We've been house/pet sitting for over five years now and have met great pets and amazing owners. We always look forward to our next assigment, with return engagements flourishing into great friendships. Caring for pets has provided much enjoyment, while meeting new owners has offered learnings and some long lasting relationships. All in all, the experiences have provided the best of both worlds, the love of pets and a chance to meet wonderful people.
About
We are an active, responsible and handy couple who love to make new friends, furry and human, as well as integrate into new communities and live like locals. Jacqueline is a retired teacher who has always loved to paint and has continued to do so in her leisure and in giving classes to various groups. Mario is a retired software development type, who spent a number of years working for the Canadian government, followed by assignments as a contract resource in both the private sector and the government. Mario still holds his secret security clearance (renewed in Sept accredited by the Government of Canada. Having lived in the country for over 30 years, we are fairly resourceful when it comes to dealing with such items as pumps, generators, pool maintenance, special tools, etc. We are quite handy, therefore often look forward to odd jobs to occupy our time, while the pets are resting. We are recognized as being tidy and a very responsible couple. We are both fluent in French and English, and have some Spanish that we've picked up throughout our travels. Jacqueline's Spanish is coming along nicely following some training and a few courses. Always available to chat to determine if we might be the house/pet sitters for you.
Why we want to house sit
We want to house and pet sit because we like to live in local settings discovering communities, cultures and languages. Making friends with homeowners and their pets is much more important to us than visiting busy centres, resorts, etc.. We had a very busy lifestyle when our children were home as they were elite athletes and we travelled extensively with them. We often thought of having a pet, but it would have been unfair to it because of this lifestyle. A compromise was to pet sit. When house sitting wasn't required, we took people's pets in our own home. It was always a rewarding experience! The only tough part was seeing the pet leave our home.... Then, we discovered and tried it. When we finally landed our first housesit, it was exciting, but more than that, we discovered it was for us!
Our experience
We have sold our home (30 years) and own rentals; thus, have the knowledge and experience to care for your home. We have cared for pets often, mainly dogs and cats; however, we have sat on hobby farms where we helped with the care of sheep, horses, donkeys and poultry.. We spent a lot of time at riding stables with our daughter; thus, are familiar with that setting as well. We are loving and affectionate. We are very tidy and like people to come back to a welcoming home and happy pets.