We're a professional couple, married for over 14 years, and we're very quiet, responsible, friendly, dependable, non-smokers and non-drinkers. As experienced house & pet sitters, we will take exceptional care of your home, pets, plants, mail, and any other task you may require, as though it is our own: each home and animal is treated with commitment and loving attention, and we take pride in returning your home the way we found it.
When we first started housesitting again in 2005, we were in the process of choosing a place to settle down after a number of years working at sea as art gallery directors (choosing between the Vancouver and Okanagan areas where we have family), and we yearned to share the unique company of animals again. As we received more and more requests for our help though, we were thrilled to hear we were making such a positive difference for people and their pets, as each person expressed the tremendous relief and peace of mind they felt with us in their home. Now, we've discovered that we absolutely love our lifestyle of constant animal companionship and ongoing change. It would seem that our lives at sea prepared us well, since change comes every seven days on a cruise ship! Before sailing through the Caribbean, Bermuda, Europe, and Hawaii with work, we both originated from Vancouver where we lived in the Kits Point, Point Grey, and Grouse Mountain areas.
We adore animals and would love to spoil yours while you're away!
We work from 'home' through the internet and so tend to spend more time with the animals we care for than most owners do. They receive our full attention and devotion, and your pet's status as royalty isn't compromised in the least!
The benefits...
Our first house & pet sitting experience was a surprise request over 8 years ago from the owner of a large lakefront B&B where we'd been staying, and since then we've seen the many benefits to home owners - both with and without pets - of having someone stay in their home while they're away... In terms of home security, just having someone living in your home, taking in the mail, turning lights on and off, answering the phone, and basically maintaining a lived-in look, deters potential burglars. And if any unexpected problems should arise, there's someone there to manage the situation, minimize it, and keep you up to date. Also very important is keeping your house insurance policy active - many people are unaware that most home insurance is void for any claims made when a home is left unoccupied for 2 weeks or more. If you have pets, they are able to stay in their own comfortable surroundings, and you enjoy peace of mind knowing that there is someone there full time to care for them and offer constant companionship, rather than imposing on friends or family to come and visit for only an hour or so every day (a position we've been in as pet owners ourselves).
We understand that some people can initially feel uncertain about allowing relative strangers to look after their home and pets, and we're more than happy to meet with you and your pets in person.
We offer you an extensive and enthusiastic list of references that will be delighted to speak with you about their experience with us, as well as our official police certificates.
We're sure that once you have us care for your home, you'll not only recommend us to your friends and family, you'll also be excited to call us back any time you have to travel again!
You choose what you pay!
We structure our fees in a somewhat unique way... we ask for a basic minimum amount - often much less than but sometimes equal to the cost of having someone come for just a half-hour visit and/or a half-hour walk per day - and leave it up to our clients to choose an amount above that that they feel reflects good value for themselves and for us. It's not uncommon for clients to offer 4x our base rate, but we also have some folks who can only budget for the lower amount. As long as you feel good and we've been comfortable during our stay, we're happy.
Please keep in mind: from the time we started house sitting again in 2005 we've been 100% booked, with the majority of bookings made 5 - 24 months in advance; only a few time periods remain unclaimed this year. For this reason, we encourage you to contact us as early as possible to ensure availability.
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In West Vancouver: BowWow Meow Pet Boutique 1445 Bellevue Ave, West Vancouver Phone: 604-921-2621 |
In Kitsilano: Amherst Veterinary Hospital 2083 Alma Street, Vancouver Phone: 604-221-7771 |