Kiwi House Sitters

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Membership: Silver (12mths)

Reply Rating:
Couple
ID verified

House Sitting Preferences

House Sit Duration: 2 - 4 weeks, 1 - 2 months, 2 months +
Willing to care for these pets: Dog(s), Cat(s), Fish, Bird(s), Rabbit(s)/Guinea Pig(s), Chickens/Ducks/Geese, Reptile(s), Farm Animals, Horse(s)
Has farm experience:
Jim owned a 40-acre hobby farm in NSW, Australia, for many years and is comfortable with horses, goats, sheep, cattle, chickens, ducks, turkeys, and geese. One of our assignments was to care for a 700-acre sheep farm with 60 partridges from which we collected eggs for incubation. Another assignment was to watch for 55 quail and collect over 800 eggs for pickling. At another, we cared for seven alpacas for ten weeks. Shelly was brought up on a tourist farm with domestic (dogs, cats, reptiles), farm (goats, sheep, pigs), and exotic (bears, alpaca) animals. Finally, Jim is comfortable with farm equipment such as tractors, slashers, buckets, etc.

Preferred Locations

Anywhere in New Zealand

Availability

NEXT 6 MONTHS

Available
Unavailable

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep
Current Bookings: 2024: 16May-31Dec

Experienced, Honest, Pet-Loving Couple

Jim: 73, Retired

Michelle: 71, Retired

Hi,

We are an experienced housesitting couple. We have cared for everything from a 700-acre sheep farm and a quail hatchery to suburban homes with pets. We have experience with dogs, cats, fish, reptiles, horses, sheep, partridge, quail, chickens, turkeys and ducks in these assignments, and have experience with many other animal types. We are in demand and often scheduled a year in advance.

Here is a recent reference:

Kate - House / Pet sitting Reference 15 April 2018

"I knew as soon as I met Jim and Shelly that I had struck pure gold in terms of the perfect house sitters - and boy did I!!
They took on my home and precious animals wholeheartedly and 100%. They spent time with me before I left to make sure everything was clear, sent update messages while I was away about how everything was, contacted me immediately if they were unsure of anything; and gave SO MUCH love to my animals I knew my animals were on a holiday too!

"Jim even trained my gorgeous dog, who had a lunging/ nipping issue with bikes and men (she's a rescue dog), not to lunge and nip! I came back to this happy, perfectly behaved dog. I couldn't believe it!! And the cat was in heaven with Shelly's extra special love. When I got home, the house felt loved, cared for and enjoyed. It was spotlessly clean, and everything was just as I left it.

"Leaving your home and valuables in the care of strangers is one thing, but leaving your precious animals is a whole other story.

"Jim and Shelly treated my home and animals with such love and care I almost felt like I should be paying them for the privilege! It left me worry-free to fully enjoy my travels, knowing everything was perfectly safe and happy at home.
Cannot rate these guys highly enough!!!!!! I was so lucky to find them.

Kate"

And another:

Riberac, France - Jan/Feb 2019

"Jim and Shelly were the perfect house sitters, and I would recommend them to anyone. We arrived home to happy and healthy dogs and a lovely clean, and tidy house. While away, they were in daily contact with us, letting us know how the dogs were. It was a big ask with three dogs, but they took everything in their stride. Jim even left me with a website of all the dog walks he had been on; very useful indeed. I would welcome them back at any time and very much hope that they can house-sit for us again. *****

Suze, France, 04 March, 2019"

We are really proud of doing a great job for the people we sit for. We love animals and truly honour the trust our hosts put in us to take care of things. We hope you will consider us as your first choice.

More about us:

We are recently retired, Jim after 30 years with IBM in USA and AU, and Shelly after 20 years as a beauty consultant. We are recently re-married and are now spending a few years exploring the different areas of Australia and the world.

We are professional, quiet, neat, caring, and honest. We have both had pets - dogs and cats - all our lives. Dogs seem to love us, and cats seem to thrive in the peaceful environment we bring. Shelly was a volunteer at pet rescue centres in Denver, Colorado, USA, for years and is completely comfortable with animals that need special care. She was also a volunteer for the RSPCA in Brisbane is is a trained dog handler. Jim has owned and cared for dogs of all ages and will, upon request, do loving and gentle training of young dogs or dogs with undesired behaviours. Examples are available upon request.

Jim owned a hobby farm in NSW for five years, and Shelly was brought up on a farm in Michigan, USA. We are both comfortable with life and chores on a farm or caring for domestic farm animals. At the other end of the scale, we have lived in large cities, Shelly in Denver for 20 years and Jim in Melbourne and Sydney for more than a decade. We are thus very comfortable with the responsibilities that city or suburban life requires.

We will care for your house as if it were our own, leaving it better than we found it. Jim is a talented, if not enthusiastic, handyman, while Shelly has a gift for gardens. We both have completely clean police records (certificates available) and can provide references from other housesitting sites on request. You can also visit our website for more information - please ask for details.

Thank you for considering us, and we hope to be of service to you.

Jim and Shelly

Reviews (1)

Due to several miscommunications we are unable to give a 5star review. Shelly's health issues were a major concern during this time and lead to communication breakdowns in regards to pet care. We wish Jim and Shelly all the best and I hope Shelly is well on the mend.