Valerie & Patrick

We are a couple who live in a rental property and are not allowed to keep pets. As we love animals we decided, on moving to New Zealand in 2020, to join Trusted Housesitters, as at that point we were not aware of kiwihousesitters. Since then we have looked after dogs on three occasions. We have excellent references on that site, which we can provide. We have also looked after a friend’s Spoodle in Christchurch for a week. About 3 years ago, while holidaying in the Waikato region, one of our Airbnb hosts asked us to look after her cat. We have since looked after the cat on 3 or 4 occasions. We’re confident the lady in question would provide a reference.

I (Valerie) was brought up on a dairy farm in Ireland, and was expected to help out with lots of farm chores, including looking after the animals. When I was very young we had a terrier and later a gorgeous Jack Russell, and often we had a cat, and at one point, we even had a chicken. I (Patrick) used to enjoy taking my sister’s Springer Spaniel, Muffy, for long walks.

Before moving to New Zealand in 2020 we were part of a scheme in the UK which linked dog owners needing help with their pets, with people who love dogs and want to spend time with them. We used to take 3 adorable labradors for walks at the weekends, which we really enjoyed.

I (Valerie) am retired and Patrick is retiring in early December. With more time on our hands, we are hoping that Kiwi Housesitters will hopefully provide us with more opportunities to look after and enjoy animals.

For over 20 years we have looked after our friends’ house (taking in the mail, looking after the garden, turning on the heating to ensure the pipes don’t freeze in the winter, and at one point even feeding the wild hedgehog) whilst they’ve been on holiday.

Also we have been home owners for 22 years and know what is involved in looking after a home well. We know what it takes to create a home and understand completely that respect for your belongings is of paramount importance so will always look after your home as if it were our own. We are both non-smokers.