Dog Sitting in Darfield

Gregory

Due to a family emergency, I had to leave the country earlier than I had planned, and needed a sitter to fill in the gap between my departure and another sitter. Michele responded within minutes of my posting the sit, and then we spoke and confirmed the sit within hours. Her husband, Israel, was coming from Mexico to France, while she and her kids were to come from Sweden. When Michele’s travel plans changed, and she wouldn’t be able to come with her children, she assured me that Israel would still come to look after the house and dogs. To do this, for a stay of only five days, he flew to Paris, and then to the south of France, where he rented a car and drove the rest of the way to my place. As I was already traveling, the previous sitters filled him in on the various things that needed to be tended to: caring for two dogs, tending to hens, watering 90 young olive trees daily, as well as other things. The place is big and it took me 3-4 weeks when I first moved in to figure out where things were and what to do. Israel mastered everything upon his arrival, sent me daily updates with photos of my two VERY happy dogs. In addition to all the upkeep, he managed to hike with the dogs daily. I arrived home to find everything perfectly maintained, two fit and and Israel’s guest house cleaner than it was when he arrived. Immaculate. I cannot even express my gratitude for to both Michele and Israel for such a sacrifice and commitment to do that for me. It was a very difficult time, as I was dealing with the loss of both my son and my mother. I did not worry for one second while my dogs and home were in Israel’s hands. Thank you both, so, so much. You’re welcome back anytime, with the entire family, even just for a visit, maybe just a well-deserved holiday, with no dog- or house- sitting!

Tamar

Julia was an amazing house sitter and dog sitter! She sent me photos and updates every day, she took my pup Jordan on long walks and gave him the love, care, and patience that he needs. She was so easy and comfortable to communicate with and she left the house so clean and tidy for when I came back. Definitely recommend her!!!

Abby

David and Elynn were fabulous pet sitters and house sitters. Our dog and rabbit were well-taken care of, the house was left even cleaner than when they arrived! I would highly recommend David and Elynn, and would happily have them again!

David and Elynn took excellent care of our dog Cosmo and our rabbit Oreo. They made sure they were happy, well-fed, and got exercise and fresh air! We were very happy to receive several photos of our furry friends while we were away.

They took amazing care of the house and yard, and were very open with communication. If they were uncertain of anything or had a question, they were very open about reaching out!

David and Ellyn were wonderful houseguests, who left the house even cleaner than they found it!

I would highly recommend David and Elynn and their two adorable children. They are wonderful, respectful people who definitely love animals and will give your pets and home lots of care! Thank you!! :)

Mia

Anita was a wonderful dog sitter for Balto! They were super tentative, made sure to ask any and all questions before we went away, and they sent the best updates about Balto while we were gone. I felt so much better knowing my dog was in great hands, and I could not recommend Anita enough! Quality care, and our apartment was spotless when we returned home.

Koni

Robyn was a great pet sitter and house sitter.  She  went way over and beyond my expectations!!!! She sent a photo of her and my dogs and they were looking at her like they were in love.  And my cats are not very friendly, but she won them over also.  I would highly recommend Robyn as a pet sitter and house sitter.  She is a very sweet lady.  I would love to have her watch my babies again and again.

Monika

Joe arrived some days before I left, so I could show him some nice places in Switzerland and he had enough of time to learn all about the dogs and how to handle them. He is an amazing nice and an animal/natur loving person who took care of my dog with incredible affection when I was in vacation. I could really enjoy it, because I knew, everything is ok at home. He sent me picutres and I could see, how much fun they have together. He cooked for the dogs, mad a lot of nice hikes with them and huged them, when they need it - so he even got the trust from Artu (as a man really not easy). 
And not only that, he made woodruff punch for me and sowed my tomatoes and spoiled them with melt water. And he helped also the women which looked after the horses and helped her to going walk with them.
Generelly he is super friendly, so everyone in the village likes him.

He is considerate of your belongings and has handed the house back neatly. He is just the best. I'm so gratuful he was here.

So, if you have a chance to get him as a sitter, take it. Your animals will be grateful to you and have a good time while you are on vacation.

Joe, you're not just a dog sitter for me. You were so familiar to me from the first moment. We had a lot of fun and we already miss you sooooo much. I'm really looking forward to see you again in some monthes.

Sarah

Stephanie, Brian and baby Martin took fabulous care of our home and pets for two weeks. 

From the outset, communication was quick, smooth and friendly and it was clear that both Stephanie and Brian are reliable, professional and warm sitters who take all the various elements of a sit seriously.

They kept us up to date with photos and messages, dealt proactively and competently with any unexpected issues that popped up, and most importantly showered our dogs and gerbils with attention and care throughout the time we were away. We returned to a spotlessly clean home (with thoughtful touches of fresh milk, bacon and bread waiting for us) and happy, settled pets. 

In short, we would recommend Stephanie and Brian to anyone looking for reliable, attentive and proactive sitters for their pets and home. We would be delighted to welcome them back for another sit, should they ever find themselves in the area again.

Heather

Veronica House sat for us for a month.  She cared for our two Dobermans and our cat.

Veronica is so enthusiastic about animals.  They immediately pick up on her joy and love for them.

When some bold alligators made our dogs’ normal exercise routine unsafe,  she was faced with the challenging situation of keeping two Dobermans with very different temperaments exercised and entertained in the height of Florida summer with its bugs, heat, and humidity.  She met this challenge by taking the dogs for individual outings. She drove our young social dog to the dog park, finding the times when he would most likely have other large playmates and drove our socially anxious dog to the quiet areas of town for walks.  This took a lot more time than our normal routine, but it kept our dogs safe and happy.

A lasting benefit for us is that our younger dog, once a terror in the car, now rides much more calmly and our anxious dog, once fearful of what the car ride would bring, now happily hops in.
 
Our cat was so content and well-groomed​ upon my return, it was obvious that she had been getting lots of daily attention,  too.

Veronica communicated with us on all the happenings with our pets and property every day.

I came home to happy and healthy pets and a well cared for home.

We feel so fortunate to have had Veronica as a house sitter and look forward to her sitting for us again.

June

I cannot thank Jenny and Geoff enough for stepping in at the last minute after the original sitter cancelled. They are a great couple, friendly , organised and extremely capable. Also they LOVE animals.  My dog and cat have clearly been given a great deal of care and attention in my absence. 
Jenny kept in touch with notes and lovely photos, Geoff cut my grass and I came home to a spotlessly sparkling house ! Thank you so much! 
Jenny and Geoff are welcome back anytime and I would not hesitate to recommend them as excellent sitters.

Ruth

You could not ask for better house and pet sitters than Ken and Jane! 

Before the sit: Communicating with Ken and Jane prior to our scheduled week went smoothly. They were proactive about planning. They came out to the house prior to the sit and spent a couple of hours going over things about the house, meeting the pets, and getting familiar and comfortable with everything. They were delightful people to meet; I was wishing for a couple of days to just hang out and play tourist with them!

During the sit: Ken and Jane sent me daily updates and photos of their outings with my pups and with their interactions with my kitties. I appreciated how they chose the sit partly because of their love of exploring rural areas, because that's what I have here! They were perfectly suited to my home and pets. Ken absolutely loves cats and is an intuitive and experienced kitty-handler. Jane really bonded with one of my kitties; both of them made great progress with all three of my cats, each of which is pretty shy at first, and one can be a real problem child. They worked very hard to give love to each pet and ensure that each felt calm, happy, and cared for. They spend tons of time outdoors with my border collie/retrievers. The dogs had daily "spa time" after walks and outdoor playtime, having their long fur brushed on my front porch (which the dogs love!). They sent me happy photos every day. If anything came up, they just handled it. They really seemed to enjoy their adventures and the pets each day, which made my time away that much more enjoyable.

After the sit: I was thankful to have some time with Ken and Jane when I returned from my trip. All the pets were calm, happy, and healthy when I got home. Ken and Jane had left me a detailed note about that last day to make re-entry easy. They sweetly left a thank you note and a bottle of wine on the kitchen table also (a very sweet and unexpected surprise!). They seemed quite sad to leave my "kids;" Jane left with tears in her eyes, saying goodbye to my dogs. We've kept in touch since the sit. My whole house really misses them. Oh, and the house was immaculate and plants all watered (inside and out) when I got home! 

If you're looking for kind, competent, caring, organized and responsible people to care for your home and pets, invite Ken and Jane!