitty in Hilton Head, SC, 3 cats in Barbados, a darling Chihuahua and a Himalayan cat in Sarasota, Fl, and just recently I completed a 2 week sit for 2 very cuddly kitties in Paris. Each house/pet sit was a wonderful experience and the owners were completely satisfied with my service!
I enjoy meeting new people, traveling to new places and facing new challenges. House and pet sitting provide me the opportunity to do all of these things while helping someone at the same time! In addition to sitting for your home and pet, a few household/garden/yard chores would certainly be an option as well. I spend a tremendous amount of time in my own yard and have beautiful flower gardens to show for it! I have tilled, planted, weeded, watered, and grown a successful vegetable garden. I ended up doing lots of canning and as well as sharing lots of my produce with friends and family!
I have owned my own home for 35 years and know the importance of proper maintenance and care. I take pride in my home and landscaping and would do the same for you. As a single female I have had to make numerous home repairs,including climbing on the roof to caulk and replace a few shingles, crawling under the house to repair a dryer vent pipe, and moving my huge refrigerator to reach the faucet to stop a water leak. Raking leaves, cleaning windows & gutters, spraying brush killer, mowing, etc. are all tasks that I have more experience with than I care to recall!
As a member of the North Carolina Disaster Relief and Recovery Teams, I painted the exterior of a 3 story home from the top level of a scaffold (Hurricane Katrina), dug wells and septic tanks with primitive tools(Tsunami- Sri Lanka), cut brush with a machete (Tsunami- Sri Lanka), pulled insulation from beneath a mobile home and sheetrock and interior insulation at another home (Hurricane Matthew). I share these stories to reassure you that I am fairly "handy around the house" just in case a particular need arises during your absence! Additionally, in September 2022 I served as a member of a volunteer medical mission team in Ukraine.
I am a totally honest, dependable, and trustworthy lady and can provide references for your assurance. To serve as a volunteer member of the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team as well as the NC Baptist Disaster Relief/Recovery Team, I had to undergo a criminal background check. My record with the Department of Motor Vehicles is flawless.
I hope that I will have the opportunity to work for you in the future. Thanks so much!