We are an active, friendly Canadian couple living in Guelph Ontario. I am a dog lover and grew up in Toronto. Jim grew up in a small town on the Ottawa River. He grew up with three dogs.
In 2015 we joined Housecarers. Traveling fits our lifestyle and we both absolutely love dogs. To date we have completed over twenty house-sits, in many cases returning multiple times to the same owners in the US and Canada.
Every dog is our favourite. Dude, the Daschund was our first-ever dog-sit. Dude was also our first pet-transport. We spent a couple of hilarious days driving Dude from South Carolina to upstate New York so he could spend the summer at his owner’s summer place (she flew!).
In L.A. we’ve returned several times to hang out with the ‘Hollywood Hounds’, Sammy and Kona. In a city where so many people want to get noticed, Jim and I found the answer is simply to walk our two favourite Bassetts along Melrose Avenue. We learned that when someone yells out ‘great ears!’, it’s not our ears they are talking about!
And in San Diego, Karen helped Torrey (name after Torrey Pines!) return to swimming. Neck deep in Mission Bay with a leash and some treats, Karen encouraged Torrey to overcome her puppy-born fear of waves to once again begin chasing her favourite tennis balls into the ocean.
When we house and pet-sit, our goal is simple: to provide peace of mind for the owners. As experienced house-sitters, we’ve seen how meaningful it is when owners know their home and pets are being loved and well looked after. We know you will miss them. However, it’s very comforting knowing you don’t have to worry about them.
For us, loving the pets we meet is what we do. From exercise to belly rubs, car-rides to couch-snuggling, engaging constantly is a huge part of the reward we get from the house-caring experience. We truly respect the pets we are responsible for and strive to ensure they get as much out of our time together as we do. Afterwards, we love it when owners tell us their pets miss us!
In terms of timing, we prefer to sit for a minimum of two weeks. That way we get a better understanding of the places we’re visiting. Being Canadian, we’re used to winters and wouldn’t necessarily shy away from a winter sit. Jim’s a pretty good skier and knows how to shovel snow. Although I like a cozy fireplace, I enjoy the sun even more and find warmer climates and beaches very appealing, especially from November though April.
Jim and I both have police-verified security clearances. We’re great with gardens, houseplants and lawn mowers! We’re most comfortable and experienced house-sitting dogs and cats – but open to learning about other animals. Recently, we completed a dog and turtle sit! Cycling, hiking, walking, sailing and boating are summer activities we enjoy. Learning to surf is next on our list!
We have met so many interesting people and dogs in our numerous Housecarer adventurers. Our references are stellar and we would love to meet you and your dogs on our next journey!
Karen and Jim - The Canadian Duo.