personHouse sitter

Daria (Sophia)

Home Attendant 🛩️

Picture of House Sitter, House Minder and Pet Sitter at Kiwi House Sitters, New Zealand. User Home Attendant 🛩️

About me

personSolo

59, IT - Work Remote

Kiwi pet sitter based in Auckland (for the mo!). Genuine love for animals calm, attentive approach to care. Experienced with both dogs and cats, I keep pets happy and homes well looked after.

favoriteWhy I love house sitting

I have been living a life in Christchurch, Geneva, Czech Republic! Base for winter is Auckland, but love to move around the country. Its great that house sitting can give you a chance to live in a community and meet new people around NZ and having a pet makes it feel a little less like a tourist!

I’m a Kiwi with a love for film, travel, art and now housesitting. Im ok with plants too!

I’ve always been surrounded by pets — my own and those I’ve looked after — and have happily played “aunty” to Mavis Brown, Zeus, Bella, Hercules, Maddy and Toru. I understand what cats and dogs need and the importance of keeping their routine and hugs (if they are huggers), play and being a steady replacement. I will notice the small things — changes in behaviour and make sure your pets feel good, ... Read more
I’m a Kiwi with a love for film, travel, art and now housesitting. Im ok with plants too!

I’ve always been surrounded by pets — my own and those I’ve looked after — and have happily played “aunty” to Mavis Brown, Zeus, Bella, Hercules, Maddy and Toru. I understand what cats and dogs need and the importance of keeping their routine and hugs (if they are huggers), play and being a steady replacement. I will notice the small things — changes in behaviour and make sure your pets feel good, safe in their surroundings.

I come from a big family, so looking after a home and keeping things running smoothly comes naturally to me. I’m respectful, tidy, and will keep your home ticking while you holiday.

I have had a few housesitting jobs , but just never through a site, so have offline references for Auckland, Geneva and Lyttelton housesits.

I am happy to do short house sit jobs around Auckland and from mid-Oct I would love to look at slightly longer sits in the South Island.

I work remotely so its important for me to have a reliable internet connection (a no data cap situation is main requirement).

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Pet care

I’ve had a lot of hands-on experience caring for pets and genuinely feel at ease with both dogs and cats of all sizes and personalities. I looked after Mavis Brown regularly for a couple of years, including a full year while her owner was overseas, so I understand the responsibility and trust ... Read moreI’ve had a lot of hands-on experience caring for pets and genuinely feel at ease with both dogs and cats of all sizes and personalities. I looked after Mavis Brown regularly for a couple of years, including a full year while her owner was overseas, so I understand the responsibility and trust involved in longer stays. I’ve also cared for Zeus both during his visits to the city and in his home in Sandy Bay, spent time with my niece’s Bella (a little white fluffy with a big personality), and looked after a Ridgeback as well. Having been a cat owner myself, I’m very comfortable reading animal behaviour and keeping routines consistent. I’m attentive, calm, and make sure pets feel safe, settled, and well cared for while you’re away.

I have photos of all these buddies I can share :)

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petsWilling to care for these pets

DogsDogs
CatsCats
FishFish
BirdsBirds
Rabbits/Guinea PigsRabbits/Guinea Pigs
Chickens/Ducks/GeeseChickens/Ducks/Geese
ReptilesReptiles

Trust

reviews5 star reviews
demographyCR check
diagnosisReferences

diagnosisAbout my references

References available from housesitting in
Auckland Central (dogs)
Geneva, Switzerland ... Read more
References available from housesitting in
Auckland Central (dogs)
Geneva, Switzerland (cat)
Lyttelton (2 cats)

LinkedIn profile available on request.

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Availability

eventNext 12 months

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

eventCurrent bookings

2026: 14 Aug - 16 Oct

Preferences

scheduleHouse sit duration

0 - 1 week, 1 - 2 weeks, 2 - 4 weeks, 1 - 2 months, 2 months +

where_to_votePreferred locations

Anywhere in New Zealand

travelTravel plans

I am based in Auckland so can easily do short and not much notice sits. From mid Oct, I would welcome housesits in the South Island, main centres included. I'm a tour guide in the making, so would be great to research different areas. Longer stays would be welcome!


Reviews (5)

1 of 2 reviews from this owner
Daria looked after our home and pets for a long-term house sit from 17 July to 2 August, and we’re so grateful she was able to stay for the full period. Our pets looked happy, healthy and very well cared for when we returned, and the house was left in great condition. She also handled Auckland’s very wet winter weather without any issues! Thank you so much, Daria, for taking such good care of everything and giving us peace of mind while we were away.
Daria (Sophia) looked after my 18 year old Mimi for 13 days and I can honestly say she did an amazing job. Her communication was first rate - I received numerous updates, photos and videos (with music attached!!) on a daily basis - including intake and output (!!) of food. It is always a worry leaving an elderly cat, but I relaxed in the knowledge that my old girl was in very, very capable hands. I came home to a lovely tidy home, plants cared for and a happy, healthy cat. I would love to ... MoreDaria (Sophia) looked after my 18 year old Mimi for 13 days and I can honestly say she did an amazing job. Her communication was first rate - I received numerous updates, photos and videos (with music attached!!) on a daily basis - including intake and output (!!) of food. It is always a worry leaving an elderly cat, but I relaxed in the knowledge that my old girl was in very, very capable hands. I came home to a lovely tidy home, plants cared for and a happy, healthy cat. I would love to have Daria care for Mimi at any time in the future. Daria is a candidate for cloning!

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2 of 2 reviews from this owner
Daria was fantastic! She looked after our dogs for a few nights over the long weekend. Everything went really smoothly. She was a great communicator throughout, sent us lovely photo updates, and we came home to happy & well-cared-for dogs and a tidy house. We look forward to use her again and would happily recommend her to anyone looking for a trustworthy dog sitter.
Thanks Sophia you are a 5 star sitter in our books. Sophia looked after Maggie and Freddy while we went on a family holiday to Rarotonga for 8 days. Sophia sent wonderful videos and pictures of the dogs going on walks and around the house. We came back to a tidy clean house and happy dogs. Thanks so much Sophia, Sheena and Mike
Sophia is a lovely person would highly reccomend to anyone and will be using again. Great at keeping us updated while away. Animals loved her, well cared for any very relaxed when we got home.
Thanks so much Julia. The dogs were a breeze. I thought 3 would be intense, but they are all charmers! Thank you so much for the review.
Peace of Mind

Happy you!

With a house sitter looking after your pets, house and garden - you can really relax. Happy days.