You want to pick a really trustworthy person to look after your home and your beloved pets. Someone who will never quit or cancel once committed, who will not call in sick and ruin your trip.
During the crippling Mid Atlantic Blizzard of January 2016 I was on a small island in the Chesapeake Bay (thus right in the middle of the storm) with chickens and a cat. Those who could leave have left before the storm, I stayed. Everyone survived, including all furry and feathered household members. I have taken a video digging out the chickens on day 4, watch it here on my profile!
I am a middle-aged (54) female with long experience in care for dogs (since '75) and cats (since '83), that includes extensive experiences with rescues. I have been doing house/pet sittings in Germany since the late 80s, and have picked it up again in the US two years ago. I am glad I did, because it is so rewarding. I even have repeat clients already who are booking their trips around my schedule.
I have a genuine love for animals, and they know that, because they love me right back. It is really easy for me to quickly bond with cats, dogs, birds (incl. chickens, geese, ducks), rabbits, turtles, horses, cows, even deer, or whatever animals that are in need of care.
When emigrating from Germany in 2003, I came with my (then) 7 cats to marry my husband in the US. I would not have come without them. I wouldn't have married an Englishman or an Australian due to the quarantaine laws for animals there. 1 of those 7 cats is still with us today, and meanwhile we have rescued quite a few others over here. My husband is taking care of them in our house during my house/pet sits elsewhere, and I am so glad he is supporting me on my quest. I could not do this without him.
I am clean, quiet and organized, completely reliable and absolutely dependable. I will never cancel or quit once committed. Of course I am not smoking nor drinking, not partying or taking drugs or pills or whatever weird substances. I have been a vegetarian since 1984.
I am respectful and well mannered, have never had any accidents with any pets, never any emergencies, and no pet has ever escaped in my care. I am really responsible and have *stellar* references to share in case you'd be interested (all from house/pet sittings within the US).
I will also help you on a very short notice when you have an emergency (as long as I am available). I have actually jumped into a plane for a sitting across the country with a 12-hour-notice, so I am really very flexible.
- Available in all 50 states (USA).
- No arrest record.
- No drinking or drug habits.
- No drama in my life.
- Vegetarian since 1984.
- Non smoker since 1995.
Please note:
I am not running a business, and I am not looking for profit. I am never charging for my care, as love is always free and can never be bought. But I'll need the actual costs covered to get to your home and live there (Amtrak, Greyhound, Megabus, airfare, groceries).
Past sittings of 2015, references available:
EDIT: I am running out of space here, so I took a screenshot of my 2015 list (10 assignments), please see it under "photos" in my profile!
Past sittings of 2016, references available:
EDIT: again I am running out of space with my list of assignments. To gain the space back for my upcoming bookings I took a screenshot of the list (18 bookings) and put it into my photo gallery.
Past sittings of 2017, references available:
Jan 16-27, Ohio Farm, 3 dogs, 3 horses (repeat client)
Jan 28 - Mar 9, Butler (OH) family home, 2 dogs
Mar 10-18, Chicago condo, 1 cat
Mar 30 - April 12, Minneapolis apmt, 2 cats, fish
Apr 13 - May 22, Iowa City family home, 3 cats
May 23-31, Doylestown (PA) family home, 2 dogs
June 10-20, Ephrata (WA) farm, 6 dogs, 2 cats, 4 geese, 4 ducks
June 21-26, Bainbridge Island / Seattle family home, 2 cats, 3 chickens
July 5-17, Colorado Springs farm, 1cat, 1dog, 1 turtle
Current sitting:
July 18 - Aug 2, Austin (TX) family home, 3 dogs
Upcoming sittings:
Aug 2-12, Washington DC condo, 2 dogs
Aug 13-24, Rockville (MD) aptm, 1 dog
Aug 25 - Sept 26, Wimberley (TX) farm, llamas, cats, dogs
Sept 26 - Oct 31, Reno (NV) family home, 6 cats (repeat client)
Dec 19-26, Santa Fe farm, 2 cats, 2 dogs, 2 horses
2018 Jun 26 - Aug 1, Austin (TX) family home, 3 dogs (repeat client)