Congratulations to the Animal Welfare League of Queensland ! ! !

Congratulations to the Animal Welfare League of Queensland ! ! !

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House Sitter Wanted – How to Find a House Sitter

If you are one of the many home owners that has been the victim of burglary, or you are the owner of a pet with special needs (aren’t they all?), or you simply worry what will happen to your home and/or pet(s) in your absence, you know what it is like to be unable to completely relax and enjoy your hard earned holiday.

You may have arrived home to the aftermath of irresponsible relatives who were supposed to be taking care of your home in your absence and haven’t quite lived up to their end of the bargain. You could have forked out hundreds, if not thousands for pet boarding only to be unable to stop worrying about how they are the whole time, or for them to come back different pets, perhaps even with ticks or fleas (or worse).

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

I am one of the many people out there who are willing to make it their full time jobs to keep your home clean, love your pets (almost) as much as you do, make sure your home looks ‘lived in’ at all times, all this and more for (what I feel) is a small price to pay per day. I am willing to provide daily reports (email, sms, phone calls) about the kids with tails (or fins, or feathers, or scales), chat with your neighbours as if they were my own and forward your mail to wherever you happen to be living it up on the planet.

No longer do you need to lie awake in your hotel room fretting your skittish elderly cat isn’t coming in to eat at night, because you have chosen a cat lover with experience medicating cats due to having to do so with her own. Someone is there to make sure your dogs get their little jackets on if it starts to rain when out walking, because you have chosen someone who has had previous clients with similar needs.

“Who is this angels of mercy?” I hear you cry. “How do I get this wonderful person to come and take care of my wonderful home and precious pets while I am away?!”

With the advent of the internet making this world a whole lot smaller, you are now able to communicate via the magic of my website, facebook, twitter or email and get in touch with me to fulfill your needs.

When you use my day stay, overnight or live in house sitter services in return, I give you the opportunity to fully appreciate your holiday, join in that Conga line and fully enjoy yourself to the best of your abilities!

It is the least I can do !

Try this. Calculate how much you think it will cost you to pay each week if you were to hire a pet sitter to visit twice a day for 30mins or longer (or the fuel + time costs involved in having to transport your animals to boarding facilities or kennels). This can be quite expensive for multiple pet households! It is part of the territory for an experienced house sitter (like myself) to take care of everything and I am more than happy to do so. It becomes my full time job as your house sitter to take this weight off your mind and ensure the highest level of security, safety and wellbeing of your home and pets.

As a professional house sitter I have police clearances, my driver’s license available for inspection, a contract you must sign and references (available upon request) all ready to go so I can do what I am there for – to make sure you have absolute peace of mind. When I house sit I try to leave it as you left it (like I have not even been there!) and to love your precious pets in the way I want Marnie to be treated while I'm away. I owe you the peace of mind you seek. Without this, there would be no need for house sitters (like me) and with it the opportunity for great adventure (for you).

Each house sit has been a new and interesting episode in a way of life I would never have had the chance to experience! At the end of each house sit no-one really knows how to thank one another. The homeowner always feels like we have done them a great service and provided valuable peace of mind, I couldn’t be more thankful because I get to have my own mini-holiday and be surrounded by their wonderful pets.

So if you’ve ever had a bad experience that’s caused you to wake on your holiday in a cold sweat, have a furry kid that is a little mischievous (or precious to you) or you feel tied to the house in any way there is a shining light at the end of the tunnel! I'm available to house sit for 3 - 5 hours during the day, overnight or "live in" (24 hours) within South Brisbane, Gold Coast (yes all of the Gold Coast) and just "over the border" (Tweed region).

So don’t be afraid to leave home, get a house sitter. Your pets, plants, gardens and relatives will appreciate it!

Get To Know Your Pet Carer: Vanessa

Name: Vanessa

Owner of www.goldcoastpets.com.au

Services: Pet Sitter. House Sitter + Dog Walker

Service Area: Pimpama to Coolangatta

Get To Know Me:

Name 3 Foods I Love: Cheese, Dark Chocolate + Fresh Cooked Meals

Name 3 Things On Your Floor Right Now: Bella, Kobe + Mixture of cat + dog fur (plus a few strands of my hair most likely!) please note this was posted whilst I am house sitting (5 Jan 2010)

Name 3 Websites You Visit Often: Facebook, Gmail + Various Business Related Sites.

Name 3 Things You Are Addicted To: Internet/Facebook/Twitter, Dark Chocolate and Animals

...new questions will be added soon... watch this space!

Testimonial

What did you enjoy about your experience using Gold Coast Pet Sitting?

I found Vanessa's Pet Sitting Service very proffessional and Vanessa genuine.

June Trenwyth:Morgan (Molendinar)

Pets: Hapi the Dog and Kinza the Cat

Hapi The Dog (video)

Vanessa is trustworthy and obviously loves what she does. I always feel comfortable leaving Dusty in her care and know that he will be happy and well looked after when I return :-)

Rose (Upper Coomera)

Pet: Dusty

Dusty The Cat (Photo)

Even if you were very satisfied with the experience of using Gold Coast Pet Sitting, is there any feedback you would like to give to help us improve the experience for you ?

None, you are absolutely The Best...

June Trenwyth:Morgan (Molendinar)

Pets: Hapi the Dog and Kinza the Cat

Nothing to improve upon - everything was fantastic :-)

Rose (Upper Coomera)

Pet: Dusty

Thank you June and Rose! I am always forever grateful for the opportunity of being allowed to give some love and care to other peoples' pets! No matter what is happening my life, the fulfillment I receive from hanging out with each and every animal companion (or petizen) can't be beat! xox Vanessa

Training & Behaviour Workshop with Steve Courtney

Information Sheet (PDF)

I'm excited to attend the workshop! Whilst it is designed for actual dog owners than someone in my position (where I am dealing with a myriad of dogs). I am planning to attend with one or both dogs of a client of mine (with her permission). In the end, I don't have to attend with a dog though it would be beneficial.

I'm planning to bring along my camera + taking as much video as possible.

Naturally, I will blog about the experience and everything I learnt.

Stay tuned !

What are the advantages of having a house sitter rather than leaving my house empty?

Leaving your property empty for any length of time is tantamount to asking for trouble. A vacant house is far more likely to be vandalized and burgled.

It may seem easier to lock your house up and simply walk (or drive) away rather than go through the process of finding a house sitter but your home is probably your most valuable asset and as such, deserves the protection that a house sitter can offer.

Gold Coast Pet Sitting's Day Stay, Overnight + House Sitting Service

Your house sitter is working for you
It is a house sitter's job to ensure that the needs of your animals and property are met in all the ways that you specify. The relationship between home owner and house sitter is most often a mutually agreeable and productive one with good lines of communication established early on. Your house sitter will expect to be asked to perform a whole range of tasks to maintain your land and house in the same condition as when you left it. When negotiating the terms of the house sitting assignment, your house sitter will also agree to care for your pets to maintain their good health and happiness.

Your pets will thank you for it
The single most compelling reason for engaging the services of a live-in house sitter rather than letting your house fend for itself (and your pets pine for you from their cages) is the enormous cost of outside care for your animals. Animal psychologists and vets agree that boarding your animals for any length of time can place a huge strain on their physical and emotional health. Even taking your pets on holiday with you can be a far less pleasant experience for them than it is for you (think of cargo holds, vaccinations and sedatives, time spent in quarantine, time spent in a travel container, motion sickness, unfamiliar surroundings, hostile strange animals, unfamiliar food, heatstroke, having to sleep outside - the list goes on). A house sitter can go a long way toward meeting your pet's needs, providing companionship and love as well as keeping them fed, exercised, safe and healthy. If your animals are used to sleeping with you, you can even ask your house sitter if they would mind letting Fluffy in bed for a cuddle.

Keeping your life 'connected' while you're away
One of the less obvious benefits of having a house sitter is that they can keep your life back home 'connected' while you're away. By answering your door to any visitors and (if needed) forwarding your mail and messages to you, your house sitter provides the link between your old (usual) life and the life you're living while away. You can ask your house sitter to stay in regular contact with you to keep to you informed of any issues that may affect your animals or property. Of course, if you'd rather not know what's going on back home you can nominate someone else to be a contact person for your house sitter.

Insurance
Don't think that your insurance company will take up the slack and provide a safety net for your poor neglected home and its contents while you're away. It won't. Every home and contents policy contains a 'vacancy clause' which kicks in after your home has been empty for 30 (or sometimes 60) days and nullifies all of your cover. It is possible to buy cover for an empty house but the cost of the premium rapidly rises the longer your house is empty and quickly becomes sky-high.

Repairs and maintenance
Your house sitter is always on hand to organise repairs in the event of a minor or major emergency in your home during your absence. If there's a power outage you won't be smelling the contents of your freezer two blocks before you arrive home. A house sitter can keep the frog spawn and algae out of your pool and arrange to have a broken roof tile replaced before the situation deteriorates so far that you've got a damp wall and soggy ceiling to replace upon your return. One broken window can make your house enormously attractive to those who would take pleasure from breaking the rest, but not if your house sitter is on the job and quickly arranges for a replacement.

You won't have to prepare your house for vacancy
The amount of work required to prepare your home for your absence can be a daunting prospect. Concerns about how to find your sump pump and exterior hose bibs, how to properly seal drains and keep the ants out of your dishwasher while you're away are voiced on bulletin boards by anxious home owners the world over. If you don't want to have to drain or seal anything or install random-light-switch machines into your living spaces then consider engaging the services of a nice human being to keep your property humming along in its usual smooth way while you're away.

'Keeping an eye out' is never enough
Many home owners rely on neighbours, friends or relatives to 'keep an eye out' for them or 'pop in' to their empty property. Unfortunately this kind of piecemeal solution never quite works out as the power outage defrosts your freezer (unnoticed by Aunty Dot) and your lonely dog howls all day and night (annoying the neighbour but not enough to do anything about it). And without a resident house sitter happily going about their business in your house, the un-mown lawn and collection of rain-soaked junk mail is only going to encourage the wrong kind of visitor to your home. You have been warned.

As a professional house sitter, I also have references and a current police check available for inspection if required.

Gold Coast In Home Pet Sitting/Minding | Dog Walking Adventures | House Sitting Service

Worried about leaving your dog in your car ?

Worry no more !!!

If you have an appointment of some sort (hospital, lunch, whatever!) .. bring along your dog ! It will be my pleasure to keep your dog company, hydrated and give it some exercise whilst you tend to your business.

Just provide me a water bowl, 2 litres of cold water, some of the dog's favourite treats and some doggie bags (for their poop) in a green shopping bag... and we are all set!

Naturally, a good strong collar and lead (or whatever the dog is used to being walked with) should automatically come with the dog. I will not take the dog off leash unless it is acceptable to do so (ie an off leash park is near by).

Cost?

$22 (without GST) for a single 45 minute “adventure”
$30 (without GST) for a single 60 minute “adventure”
$60 (without GST) for a single 120 minute “adventure”

Contact Gold Coast Pet Sitting for further information.