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groupHouse sitters

Ruth & Gary

Animal lovers and gardeners

Picture of House Sitter, House Minder and Pet Sitter at Kiwi House Sitters, New Zealand. User Animal lovers and gardeners
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About us

groupCouple

65, Retired Management Consultant

72, Retired Project Manager

Retired, active, non-smoking couple experienced with dogs, cats, sheep, poultry, cattle and keen gardeners. We are looking for property to purchase in Tasman.

favoriteWhy we love house sitting

It gives us the opportunity to explore new places, especially if dogs need walking, and gives us a break from the confines of our motorhome. We miss our pets and garden and take enjoyment in looking after others' loved pets, stock, land, houses and gardens as needed.

We are an active, retired, non smoking-couple looking to shift to the Nelson-Tasman area. We recently sold our lifestyle property with large garden in Kapiti, along with our sheep and hens. Both our dog (a beautiful Welsh Terrier) and cat past away recently.
We are happy to sit for short periods or up to a few months.
We are very happy to maintain your garden, and have owned and are experienced with sheep, poultry, cattle, cats and dogs.
We would love your animals and treat your ... Read moreWe are an active, retired, non smoking-couple looking to shift to the Nelson-Tasman area. We recently sold our lifestyle property with large garden in Kapiti, along with our sheep and hens. Both our dog (a beautiful Welsh Terrier) and cat past away recently.
We are happy to sit for short periods or up to a few months.
We are very happy to maintain your garden, and have owned and are experienced with sheep, poultry, cattle, cats and dogs.
We would love your animals and treat your property like our own. We are long-term members of the NZ Treecrops Association and we used to have lots of garden groups through our place. We also had a short-term rental on our property, and wouldn’t be averse to running yours while you are away. Our average rating on Airbnb was 5/5 or 9.7/10 on Booking.Com.
We will ideally need parking for a small Motorhome and car.

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Pet care

We have had our own pets and also looked after friends animals on occassion. Our dog had daily walks. Our cat was very chilled and sociable, often sleeping on his back in the sun. Our hens always came running when we went in their paddock and had no problem with being picked up and patted. They ... Read moreWe have had our own pets and also looked after friends animals on occassion. Our dog had daily walks. Our cat was very chilled and sociable, often sleeping on his back in the sun. Our hens always came running when we went in their paddock and had no problem with being picked up and patted. They were 4 plus years old and we still got 3 to 4 eggs a day from 4 hens. We had 250% lambing in 2025, no orphans or deaths.

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petsWilling to care for these pets

DogsDogs
CatsCats
FishFish
BirdsBirds
Rabbits/Guinea PigsRabbits/Guinea Pigs
Chickens/Ducks/GeeseChickens/Ducks/Geese
Farm AnimalsFarm Animals

agricultureFarm experience

We have owned cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry, and owned three lifestyle blocks ranging in size from 3 to 21 hectares.

Trust

Silver member12 months
reviews5 star reviews
diagnosisReferences

Availability

eventNext 12 months

Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul

eventCurrent bookings

2026: 13-17 Aug | 22 Aug - 2 Sep | 2-22 Sep | 19 Sep - 31 Oct | 18 Oct - 2 Nov | 12 Nov - 31 Mar 2027

Preferences

scheduleHouse sit duration

1 - 2 weeks, 2 - 4 weeks, 1 - 2 months, 2 months +

where_to_votePreferred locations

South Island: Canterbury (Banks Peninsula, Christchurch, Hurunui, Kaikoura, Selwyn, Waimakariri, Waimate), Nelson / Marlborough, West Coast  

travelTravel plans

We are fairly flexible as we are travelling in our Motorhome. It is fairly small so we want a break from the close confines from time to time.

rv_hookupHas Caravan/Motorhome

Reviews (4)

Ruth and Gary were absolute stars looking after our little fur family of two Shiba Inus and one cat. Their communication was outstanding throughout our trip, with regular updates and photos that gave us complete peace of mind while we were overseas. We returned to a spotless house and three very happy pets. They took our dogs on lovely walks and cared for all of our animals as though they were their own. They are genuinely lovely people, and we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to ... MoreRuth and Gary were absolute stars looking after our little fur family of two Shiba Inus and one cat. Their communication was outstanding throughout our trip, with regular updates and photos that gave us complete peace of mind while we were overseas. We returned to a spotless house and three very happy pets. They took our dogs on lovely walks and cared for all of our animals as though they were their own. They are genuinely lovely people, and we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to anyone looking for trustworthy, caring house sitters. Thank you both so much for everything!

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We were away in Europe for over a month and Ruth and Gary looked after our house the entire time — they were fantastic from start to finish. Our pets were clearly in great hands; they were relaxed and happy the whole time we were away, which meant the world to us. They got themselves busy in the garden too, so we came home to a place that looked just as good as when we left it, if not better. Communication was great throughout, and we genuinely felt our house couldn't have been in safer or ... MoreWe were away in Europe for over a month and Ruth and Gary looked after our house the entire time — they were fantastic from start to finish. Our pets were clearly in great hands; they were relaxed and happy the whole time we were away, which meant the world to us. They got themselves busy in the garden too, so we came home to a place that looked just as good as when we left it, if not better. Communication was great throughout, and we genuinely felt our house couldn't have been in safer or more capable hands. We'd welcome Ruth and Gary back to sit for us again in a heartbeat, and we'd recommend them without hesitation to anyone on Kiwi House Sitters.

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Thank you so much Ruth and Gary for your excellent care of Monty. He has been down to the bedroom a couple of times since you left so must be missing you both and Myf. You left our house beautifully cleaned and I noticed you even did some weeding in the garden which was above and beyond. We would 100% recommend you to anyone needing a pet/house sitter.
Ruth and Gary were wonderful. They looked after our Bobby and kept communication up regularly so that we didn’t have to worry about him. They had their own dog with them and Bobby loved that. I would highly recommend them as sitters. I could not have asked for more.
Free Pet Care

Happy pets!

A house sitter provides loving, full-time, home-based pet-care while you're away.

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