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Date: Mar 2020
Period: 1 Week Pets : 1 dog - Winston Duties: Feed, Care, Play and Walk Winston, Collect Mail, Keep Home Secure & Clean. Water Gardens & Lawns What they said: Full Testimonial Click Here " Jill and Gav did an absolutely wonderful job looking after our house and our boy Winston. We had to come home early due to covid-19 travel restrictions and Jill and Gav even got us some supplies so we were sorted whilst in isolation. They always communicated quickly and efficiently and our house was spotless on our return. Winston received some very big walks whilst we were away and he can be challenging to walk, he was sad to see that Jill and Gav had left and whenever we say their names his ears prick up hopefully. That's a sign of a successful pet sitter. 100% recommend and would use again in a heartbeat. Thank you Jill and Gav!" |
What we say:
Winston was a big beautiful boy, who loved to go for long walks, as he had lots of energy. He was also quite independent and enjoyed spending time outside in his big backyard. The weather was still quite warm when we were there and we noticed he liked to lie on the tiled floor to keep cool, as in the photo above. Understandable given all that fur!! Newport is an inner city suburb of Melbourne and close to the Yarra river, so we were able to see lots of boats, ferrries and fishermen along the banks of the river on our daily walks. There were small local shops offering good coffee and cakes along our walks as well. The neighboring suburb of Williamstown is also interesting to explore and has a great dog beach. Melanie and Latham were very welcoming and made sure we were comfortable and had everything we needed for the sit. It was unfortunate that they had to cut their holiday to Fiji short due to the Coronavirus, and border closures, but at least they had a nice short break away with their family before travel overseas was stopped. |
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Date: Feb 2020
Period: 0.6 Week Pets : 1 dog - Zeke Duties: Feed, Care, Play and Walk Winston, Collect Mail, Keep Home Secure & Clean What they said: Full Testimonial Click Here "My first sit. A big thank you to Jill and Gavin. Excellent across all levels..." |
What we say:
This was a very short housesit, and we would have been happy to spend more time with Zeke, who is a lovely natured dog, and very easy to care for. The home was also very comfortable and overlooked paddocks with horses and a country view, which was very relaxing. Even though we felt like we were out in the country, there were plenty of shops close by and a good bus system to get us around. Mike the homeowner was very friendly and easygoing and we enjoyed his company as well as Zeke's and really enjoyed our brief stay in Cranbourne. |
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Date: Feb 2020
Period: 3 Weeks Pets : 2 dogs - 1 cat - Cassie, Sasha & Buddy Duties: Medicate, Feed, Care, Play and Walk Cassie, Sasha & Buddy, Collect Mail, keep Home Secure & Clean. Maintain Car, Gardens & Lawns What they said: Full Testimonial Click Here "~ Thanks so much Jill & Gavin it was wonderful to see you again and I really appreciate the way you looked after my fur kids and home. I trust you will be available for my next trip... Robyn" |
What we say:
This was our second time to Lake Tabourie, with the first time sitting here 8 years ago. We looked after Sasha and Buddy last time and had the addition of Cassie this time. Sasha is now 16 years old and struggles physically and mentally, but still enjoys a little walk. She now requires food and to be let out for toilet about 3am, and the other 2 pets join in, so we needed to adapt to disrupted sleep. Lake Tabourie was one of the areas affected by bushfires in Dec/Jan and it was surprising to see the extent of burnt out areas in and around this area. Thankfully we had a good dose of rain over a couple of weeks and regrowth has begun. The immediate area around the lake and homes and extending to the beach was saved so we enjoyed walking the dogs around there. Cassie and Buddy are also getting older too, 11 & 10 years old, so they were content to sleep most of the day and cuddle up with us in the evenings. Cassie could never get enough pats :) |
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Date: Jan 2020
Period: 3 Days Pets : 2 dogs - Leedy & Lewis Duties: Vet check-up, Medicate, Feed, Care, Play and walk Leedy & Lewis, Collect Mail, keep Home Secure & Clean. What they said: Full Testimonial Click Here "Michael and I would just like to say a big THANK YOU to you and Gavin! Thanks for leaving the house so spotless and looking after our pups!.." |
What we say:
We don't usually do such short house-sits, but a weekend in St.Kilda East fitted in with our other plans, so we had the company of Leedy and Lewis for the weekend. Poor Leedy had a sore paw which was bandaged when we arrived, and she required medication twice a day, and we had to take her to the vet to have her paw checked and the bandage removed. She was very good while the vet removed the bandage and then gave her an injection. So there was no drama and a good result. We went on a couple of walks around the local area, and to the park, which they enjoyed and then they were content to lie around the unit and keep us company. So it was a quiet, relaxed weekend. |
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Date: Jan 2020
Period: 2.7 Weeks Pets : 1 cat - Lyusya Duties: Medicate, Feed, Care, Play with Lyusya, Collect Mail, Maintain Car, Pool, Spa, Garden, and keep Home Secure & Clean. What they said: Full Testimonial Click Here "Jill and Gavin are amazing people and brilliant house sitters, we are sooooo happy we have found them!..Before contacting them re :house sitting we have read people's feedbacks and someone has mentioned :"We have won a jackpot!".Now we can say the same- yes, we have also win a jackpot:)) ~ We are appreciated very much to them both -thank you veeeeery much, again, dear Jill and Gavin!.." |
What we say:
Lyusya is a very sweet 14 year old cat who loves to snuggle up on the couch with us. She was particularly fond of Gavin and wanted to share his lap each day. Lyusya also enjoys spending time outside in the sun, but never goes far from home. She is very quiet and easy to care for, although she requires 2 injections daily for her diabetes, which is no problem. Mount Martha is a beautiful location on the Mornington Peninsula, and this house overlooks Port Phillip Bay. The views are wonderful and we enjoy watching the ships, sailboats and jet-skiers going past. There are also some lovely walks in this area, including the beaches around the bay. We were grateful for and enjoyed the use of the spa, pool and car, and Gavin used all his pool cleaning skills when the Melbourne dust storm and rain turned the crystal clear pool into a marshy pond. This has been a very relaxed, comfortable and enjoyable house sit, one which we are keen to do again. |
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Date: Dec 2019
Period: 3.0 Weeks Pets : 1 dog - Rufus Duties: Feed, Water, Care, Play, Walk Rufus, Collect Mail, Keep Unit & Balcony Clean & Secure What they said: Full Testimonial Click Here "We couldn’t have asked for better house and pet sitters than Jill and Gavin. Super easy to communicate with. Roo was a very happy boy when we got home and the house was very clean and tidy. Loved all the photos of their adventures whilst we were away. Highly recommended! :-)" Jess & Simon |
What we say:
What a great location to spend Christmas and the New Year. This was the first time in about 5 years that we have been in our home town for Christmas. After a huge year of travelling overseas it was nice to finish it in familiar territory. Rufus (Roo) is a great dog to care for, he is fun to play with, loves a good walk and is a super cuddler. Having a great pet to care for really makes the house sit very enjoyable. On our walks with Rufus we have explored the local area as well as venturing to the beach and botanical gardens. There are lots of shops, cafes etc, but Rufus is not so keen for the holiday crowds. We had a very low key New Years Eve as Rufus was disturbed by the early fireworks, so we stayed at home with him and watched the Fireworks on TV. Another great year of house & pet sitting and international adventures completed. |
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Date: Dec 2019
Period: 1.2 Weeks Pets : 1 dog - 2 cats - 2 chickens - 3 fish Duties: Feed, Water, Care, Play, Walk Olive Feed, Water, Care, Play with Opal & Gretel, Feed & Clean The Chickens and Area, Feed and maintain fish , Collect Mail, Bins, Keep House & Outside Areas Clean & Secure, Water & Maintain the Gardens and Lawns What they said: Full Testimonial Click Here "Thank you Jill and Gavin for looking after our house and pets. We couldn’t recommend you more highly and we would have you back in a flash! One of our pets was unwell in the lead up to us going away and we considered cancelling... however Jill and Gavin called in twice prior to us leaving and gave us the confidence to go away without worry. They are extremely experienced house sitting professionals and I’m pretty sure there’s nothing they haven’t come across before! Our cat recovered while we were away and we came home to a lovely clean house and happy pets." |
What we say:
This sit extended our time in PortArlington, and was central to the township, and closer to the beach and pier. Probably too close to the bakery for our own good though, as they had delicious coffee scrolls that were irresistable. A very different pet care experience going from a puppy (last sit) to an elderly, deaf & partially blind 16 year old dog this sit. Olive is a sweet old girl who still loves to get out for a wander around town and some playtime in the backyard as well. But mostly she enjoys lying on the couch on the front verandah, watching the world go by. The cats Opal & Gretel are small and delicate but very active indoor cats, who love a pat & cuddle. Gretel had been unwell the week before the sit started but thankfully giving her medication each day saw her improve to full health by the time we left. They have a wonderful cat run outside which they enjoyed some time in the sun, as well as keeping them away from the chickens! The 2 bantam chickens were very cute and easy to care for. We fed them and let them out of their coop in the mornings, so they could free range in the garden all day, then we returned them to their coop with more food in the evenings. Because they are elderly we weren't expecting any eggs, but we did manage to score 3 eggs in the week. Love fresh eggs! |
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Date: Nov 2019
Period: 2.9 Week Pets : 2 dogs - Tralee & Bailey Duties: Feed, Water, Care, Play, Walk Tralee & Bailey, Collect Mail, Bins, Keep House & Outside Areas Clean & Secure, Water & Maintain the Gardens and Mow Lawns, Drive & Maintain Homeowners Car. What they said: Full Testimonial Click Here "If it wasn’t for Jill and Gavin making themselves available we might have missed out on our long awaited cruise. A quick browse of their impressive house sitting history is a real confidence boost in this warm, interesting, experienced and highly professional couple. Right from the beginning when we were asked to complete a questionaire about our property and pets we were confident that they were thorough with acute attention to detail. They were just wonderful - tending to our gardens and lawns, exercising and caring for our dogs, keeping us updated while we were away and leaving the house in pristine condition for our return. This included laundering all our linen. We and our dogs are unanimous in highly recommending Jill and Gavin and would not hesitate to have them house sit for us again." |
What we say:
We travelled by ferry from Melbourne city to PortArlington, which was a great way to travel. Helen kindly picked us up and drove us around town giving us an orientation before going to her home. This was our first time to PortArlington and we found it to be a very friendly, quiet fishing village, although apparently it gets crazy busy during the Christmas holidays. Taking care of Tralee and Bailey was great fun. They were inseparable and played so well together. Bailey at 7 months was still a puppy, and full of energy, but pretty well behaved, as long as boundaries were reinforced. He loved to sit on me for cuddles but don't think he realised how big he was, as he took up the whole chair. We were given the use of our homeowners car so we were able to drive the dogs to the beach, where they loved to walk, trying to chase the birds and having a good sniff around. Tralee enjoyed a dip in the water, but Bailey wasn't too interested. There was a lovely large backyard for the dogs to run around and play in, surrounded by a beautiful garden, which we cared for - pruning, weeding and watering. There was also a large vegetable garden that we took care of and made sure Bailey didn't destroy. The house was very comfortable with recliner chairs in front of a giant TV screen, which was great for watching movies and Netflix while chilling out with the dogs. |
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Date: Nov 2019
Period: 1.6 Week Pets : 1 dog - Benson Duties: Feed, Water, Care, Play, Walk Benson, Collect Mail, Bins, Keep Unit & Outside Areas Clean & Secure, Maintain Gardens. What they said: Full Testimonial Click Here "I had the pleasure of meeting Jill and Gavin recently when they house sat for me whilst I was in Sydney. They cared for my 9 year old English Pointer Benson and spoilt him with beach and park walks. My house was well cared for and spotless on my return home. Jill and Gavin were truly beautiful people whom I hope to cross paths with again in the future.I would happily recommend to anyone looking for responsible lovely sitters for their pets and property. Thanks again xx" |
What we say:
Narelle was a very kind and thoughtful homeowner who picked us up from the train station and took us grocery shopping to stock up before she left. When we arrived at her home we were greeted by Benson her large and lovable English Pointer dog. Benson was very easy to care for. He loved his daily walks around the area, to the beach and local parks. He also enjoyed spending time inside with us, while we did our online work and also relaxed watching TV. He slept quietly on his bed in our room and was happy to get up whenever we did. You can see from the photo below that like most dogs he was very food focused and was always hoping to share our food, but we remained strong and only fed him his dog food and treats, which kept him in good health. He did need medication each day for a leg injury he sustained prior to our arrival, and he improved greatly over the course of our stay, even doing some zoomies around the backyard! |
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Date: Nov 2018
Period: 1.0 Week Pets : 1 dog - 1 cat - 1 Fish - 5 Fish - Various Duties: Feed, Water, Care, Play, Walk Artemis Feed, Water, Care, Play with Anna Beth & Casper, Feed and maintain fish and tanks, Collect Mail, Bins, Keep House & Outside Areas Clean & Secure. What they said: Full Testimonial Click Here "Jill and Gavin were lovely. We came home to happy healthy pets and a beautiful clean home. They also kept us updated via text message and their Facebook page. They even managed to get a nice picture of our fish which I thought was impossible. Thanks Jill and Gavin!" |
What we say:
Taking Arti for a walk along the river each day was one of the highlights of our time in Ermington. He was such a sweet, easygoing greyhound, and the river walk was pretty and quiet. We had a lot of interaction with Casper as he roamed around the house and would often come and sit on the couch with us. Anna Beth was quite shy although she enjoyed a pat and a tummy rub whenever I went upstairs to check on her. Ray the fish was quite a character, and we had to drop the food into his tank at a distance or risk getting our fingers bitten. Hungry little fella! This was a lovely area away from the hustle and bustle of Sydney, although we did enjoy a ferry ride into the city one day to go and see the sights which we hadn't experienced for many years. |
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Date: Nov 2018
Period: 0.5 Week Pets : 1 dog - Rosie Duties: Feed, Water, Care, Play, Walk Rosie. Collect Mail, Bins, Keep House & Outside Areas Clean & Secure. What they said: Full Testimonial Click Here "Jill and Gavin looked after our timid cavoodle Rosie and on our return Rosie was happy and calm. The house was tidy and I would recommend Jill and Gavin for minding your pets and home. Thanks Jill & Gavin |
What we say:
We were excited at the prospect of spending the weekend on a macadamia farm, being lovers of macadamia nuts, but the homeowners didnt own the farm as the land was leased to someone else. So the only thing we learnt about the Macadamia farm was that snakes were attracted to them, so we kept away! Rosie was a sweet timid little dog, who took a bit of time to feel comfortable enough to leave her secure basket in the bedroom and join us in the lounge-room. But she adapted to us fairly quickly and we took her out for a few slow gentle walks each day. We also met the neighbouring cows who came to visit in the mornings. The views were beautiful in this quiet little rural town, and they had a great coffee shop not too far away. |
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Date: Oct 2018
Period: 1.5 Weeks Pets : 1 cat - Koda , 5+ Birds Duties: Feed, Water, Care, Play with Koda, Feed, Water, Care, for birds. Collect Mail, Bins, Keep House & Outside Areas Clean & Secure. What they said: Full Testimonial Click Here "We recently had Gavin and Jill look after our baby, Koda (cat), budgies and our home. We are so pleased we booked them. What a beautiful couple they are and very qualified to look after pets and home. We couldn't have wished for a more perfect couple to look after everything... |
What we say:
We were very fortunate to take care of this beautiful cat Koda in her lovely home in Robina. We also had the opportunity of seeing the baby birds grow over a short period. This was a very relaxing sit as all the animals were easy to care for, and Koda was very sweet. She loved to be brushed and it was part of the daily routine. The homeowners loved their garden which was extensive both back and front, so a lot of watering was required, especially the vegetable gardens, as the days were very warm and there was no rain. We were asked to use the produce so we had some lovely fresh vegies from the garden for dinners. Halloween happened while we were here and it turned out to be a big occasion in the neighbourhood. We had lots of costumed kids call past as we filled their bags with lollies and chocolates. |
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Date: Sep 2018
Period: 1.0 Week Pets : 1 dog - Benji Duties: Feed, Water, Care, Play & Walk Benji, Collect Mail, Bins, Keep House & Outside Areas Clean & Secure, Maintain Pool. What they said: Full Testimonial Click Here "Thank you Gavin and Jill for taking such great care of Benj (and for keeping Ferg’s bedroom door closed with his toys - he slept much happier knowing all was being taken care of at his home by you!" |
What we say:
Taking care of Benji was similar to caring for a toddler. He was only 6 months old and full of energy and mischief. He certainly kept us on our toes and vigilant for shoes and socks going missing. But he was such a sweet natured puppy and very entertaining and we had a fun week with him. Taringa is a great location close to the city of Brisbane and local Indooropilly shopping complex. We had a view of the city from the upper level of this home and even got to watch the fireworks from the River fire Festival. Our fitness was tested as we took Benji for walks around the local area with steep hills all around. Luckily there was also a lovely park close by which wasn't so challenging. However Benji soon discovered that he didn't like pine needles which stuck to his fur, but enjoyed chasing the cockatoos! |
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Date: Sep 2018
Period: 3.1 Week Repeat Sits #: 5 Pets : 2 dogs - Fred & Daisy Duties: Feed, Water, Care, Play & Walk Fred & Daisy. Collect Mail, Bins, Keep House & Outside Areas Clean & Secure. Drive & Maintain Car. Maintain Pool. What they said: Full Testimonial Click Here "Hi Jill & Gav, many thanks so much for looking after us while Mum & Dad went globetrotting. Taking us for rides to the river in our 'mobile kennel', so we could leave 'weemails" for all our riverside friends, was very thoughtful of you. As you know we didn't miss Mum & Dad one bit, as you kept to our routines, gave us lots of attention and most importantly knew which bit of the couch was for humans and what was ours - just like to say Jill & Gavin, we would have you back anytime to hound sit for us - your the best. Paws of love Daisy & Fred Greyhound 🐾❣️🐾" |
What we say:
We have looked after these homeowners greyhounds 5 times over several years and although there have been a couple of different fur-kids over this time, they have all been very easy to care for. We have looked after Fred a couple of times but this was our first with Daisy. Although they love their routines, they also love surprise trips out in the car. So we enjoyed several visits to the Noosa river, where they had a good walk and sniff and socialised, while we enjoyed a coffee and watched the paddle boarders, kayakers and boaters on the river. We had a couple of meet ups with other house sitters who were in the area at the same time and even took a trip to the Eumundi market. We hadn’t been there for many years and it was great to see how much it had grown with so many local creatives – making their own products of all descriptions. Unfortunately we don’t have any more room in our backpacks to be able to buy anything, although we did enjoy some cake and coffee. Doonan is a lovely location with a rural feel but still very close to Noosa. It was nice to be a bit further out to get away from the crowds, but still close enough to shops, beaches etc. I'm sure we will be back to look after these lovely fur kids in the future. |
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Date: Aug 2018
Period: 1.4 Week Pets : 2 dogs - Amigo & Charlie Duties: Feed, Water, Care, Play & Walk Amigo & Charlie. Collect Mail, Bins, Keep House & Outside Areas Clean & Secure. Drive & Maintain Car. What they said: Full Testimonial Click Here "Jill and Gavin were absolutely wonderful. Great communication right from the beginning. Amidst the kerfuffle of preparing for our trip they were easy going and helpful. The posts and pictures of our dogs were very sweet and reassuring. We came home to a spotless house and very happy dogs. We would not hesitate to recommend them or use them again in the future." |
What we say:
Amigo and Charlie were friendly and affectionate from the moment we arrived. They were so sweet and full of personality and totally enjoyable to take care of. Despite the chilly winter weather we made the most of it and ventured out to the dog park, the beach and surrounding areas. This was more exercise than what they normally have but they seemed to enjoy it, and were then content to chill out for the rest of the day. The dogs got along well with each other and played together outside in the yard, where they also enjoyed chasing balls and sticks. We had a nice afternoon out with family and the dogs at Martha's cove, which is a new housing development with a marina, on the Mornington Peninsula. We enjoyed a coffee while viewing all the boats. |
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Date: Aug 2018
Period: 1 Week Repeat Sits #: 3 Pets : 1 Cat - Titch Duties: Feed, Water, Care, Play With Titch. Collect Mail, Bins, Keep House & Outside Areas Clean & Secure. Drive & Maintain Car. What they said: Full Testimonial Click Here "Jill and Gavin are regular house and pet sitters for us. We know that Titch is very comfortable with them and they give her lots of love and attention. It puts our minds at ease to know that we can go away and our cat will be well cared for. We also enjoy the regular updates and photos that Jill & Gavin send us. ~ " |
What we say:
One of the best things about being in Melbourne in winter is to enjoy the open fire. It happens to be Titch's favourite place to be too. Luckily the homeowner has a huge stockpile of wood in the backyard to last a long, long time! Titch is very easy to care for but quite vocal when she wants something - like being escorted to her food dish, getting a rub on the tummy or coming in and out the door (typical cat thing). Occasionally she will curl up on our laps for a cuddle but mostly the rug in front of the fire is her preference. Many years ago we lived in this area so it's always interesting to re-visit and see the changes and development of the area. Unfortunately the infrastructure has not kept up with the housing development and has created very busy surrounding roads and traffic jams. But this housesit is in a lovely quiet court away from all the noise and backs onto a park, so its a nice place to come back to. |
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Date: July 2018
Period: 2.5 Weeks Repeat Sits #: 3 Pets : 2 dogs - Dot & Flo Duties: Feed, Water, Care, Play & Walk Dot & Flo. Collect Mail, Bins, Keep House & Outside Areas Clean & Secure. Drive & Maintain Car. What they said: Full Testimonial Click Here "Just wanted to take some time to thank Jill and Gavin for the recent house sit they completed for us. This is the 3rd time we have had them look after our 2 dogs and house. Being able to have Jill and Gavin stay at our house with our fur babies enables us to relax in the knowledge that the dogs will be loved, walked and looked after just as if we were home with them. ~" |
What we say:
We enjoyed our 3rd time minding these gorgeous bulldogs, and also catching up with the lovely homeowners, Amber & Michael. We always have a lot of fun during this house sit and it's a great area to explore. Being winter we didnt venture out to the beach this time, but discovered a new park where the girls could play off-leash and have a good run. Dotti enjoys chasing the ball, while Flo keeps herself entertained sniffing and eating grass. Fortunately we have a king size bed to sleep in to accommodate the 2 dogs sleeping on the bed with us at night, as is their routine. They are the loudest snorers we have ever encountered :) Being close to Maribyrnong we were able to visit one of our favourite places in Melbourne and have a lovely walk around the Maribyrnong River and enjoy the view while having a coffee, and the pups enjoyed a treat and a relax after a big walk. We look forward to the next time we get to care for these girls. |
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Date: July 2018
Period: 1 Week Repeat Sits #: 2 Pets : 1 dog - Snoop Dogg Duties: Feed, Water, Care, Play & Walk Snoop Dogg. Collect Mail, Bins, Keep House & Outside Areas Clean & Secure. Maintain Pool. What they said: Full Testimonial Click Here "~ The second house sit was such a dream! We felt so comfortable leaving you to run the household knowing you had already spent some time in the house previously. Snoop was excited to see you both again, and obviously loved her walks around the neighbourhood. It's so cool that you find all the best dog parks in the area - some we didn't even know existed. ~" |
What we say:
So here we are again with the adorable Snoop dog. We were so happy to be able to return to take care of Snoop even though it's only a short stay. It was such fun to revisit the dog parks and watch Snoop tearing around having a great time with the other dogs. Having a sociable dog makes life easier. It's a lot cooler this time around, but winter in Brisbane is still very nice, which allows us to get out and about enjoying the area. We even had the opportunity to enjoy a festival in the neighbouring area and get amongst the locals. Snoop seems to have grown a bit over the past few months but she is still full of puppy energy which keeps us on our toes. She is also a bit more vocal communicating with other dogs, even those who appear on the TV, which is very amusing! Repeat sits are a wonderful opportunity to continue to build the relationships with the pets and the home owners providing a comfortable and relaxed experience for everyone. |
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Date: May 2018
Period: 9.1 Weeks Pets : 1 dog & 1 Cat - Frankie & Brooklyn Duties: Feed, Water, Care, Play & Walk Frankie & Serve Brooklyn :-) Collect Mail, Bins, Keep House & Outside Areas Clean & Secure. Water & Mow Lawns, Maintain Pool, Cars & Garden. What they said: Full Testimonial Click Here "~ Fankie adored them - she loved going on the long walks, swimming and to the dog park. They were just as attentive to our home as well. The house was immaculate and the gardens beautiful when we arrived home. They even left us a meal for our first night back. So thoughtful. Would definitely ask for them next time we go away.~" |
What we say:
As you can see from this picture we were in a beautiful home in a beautiful location and enjoyed everyday here. But what made it even more enjoyable were the fur kids Frankie and Brooklyn. Frankie is such a gorgeous sweet natured dog, so easy to look after and great company. Brooklyn was a typical cat who allowed us to spend some time with him but mostly enjoyed his own company outside in his chair. Having 2 months here allowed us plenty of time to explore the immediate and surrounding areas of Moreton Bay, all of which are very picturesque, with blue water and lots of boats and a few islands dotted around. We took the opportunity to do some long walks with Frankie for our health as well as hers. Chasing the ball at the dog park was Frankie's favourite thing to do, along with going to the beach where she happily plunged into the water. We enjoyed these outings as well as we got to meet other dog owners and have a chat. We did have to take Frankie to the vets because she developed a skin allergy but that was sorted out with tablets, some good nutrition and extra TLC. All part of being a house and pet sitter. |
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Date: April 2018
Period: 2.1 Weeks Repeat Sits #: 2 Pets : 1 dog - Snoop Dogg Duties: Feed, Water, Care, Play & Walk Snoop Dogg. Collect Mail, Bins, Keep House & Outside Areas Clean & Secure. Maintain Pool. What they said: Full Testimonial Click Here "~ It was our first time using house sitters, so we were a little unsure of the process - but you made the whole experience easy and stress-free. ~ To other potential home owners looking for a sitter: We highly recommend Jill and Gavin as house sitters, it felt like family members were staying at the house and looking after our beautiful one-year old beaglier .~ " |
What we say:
We knew from spending time in Bulimba house sitting that we loved being near the Brisbane river and city, so were thrilled to have the opportunity to spend more time in the neighbourhood, Looking after Snoop dog was such fun. She is so sweet and friendly and full of puppy energy. We were lucky enough to celebrate her 1st birthday with her, although I don't think she quite understood the party hats. However she did love her birthday gift of a chew rope and ball. We found all the local dog parks during our 2 weeks and had great fun taking Snoop out to play with her friends. She loves a good run around with the other dogs. She also enjoyed the beach at Kangaroo Point one of our favourite places in Brisbane. We had a lovely view of the lights of the city and Storey bridge at night from the top balcony as we enjoyed a drink on the balmy evenings. It was also a great spot to watch the sunsets. |
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Date: March 2018
Period: 2.6 Weeks Pets : 2 dogs - Vadar & Harlee Duties: Feed, Water, Care, Play & Walk Vader & Harley. Collect Mail, Bins, Keep House & Outside Areas Clean & Secure. Water Lawns & Maintain Spa. What they said: Full Testimonial Click Here "What can we say.....wow wow wow. These guys were amazing. We cannot thank Jillian and Gav enough for putting our mind at ease while we were away. Our dogs absolutely loved them and were spoilt rotten. Our home was clean and tidy on our return. We would highly recommend them to anyone going away who worries about their furbies and wants peace of mind. Regular updates and photos were wonderful. Thank you for everything. ~" |
What we say:
It was nice to be able to spend some more time on the NSW coast and this time we were central coast. Once again we were fortunate to enjoy a house on the lake with a wonderful walking path just behind us. These two dogs, Harlee and Vadar look like chalk and cheese but they are the best of friends and do everything together. Harlee the shepherd is very protective of the little fella, and makes a good guard dog. Although once she knows you she is very gentle and affectionate, as is Vadar. The weather was lovely and allowed us to get out with the dogs for walks around the lake area, as well as exploring a few local beaches. Once again we were gifted a breakfast out by our very generous homeowners, Tracey & Gordon, which we enjoyed at Shelley beach, where they had the best coffee. There was an amazing amount of birdlife in this lake area and we particularly enjoyed the pelicans and black swans. We also enjoyed many beautiful sunsets, as you can see from the picture below. Another fun house sit where the time went all too quickly, but a good time was had by all. |
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Date: February 2018
Period: 4 Weeks Pets : 1 dog - Lenni Duties: Feed, Water, Care, Play & Walk Lenni. Collect Mail, Bins, Keep House & Outside Areas Clean & Secure. Maintain Lawns & Pool. What they said: Full Testimonial Click Here "Although the times we travelled we never actually got to meet them in person, we were so happy with our choice. They kept us updated with pics, the house, yard and pool could not have been cleaner, it was so great coming home with nothing to do. I wouldn't hesitate to recomend Jill & Gavin to house / pet sit. We are so glad we chose them." |
What we say:
It had been a long time since we have spent anytime on the NSW coast, and Kilaben Bay is a little pocket of heaven. What a beautiful, peaceful location, with lots of wonderful walking tracks, as well as being close to shops and everything you need. The dog Lenni also made it a very enjoyable house sit. She was a lovely dog, very well behaved and great fun to play with and take out with us on our adventures. She really stole our hearts, she was so sweet. Our homeowners, Leah and Mitch, very generously gifted us a voucher to have breakfast at a local cafe which overlooked the water. So we really enjoyed our delicious breakfast as you can see from the picture. They also gifted us chocolates and wine, so we felt very appreciated and spoilt. It was hard to say goodbye to Lenni and Kilaben Bay, as we had such a lovely time here and were very comfortable in their home. But of course we have many more furry friends to care for and adventures to have. |
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Date: February 2018
Period: 3 Weeks Pets : 1 cat - Fletcher Duties: Feed, Water, Care, & Play with Fletcher. Collect Mail, Bins, Keep House & Outside Areas Clean & Secure. Maintain Lawns & Pool, Maintain Cars. What they said: Full Testimonial Click Here "Gavin and Jill house sat for us in February this year and we write this review with the highest of recommendations. From our initial interaction on the phone to meeting Gavin and Jill in person, we found them to be polite, respectful, easy to talk to and genuine people with a love for what they do. Our cat Fletcher settled quickly with Jill and Gavin, was well loved and enjoyed the occasional photo shoot for updates." |
What we say:
Kingscliff is one of our favourite locations in Australia and we welcome the opportunity to spend time in this area whenever we can. The beach is beautiful with a long expanse of white sand to enjoy a good walk and it meets up with the river, which is another nice walking area. Walking to the river and back via the coffee shop was a regular routine for us. We enjoyed watching the pelicans on the river and all the activity happening around - Kayakers, paddle boarders, swimmers and fishermen - it's a very popular spot. Looking after 1 cat was a pretty easy task, and one which we enjoyed. Fletcher the cat was quite a character and definitely loved his daily routine. He loved being outside and spent his days sitting under the decking watching the world go by, even when it was raining. He would only venture back inside at dinner time when he was hungry, and after that we got our cuddle time on the couch, before he headed off to bed. There is no doubt that cats rule the world, as they like everything their own way, as opposed to dogs who are more food and attention focused :) |
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Date: January 2018
Period: 1 Week Repeat Sits #: 2 Pets : 1 cat - Suki Duties: Feed, Water, Care, & Play with Suki. Collect Mail, Bins, Keep House & Outside Areas Clean & Secure. Maintain Pool. What they said: Full Testimonial Click Here "Thanks again Jill and Gavin. Appreciate that you could look after the house, pool and Suki while I was away. Everything was great when I got home, and Suki told me you did she was very impressed :-) Also it was great to catch up and appreciate the help sorting my garage for the sale." |
What we say:
We love spending time with Suki at Carmel's house. She is a sweet cat and easy to care for, and loves her cuddles as much as her independence. We also love the area by the Maroochydore river, where we can walk each morning and watch the kayaks, fishing boats and stand-up paddle boarders all enjoying themselves. Each afternoon we took a dip in the beautiful pool while Suki watched on and was curious but cautious of the rubber duck. It did have a rather strange smile! During our stay there was a huge fireworks display on at Cotton Tree, which was within walking distance, so that was a bonus activity. There are so many things you can do in this area around the river or at any of the beaches close by. We also had the opportunity to catch up with friends who live on the Sunshine Coast. It was a short but sweet stay here. |
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Date: January 2018
Period: 2.1 Weeks Pets : 2 cats - Lucy & Jess, 5 chickens Duties: Feed, Water, Care, & Play with Lucy & Jess. Collect Mail, Bins, Keep House & Outside Areas Clean & Secure. Maintain large Gardens & Lawns. What they said: Full Testimonial Click Here " ~ They had only been here for a few minutes before both our cats were purring and looking for a scratch and a pat. Perfect. We were totally confident and relaxed while we were away, knowing that Jill and Gavin had everything in hand and our girls were well cared for. I am very happy to recommend Jill and Gavin as house-sitters and will certainly see if they are available for our next trip away. ~" |
What we say:
We have spent a lot of time on the Sunshine Coast, but had never stayed in Palmwoods before. It is a small semi-rural area about 20 mins away from the beaches. It was a very peaceful area with lots of bird life and beautiful big trees. Lucy and Jess are mature aged Tonkinese cats who are very independent and enjoy their routines. Lucy enjoyed spending time outdoors roaming the garden, whereas Jess preferred to stay inside in the lounge room with us. They both enjoyed a brushing and a good back rub. The hens had a wonderful large secured fenced area to run around in. They are elderly but still manage to produce a few eggs, which we enjoyed eating when I cooked eggs benedict on the weekends. They only require some greens each day and a check on their grain and water supplies. There was an extensive garden to care for with a variety of palms, flowers, vegies and herbs so we enjoyed some homegrown lettuce, tomatoes and corn. Unfortunately the possums beat us to the mangoes. |
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Date: January 2018
Period: 2.1 Weeks Repeat Sits #: 2 Pets : 2 dogs - Sparky & Jasper, 1 cat - Iggy Duties: Feed, Water, Care, Walk & Play with Sparky, Jasper & Iggy. Collect Mail, Bins, Maintain the Pool, Keep House & Outside Areas Clean & Secure. Maintain Gardens & Lawns. What they said: Full Testimonial Click Here " ~ Again, I would like to say Gavin and Jill are professional, trustworthy, generous with their time and most importantly, compassionate and loving to my dogs and cat and I can say with no hesitation what-so-ever they are the most amazing house sitters you could ask for. I would be more than happy to speak to anyone via phone or email, if they had any questions relating to Jill and Gavin staying and my previous hesitations about going away and leaving my boys, that is until I met these two wonderful sitters. ~" |
What we say:
Bulimba is one of our favourite locations so we were thrilled to be able to do a repeat sit here with these very special fur-boys, Jasper and Sparky. And this time we had the gorgeous Iggy as an addition to the family. They all have very sweet natures and are such a joy to spend time with. Jasper is a bit anxious around crowds and noise so we avoided the local cafes and stuck with the dog park and walks along the river. It's nice that they get along well with other dogs and are easy to walk. We also took ourselves out for some walks along the river and into and around the city. Then when we got tired we could hop on one of the ferry boats and travel home. The ferry boats are one of the main attractions for us in this area. It’s a great way to travel along the river, under the Story bridge around Kangaroo Point and into Southbank. Most afternoons we went swimming with the dogs in the backyard pool, which they really enjoyed and helped to cool them down during the hot weather. We look forward to the next time we pet sit Jasper, Sparky and Iggy. |
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Date: December 2017
Period: 2.6 Weeks Pets : 1 dog - Toby, 2 Cows - Big Red & Honey, 1 Bird - Aussie, 2 Fish Duties: Feed, Water, Care, Walk & Play with Toby, Feed and Retrieve the Cows, Feed & Look After Aussie, Feed & Maintain the Fish. Collect Mail, Bins, Maintain the Pool, Keep House & Outside Areas Clean & Secure. What they said: Full Testimonial Click Here " ~ We were very fortunate to have Jill & Gavin house/pet sit for us in December. They are both lovely people and their experience with house & pet sitting was a huge benefit on an acreage property with our diverse animals. We would welcome them to our home again in an instant. ~" |
What we say:
It was quite a different experience being on 30 acres of land and about half an hour away from suburbia. This rural property had a lovely creek running through it and was surrounded by bush and many birds came to visit. The owners keep 2 cows on the property to mow the lawns – Honey and Big Red, who required some hay each day. They get out over the fence occasionally so we had to retrieve them from neighboring properties a couple of times, which was amusing for Gavin to watch me chasing cows down the road as he followed behind in the car. Their dog Toby was very well behaved, a gentle giant, and we explored the property with him and watched him take a daily swim in the creek, and often twice on the hot days. Aussie the budgie was very content to hang around his cage and chatter to himself. Even though the doors were open he only flew around the lounge room and never tried to fly away. I guess like all of us he must have enjoyed the surrounding sounds of nature. |
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Date: December 2017
Period: 1.4 Weeks Pets : 2 dogs - Daisy & Buddy Duties: Feed, Water, Care, Walk and Play with the dogs. Collect Mail, Bins, Keep House & Outside Areas Clean & Secure. What they said: Full Testimonial Click Here " ~ Thank you Jill and Gav for taking excellent care of our home and furbabies! We returned to find the dogs happy and healthy and almost unaware we were gone! The house was clean and sparkling. Your professionalism put us at ease and it was such a relief to go away and know everything was in your capable hands. Thankyou! ~" |
What we say:
We were very fortunate to spend time with Buddy and Daisy on the Gold Coast. They are adorable. Daisy had her eyes removed after a serious infection, before the owners adopted her, but she does very well to move around the house and even enjoys time out in the park. She is also very talented and can ‘sit, roll and speak’ on command. Buddy is a very gentle quiet dog, but trots along very confidently when out walking, and always let me know when it was dinner time. He also enjoyed a cuddle on the couch at night. The homeowners were very generous and made us feel greatly appreciated with the gifts of chocolates, wine and a movie card, which was most unexpected for such a short stay, but we were very grateful. |
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Date: November 2017
Period: 4 Weeks Pets : 1 dog - Tom Duties: Feed, Water, Care, Walk and Play with the Tom. Collect Mail, Bins and Water Gardens and Maintain Pool, Keep House Clean & Secure. What they said: Full Testimonial Click Here " ~ We had the pleasure of having Jill and Gavin house sit for us during October. They looked after the house as if it were their own and they made sure that our border collie Tom was well looked after and taken for outings and walks everyday. Tom was happy to see us when we arrived home but continued to look for Jill and Gavin after they left. They are a lovely couple and very caring. We have a pool which was also very well looked after.~ " |
What we say:
After leaving Melbourne we arrived back in one of our favourite places in Australia– the Sunshine Coast. We have spent a lot of time in Maroochydore and Kuluin is close by so the area was familiar to us. Tom Jones was the name of this beautiful natured collie dog. He was great company and provided us with daily entertainment as he swam and played with his ball in the swimming pool. He got a lot more use of the pool than we did! He was also a great dog to take out walking, so we did lots of long river walks and ventured out to the beach. He was always so excited to ride in the car, which made it easy for us to get out and about. There was also a lovely local park where Tom is regularly taken, so that was handy and also fun to watch Tom playing a ball game with himself as we wandered around. |
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Date: October 2017
Period: 3.2 Weeks Pets : 1 dogs - Max Duties: Feed, Water, Care, Walk and Play with the Tom. Collect Mail, Bins, Mow Lawns and Water Gardens, Keep House Clean & Secure. What they said: Full Testimonial Click Here "Jill and Gavin are a lovely couple who recently house and dog-sat for us for four weeks. They took such great care of Max, our 10 year old Irish wolfhound cross - she didn’t want them to leave! Jill and Gavin took Max on long walks to the beach and park daily, and kept us updated the entire time with photos via email and on their Facebook page. ~ On arrival back home, our house was even cleaner than when we left it ~ " |
What we say:
We decided to extend our stay in Melbourne and experience the beach side suburb of Hampton. The weather was just starting to warm up so we had the opportunity to walk to the beach several times. It was a 6km round trip so that gave us and Max some great exercise. We were there at the right time to access the off-leash beach area for dogs so Max enjoyed a splash in the water, although it was too cold for us. Melbourne has some lovely beaches and it was nice and quiet at this time of year. Max is 10 years old, but when we took him to the off-leash parks he bounded around like a puppy, which surprised everyone who saw him. He loved to say hello to the other dogs around and although a large dog he was very gentle and friendly. The location was great for public transport and we used it to get into the city a couple of times, which was only a half hour away. So the location worked out well for what we wanted to do and see. |
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Date: September 2017
Period: 3.2 Weeks Repeat Sits #: 2 Pets : 2 dogs - Dottie & Flo Duties: Feed, Water, Care, Walk and Play with the dogs. Collect Mail, Bins and Gardens, Keep Keep House & Outside Areas Clean & Secure., Look After The Car. What they said: Full Testimonial Click Here " ~ My husband and I had the pleasure of having Jill and Gavin dog/house sit for us back in 2011. We were ecstatic when they were able to do it again for us during September this year.~We have been very spoilt having Jill and Gavin dog/house sit for us again to the point where we don’t want anybody else other than them to do it in the future!" |
What we say:
This was the second time we have looked after these two adorable girls and since Dottie (on the right of the picture) was only a puppy the first time, it was interesting to see how much she had changed. She is still very playful and loves to chase the ball, but is a lot more relaxed now. Flo is much the same, quiet but still the boss. The homeowners were kind enough to leave their car for our use and also to take the girls out. So we ventured out to a couple of nearby dog beaches, and a big walk around the Maribyrnong river as well as a variety of local walks. The local park was also a favourite for ball throwing games. Additionally we went out on a play date with Angle and had a big walk around the area as well as picking up some much needed coffee. We love looking after these girls and catching up with Amber & Michael. |
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Date: Mar 2017
Period: 3.5 Weeks Pets : 2 dogs, 1 cat, 2 birds, 1 rabbit, 1 fish Duties: Feed, Water, Care, Walk and Play with the animals, Collect Mail, Bins and Gardens, Keep House & Outside Areas Clean & Secure. What they said: Full Testimonial Click Here " ~ We met them on the eve of our departure, and we knew straight away that we had made an excellent choice! We got back to very happy dogs, cat, budgie, rabbit & fish, and our home was clean & tidy. We would strongly reccommend Jill & Gavin ~ " |
What we say:
After having no pets to care for at our last housesit this was quite a change to have a menagerie of pets to care for. We looked after 2 dogs, 1 cat, 2 birds, 1 rabbit and 1 fish. This was our first time caring for a rabbit and she was very cute and low maintenance. It was nice to have a cat around the house to cuddle as we tend to look after more dogs than cats. The dogs were energetic and loved their walks, although like us they slowed down going up the hills, of which there were many. It was a great location for us to train for our up coming Camino walk and increase our fitness. The coastline is beautiful and it was nice to have the opportunity to explore the area. |
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Date: Feb 2017
Period: 5.2 Weeks Pets : 9 fish Duties: Feed & Look After Fish, Maintain Pond, Collect Mail, Bins, Clean & Maintain Pool, Maintain & Water Gardens, Maintain, Water, Mow Lawns, Keep House & Outside Areas Clean & Secure. What they said: Full Testimonial Click Here "~ After meeting Jill & Gavin, our minds were at rest, we felt like they were long- time friends. ~ They cared for our 2.5acre property beautifully ~ We didn’t worry at all while we were away ~ and came home to a well maintained, home and yard. Thanks again Jill & Gav, we would recommend you to anyone wanting reliable house-sitters." |
What we say:
We had never heard of Chambers Flat before applying for this housesit, and yet it’s quite close to Brisbane where we have spent a lot of time walking around and training for our up coming walk across Spain. It’s a rural area with large properties on acreage, and this home was a retreat with large gardens and extensive lawns. As there were no pets the purpose of this housesit was to take care of the property, keep the grass cut, gardens maintained and outside entertaining areas looked after. It was a very warm time of year so a lot of watering was required to keep everything alive, and with the summer winds and storms cleaning up fallen fronds and foliage was an ongoing task, as was keeping the swimming pool clean. We had 9 goldfish to feed each day in an outdoor pond, and some native birds provided us with morning entertainment when they came to eat in the backyard. This was a beautiful and relaxed sit, we enjoyed it and all the property and area had to offer. |
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Date: Jan 2017
Period: 4.1 Weeks Pets : 2 dogs - Stevie & Harry Duties: Feed, Water, Care, Walk and Play with Stevie & Harry, Collect Mail, Bins and Maintain Gardens, Keep House Clean & Secure. What they said: Full Testimonial Click Here "Thank you so much for looking after my boys for me, you may ad my name for any references for future positions. So happy i was able to rely on you and will definately keep you in mind for next time" |
What we say:
The King Charles Cavaliers we cared for, Stevie and Harry were very sweet but elderly so didn’t like to walk far, and enjoyed relaxing on the couch and eating of course. Like many dogs they liked their routines and were up early, so after taking them for walks, we took ourselves out for our longer walks and were sure to sneak in a coffee or two while out :-) Elanora is one of our favourite places in Queensland, and it’s always nice to get back there and spend time by the river and at the beach. It’s a popular area for stand-up paddle boarding, with some people even taking their dogs onto their boards. |
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Date: Nov 2016
Period: 1 Week Repeat Sits #: 5 Pets : 2 dogs - Willow & Fred Duties: Feed, Water, Care, Walk and Play with Willow and Fred, Collect Mail, Bins and Gardens, Keep House Clean & Secure. What they said: Full Testimonial Click Here "Hi there Gavin & Jill, Miss Willow (photo) wanted to say Hi to you two both and to thank you for all the house & pet sits you have done for her and her fur brother. She loves having you come & stay while her humans are off globetrotting. She loves that you take her for walks, give her the attention she craves & keep to her routine and that you come back - up to 4 visits now! ~ " |
What we say:
Noosa is one of our favourite places in Queensland and it's always a pleasure to spend time there with our very chilled out furry friends Willow and Fred. We have lovely walks with them along the Noosa river and around the local area. They spend the afternoons relaxing on their beds or the couch, and sometimes watch movies with us. Ever now and then they go for a run around the back yard, known as zoomies, and burn off a bit of energy, but generally they are pretty layed back. Willow and Fred are rescue dogs, who had previously been mistreated in the greyhound racing industry. Their human parents, Kate and Ad belong to a group called "Friends of the Hounds" who rescue greyhounds and place them in foster homes until a permanent home can be found for them. Kate and Ad have fostered and adopted several greyhounds over the past 7 years, providing them with a comfortable loving home and continued care, nursing them back to health , and its wonderful to see the transformation in these dogs to happy healthy pets. . |
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Date: Aug 2016
Period: 2.5 Weeks Pets : 2 dogs - Paris & Mitch, 1 Bird - Percy Duties: Feed, Water, Care, Walk and Play with Paris & Mitch, Feed and look after Percy, Collect Mail, Bins and Gardens, Keep House Clean & Secure. What they said: Full Testimonial Click Here "I found Jill and Gavin to be the most amazing house sitters. They looked after my house and my 2 dogs and my bird. My animals were so happy. I would highly recommend them both to look after anyones house and animals. 10/10. I will use them again in a heartbeat." |
What we say:
The Gold Coast is a lovely place to spend time, and this housesit was close to the beautiful beaches and canals, which provided us with some great walks with the dogs. Paris and Mitch were very energetic and enjoyed lots of play time. They particularly liked the dog parks we took them to, where they ran around chasing the balls for ages. Paris was very skilled at playing soccer with a basketball, which was very entertaining to watch. We also cared for Percy, the ring neck parrot, who spent most of his time chatting to himself in the mirror, which was amusing. He didn’t require much care, just fresh water and fruit each day, and the occasional cage clean. It wasn’t warm enough to swim in the pool, but we did enjoy the indoor fire pit in the evenings, as well as watching a few good action movies on their big screen, surround sound TV. |
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Date: Aug 2016
Period: 1 Weeks Repeat Sits #: 2 Pets : 2 dogs - Roy & Macca Duties: Feed, Water, Care, Walk and Play with Roy & Macca, Collect Mail, Bins and Gardens, Keep House Clean & Secure. What they said: Full Testimonial Click Here "Gavin and Jill provided their exceptional services for a week in our home. ~ Gavin and Jill are very capable house sitters who provide an excellent service. I will be using them again without hesitation. ~ " |
What we say:
Relaxing in a country atmosphere, with two loveable dogs was just what we needed after a few months away travelling in SE Asia. It was a pleasure to take the dogs out for a walk and spend time with them in the backyard. Roy loved chasing the ball and Macca just wandered around smelling everything. We kept a close eye on Macca, who is blind, so he didn’t wander off and get lost, and made sure Roy stayed close by so not to surprise any visitors with his guard dog instincts. They both slept in our bedroom for company, with Roy taking up most of the bed and Macca content with his bed on the floor. The homeowner, Jacquie, keeps a very clean and tidy home and is well organised, which made it very easy for us to relax and feel at home and enjoy our time here. |
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Date: Dec 2015
Period: 3 Weeks Repeat Sits #: 2 Pets : 2 dogs - Sparky & Jasper Duties: Feed, Water, Care, Walk and Play with Sparky & Jasper, Maintain Pool, Collect Mail, Bins, Mow Lawns, Water Lawns and Gardens, Keep House Secure & Clean, Maintain Car. What they said: Full Testimonial Click Here " ~ I cannot thank them enough for the wonderful care they took of our boys & house while we were away, nothing was ever an issue – there were a few emails and phone calls from me. There was always a reassuring response and nothing was ever a problem. Knowing our dogs were so well cared for allowed us to really relax and not worry. I would recommend Jill and Gavin to anyone in a heartbeat – they were truly fantastic. ~." |
What we say:
Having previously enjoyed living at Kangaroo Point Brisbane, by the river, we were excited to explore Bulimba, another Brisbane river area. Being located only 5 minutes to river gave us plenty of variety for walks, although the dogs preferred the dog parks, where they could socialize. So we walked the dogs and then walked ourselves further afield. Even walked the entire ferry route of the river one day (25kms), although once was enough! Jasper was nervous around crowds and noise so we were selective with where we took him out, although Sparky didn’t mind where we went. Both are beautiful dogs with huge fur coats, which they enjoyed having brushed regularly outside. They spent most of the time inside with us on the couch where we had to negotiate for space, but it all worked out ok. The Ferry Riverboats were a delight to ride and a great means of transport around the city and surrounding areas. On NYE we were able to watch the fireworks at the northern end of the river and then travel into the city for more fireworks. As well as being close to the city we enjoyed the local shops, which had great food and drinks and a local cinema. Bulimba is a lovely area that we thoroughly enjoyed, along with 2 beautiful dogs. |
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Date: Aug 2015
Period: 3 Months Pets : 1 dog - Bichon Millie Duties: Feed, Water, Care, Walk and Play with Millie, Collect Mail, Bins, Mow Lawns, Water Lawns and Gardens, Keep House Secure & Clean, Maintain Car. What they said: Full Testimonial Click Here " ~ I was grateful for their attention to Millie whose health unfortunately deteriorated in our absence. Jillian and I kept in touch via email and at my request, she and Gavin made regular visits to the vet until the medication did what was required. Without their conscientious attention, I’m not sure what the outcome would have been. I know that they became very attached to Millie who certainly preferred Jillian to me on my return. ~ Gavin kindly assisted us getting to and from the airport and it was wonderful to come home to a tidy house and garden. All was in order and I certainly would recommend them as house sitters." |
What we say:
Kingscliff NSW, just south of the Gold Coast and just north of Byron Bay, it really is a beautiful part of the world. We were looking after Millie who we knew had congenital heat disease, and at the time her mum left all was well. However a month into the sit things went down hill for her. We had gone over possible out comes with Millie's mum and had plans in place for most situations. So we worked with the vet for the next month to get the right dosage of medication and by the end of the second month Millie became increasingly comfortable and stable to the relief of all concerned. In addition to looking after Millie we took up our owners suggestion of growing some vegetables and herbs in the garden, and before we knew it we had fresh tomatoes, lettuce and other seasonings. Kingscliff is close to the beach and bush so our spare time was spent walking along the beaches, river fronts and national parks. It is a place that encourages you to enjoy a healthy lifestyle while experiencing all the beauty the area has to offer. I'm sure at some stage we will be back. |
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Date: Aug 2015
Period: 1 Week Repeat Sits #: 5 Pets : 2 dogs - Grey Hounds "Alfie" & "Willow" Duties: Feed, Water, Care, Walk and Play with Alfie and Willow, Collect Mail, Bins, Keep House Secure & Clean, Maintain Gardens. What they said: Full Testimonial Click Here "Thanks guys for looking after our Kids. It was so great to know they were not stressed and had so easily adopted you two. We trust you will come back to the area again so we can get on with planning our next trip." |
What we say:
It’s always lovely spending time on the Sunshine Coast, and we enjoyed caring for our friends’ greyhounds, while they were away for a week. Alfie and Willow are very chilled out dogs who enjoy a couple of short walks each day and are content to spend the rest of the day on the couch. Alfie requires medication and a special mix of supplements with his meals, and regular check ups at the vet. So we took him to his vet appointment for a check up and alignment, to ease his arthritic pain. A lovely time was spent with the dogs and catching up with friends. |
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Date: April/June 2015
Period: 3 Months Pets : No Pets - Local Wildlife Duties: Provide IT Support To Elderly Neighbors, Water, Maintain Gardens & Lawns, Mow Lawns, Collect, Sort & Forward Mail, Bins, Keep House & Property Secure and Clean. What they said: Full Testimonial Click Here "~ I consider Jillian and Gavin to be very honest, friendly, caring, neat and clean and a very responsible couple. I am always happy to give a verbal reference if required. Please contact me on the above phone number. I would not hesitate to have Jillian and Gavin as my housesitters again. ~" |
What we say:
We went from our shortest housesit to the longest, being 3 months in Elanora on the Gold Coast. It was a wonderful central location, close to the river, beach and shops. So we went on a lot of walks around the local and surrounding areas, which were absolutely beautiful. The homeowners had no pets, but wanted us in the house for security and maintenance. Also to care for their elderly neighbours, who required regular assistance with their computer, emails, etc and garden maintenance. The area is so diverse and beautiful, it gave us many opportunities to practice our photography skills while visiting some of the many iconic places that has made the Gold Coast Famous. We both agree that the Gold Coast is a must visit for anybody that is House & Pet Sitting in OZ. |
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Date: April 2015
Period: 1 Week Pets : 1 Dog – Labrador “Olley” 3 Chickens Duties: Feed, Water, Care and Play with Olly. Feed & Water Chickens, Collect Eggs, Maintain Gardens, Collect Mail, Bins, Keep House & Property Secure and Clean. What they said: Full Testimonial Click Here "Jillian Shelton and Gavin Merritt house sat for me for a week in April 2015. They looked after my Labrador and 3 chooks and the house. The house was immaculate on our return and the dog and chooks well cared for and happy. I was very happy with them and would unreservedly recommend them for any future sits." |
What we say:
Taree was a short but sweet house sit for only a week. We had driven through Taree before but never spent any time in the area. A quiet country town, where we discovered beautiful mountain and river views while out walking Olley. Some of our favourite times were evening walks where we got to see wonderful sunsets from some spectacular vantage points. One night we even got to share a drink with a wedding party who were out practicing for their big day. They thought Olley would make a great ring bearer but unfortunately he was going to be busy on the day. She was a lovely old dog, who enjoyed her morning walks and having company. We were also fortunate to enjoy fresh eggs each day from the 3 chooks we took care of, as well. |
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Date: March/April 2015
Period: 4 Weeks Pets : 2 dogs - Sydney Silky Cross "Oscar" & Lhasa Apso Cross "Molly" Duties: Feed, Water, Care, Walk and Play with Oscar and Molly, Collect Mail, Bins, Keep House Secure & Clean, Maintain and Water Gardens. What they said: Full Testimonial Click Here "~ On our return we were greeted by two very happy and contented dogs and a house completely in order with no surprises – a very satisfying experience. We would love to have them come again, as would Molly and Oscar. We are more than happy to recommend Jill and Gavin to anyone who is looking for house/pet sitters, they are responsible, caring people with a genuine affection for the animals in their care and take real pleasure in what they do. ~" |
What we say:
Every time we come to the NSW east coast for house and pet sitting we ask our selves why don't we spend more time here. It really is a beautiful part of the world and this sit was no exception. We looked after two furry friends Oscar and Molly who are just so very cute and great fun to be with. Our favourite time was when we would walk down the beach with the ball and play in the water. This led to our not so favourite time of washing out the sand at the end, mind you we were all eager to return the next time so it couldn't have been that bad :-) Our house was a sanctuary in the the bush overlooking the bay. Each day we had all manner of birds come in for breakfast and lunch and as long as we kept them in food all was good. If you have not been to Port Stephens and surrounds then as far as we are concerned it's a must do. We have traveled the world and would add it to our list of one of the most beautiful places we have been. There are amazing beaches, walks and bush all around the place, we will definitely be back. |
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Date: Feb 2015
Period: 9 Days Pets : 1 dog - Staffy Cross "Teddy" Duties: Feed, Water, Care, Walk and Play with Teddy, Collect Mail, Bins, Keep House Secure & Clean. What they said: Full Testimonial Click Here "~They took excellent care of my slightly high-maintenance dog, Ted, as well as my house. ~ The house was in great shape. I also included my car in the house sit and there were no problems at all. I have used a number of sitters through mindahome and Jill and Gavin are definitely among the best. ~" |
What we say:
Albert Park is a wonderful location , close to the beach and the CBD of Melbourne. We enjoyed taking Teddy for walks around Albert Park Lake and surrounding areas, as well as along the beach and piers. Teddy was a great model for Gavin's photography. There are many delicious cafes and coffee stops in the area, which we enjoyed. The transport system is marvellous and we were able to catch the light rail into the city to experience “White night” - an arts and cultural event. Melbourne is a beautiful city to explore and the weather was even kind to us. It was nice to spend some time in our home town, and have some fun in the city in between visiting relatives. |
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Date: July - Aug 2014
Period: 2 Months Repeat Sits #: 3 Pets : No Pets - Local Wild Life :-) Duties: Water gardens, weeding, Sort and Scan Mail, Keep House Secure and Clean. What they said: Full Testimonial Click Here "Thanks so much again. We appreciate you taking the time to come and look after things while we were away. So nice to come home to a neat and tidy house and garden, as we need a rest after our holiday!" |
What we say:
After six months in the US, Europe, Asia and the UK we came back to the Sunshine Coast for a House Sitting assignment in Buderim. We have been asked back to this property a few times, as the owners usually travel six months a year, and when they asked us this time (as their current House Sitter had to leave after 4 months and we had just decided to return to QZ) it fitted in perfectly. The sit was uneventful, the area beautiful and a very restful time was had. Just watering and maintaining the gardens, sorting and forwarding the mail and catching up on all our stuff before we head off again. It didn't take the local wildlife long to figure out we had returned, and it wasn't long before we had Kookaburras, Lorikeets, Possums and the rest of the family on our balcony each morning for breakfast. |
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Date: December 2013
Period: 3 weeks Pets: 1 dog - Great Dane "Henry" 2 cats - "Leo" and "Sally" Duties: Feed, Water, Care and Play with Henry, Leo & Sally, Collect Mail, Water gardens, Keep House Secure & Clean. What they said: Full Testimonial Click Here "I would recommend Jill and Gavin as house sitters without hesitation. Right from the start, when I first contacted Jill, she was highly professional and really listened to what our needs were, especially with regards to the animals. After an initial meeting and thorough discussion of routines etc, I felt safe leaving my pets and house in their hands. Jill kept me updated with regular emails. On our return the house was spotless and, most importantly, the animals were obviously content, peaceful and extremely well cared for. I just hope they will be available next holiday! We really hit the jackpot here!" |
What we say:
Warnbro was quite familiar to me after house sitting close by in Secret Harbour, but it was Gavin's first house sit in WA, so it was all new to him. The local beach is absolutely beautiful and very quiet, so we enjoyed some walks along there, and explored the local area, as well as a visit to Rockingham and Freemantle. On arrival at this house sit we were greeted with great enthusiasm from Henry the Great Dane puppy. He is a huge adorable lanky puppy who just wants to be near you and in your space! We learnt a lot about Great Dane pups and their special eating and playtime schedules, and had lots of fun with Henry during his playtimes. Sally is the sweet natured princess and needs to stay inside while the sun is out so as her nose and ears don't get burnt. She was happy to sleep on the bed or snuggled up next to me during the day, and ventured out at dusk for the occasional wander around the front yard. Leo is the boss of the house and the most vocal, and he tried to convince us that he needed feeding every half hour. However we followed the owners instructions and fed him 3 times a day with the few extra bits and pieces from our dinner as he watched the preparations. He also liked a bit of a smooch despite his often grumpy appearance. They were a fun furry family of diverse personalities and kept us on our toes. |
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Date: November 2013
Period: 2 weeks Pets: 1 dog Shitzsu/King Charles Cavalier - Crash Duties: Feed, Water, Walk, Care and Play with Crash, Collect Mail, Keep House Secure & Clean. What they said: Full Testimonial Click Here " ~ I wish to recommend Jill for housesitting. She recently looked after my unit and dog for two weeks. Jill did an excellent job. The house was immaculate on my return and Crash - dog - content. I live on the first floor with no yard. Therefore Jill had to walk Crash several times a day. This was not problem for her. I would not hesitate to ask her to housesit again and will recommend her to my friends ~." |
What we say:
After spending a couple of months well south of Perth, it was fun to be near the city and get out to explore around the Swann River and the CBD. Crash and I went on lots of walks along the river and enjoyed the beautiful weather, which I was finally experiencing after a very cool start to Spring. There were many Jacaranda trees around the area in full bloom and they looked beautiful. One particular spot along the river had a lovely cafe which was surrounded by Jacarandas which made for a pretty spot to relax and enjoy a banana smoothie. Crash was the sweetest little dog who kept me company wherever I was in the house, and was such a happy little face to wake up to each morning. The times that I went out exploring without him, he greeted me with such enthusiasm on my return, which was lovely. He was a delight to care for, and the location was wonderful. |
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Date: October 2013
Period: 3 weeks Pets: 1 dog Golden Retriever Ruby Duties: Feed, Water, Walk, Care and Play with Ruby, Collect Mail, Keep House Secure & Clean. What they said: Full Testimonial Click Here "~We were pleased that Jill kept contact with us and was always available if we needed to speak with her. Jill is a most capable and trustworthy person and at no time did we suffer any apprehension in our decision to engage her. We are happy to recommend Jill to other home owners who want their house and possibly their pet safeguarded in their absence. ~" |
What we say:
I was greeted at this house sit by beautiful Ruby, with her teddy bear in her mouth. So cute! and she talks to you in her own special way. Ruby loves a cuddle and is always enthusiastic for a walk, although it can be more like a crawl at times as she loves to sniff everything. As you will see from the photos, South Yunderup is a very pretty area around the canals and close to the river. Fairly remote, but I still managed to find a lovely cafe that does a yummy chai latte, and the fish and chips smelt good too. It is a very friendly community here and going out in their boats is a favourite activity they share. There are boats of all sizes and shapes, and its a lovely way to spend a sunny day just cruising the canals, before heading to Mandurah for a meal and glass of wine, or two! It's nice to see the wildflowers down here as well as having seen them further north. |
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Date: September 2013
Period: 5 weeks Pets: 1 dog Rhodesian Ridgeback (Wings)1 cat (Puma) Duties: Feed, water, walk, care and play with Wings and Puma, Collect , open, sort and email mail for action. What They said: Full Testimonial Click Here "~ Jill has been an excellent house and pet-sitter in my home. She minded my pets for 5 weeks and look after my dog and cat with loving care. My home was very clean on my return and she seemed to be a very responsible person. She very professionally looked after my mail and informed me of bills to pay. My animals miss her and I would have her back anytime. I highly recommend her services to anyone and wish her the best of luck for her future ventures. ~" |
What we say:
My first experience of Western Australia has been a positive one. So far it reminds me a lot of Melbourne, similar climate and vegetation and beaches. Except for the beautiful wildflowers which of course are unique to Western Australia. Kings Park looks amazing at this time of year with so many species of wildflowers . As Gavin had commitments on the East Coast I did this house sit alone, taking care of a Rhodesian ridgeback "Wings" and a cat called "Puma". Both were very sweet animals and good company as they both enjoyed sitting with me on the couch as I worked or watched movies. Wings had a funny way of sitting on the couch at times, as you will see on the picture below. I think he thinks he is human! Despite the wet and windy weather it was good to get out and explore the surrounding areas of Rockingham and Mandurah, as well as short visits to Perth and Freemantle. I am looking forward to spending more time in WA, as there is so much to see. I am impressed with the public transport system over here as well. Since I am travelling alone I dont have the van to get around in, so this has changed my experience of moving around. Thankfully I have the internet to help me use journey planner to know how to get to places, and the bus drivers have been very friendly and helpful. |
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Date: May 2013
Period: 3 Days Pets & Animals: 2 Horses, 18 Goats, 12 Chickens, 3 Fish and Guinea Fowl Duties: Feed and Herd Goats, Feed Chickens & Collect Eggs, Feed and Rug Horses, Feed Fish and Guinea Fowl, Maintain House, Gardens, Grounds & 40 Acre Property. |
What we say:
While the beach has always been our favourite, the bush is not far behind. and when this House Sitting Assignment became available we decided to go and have another country adventure. We knew it was going to be a quick trip, but the taste of fresh eggs, smell of wood fires and playing with farm animals made this a must experience and we were not disappointed. After a quick couple of hours hand over we were ready to relax into the whole country lifestyle. First on the list was to feed the chickens and check the egg situation, then it was off to explore the rest of the 40 acre property and introduce ourselves to the Horses and Sheep. This pretty much set the tone for the rest of our stay in looking after the two horses (Sandman & Twinkle), feeding and penning the sheep and chickens, and having fresh eggs benedict in the morning. |
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Date: Apr 2013/May 2013
Period: 2 Weeks Pets: 1 Dog (Paddy) Duties: Feed, Water, Walk, Care and Play with Paddy, Collect Mail, Bins, Maintain Gardens, Lawn Repair (Turf) Maintain Car, Keep House & Yards Secure & Clean. What They Say: Full Testimonial Click Here
"~ We would thoroughly recommend Jill and Gavin as housesitters. They looked after our house and more importantly our 11 month Irish Setter very competently for the fortnight we were overseas. It was so nice to be on holiday knowing that we did not have to worry, and very nice to return to a clean house and a happy dog. Several people in the neighbourhood who met Jill and Gavin out walking commented on how lucky we were and that everything worked out so well. ~" |
What we say:
We met Paddy our foster fur child, 3 months prior to our house sit, when he was only 6 months old. Imagine our surprise when we arrived to see Paddy almost double the size at 9 months old! He is a sweet dog, and very playful, not to mention strong, so going out walking was a very energetic experience. Playing with sticks was one of Paddy's favourite activities, although it took a bit of encouragement to get him to return the stick or ball to us, and he had a very short attention span, which was amusing. He enjoyed a daily dip in the river and the ocean, regardless of the weather. He also enjoyed shaking himself off on unsuspecting passers-by, which was received with good humour :) The location is beautiful, surrounded with natural parkland and bordered by the river and ocean. We had a great time exploring the area and enjoying long walks. It was great to have the opportunity to spend time down this end of the Sunshine Coast, as we had not ventured in this direction previously. The beach was beautiful and despite erosion from the floods earlier this year there was a lovely expanse of sand to walk along. The river was a popular place for canoeists and fisherman, enjoying the tranquility of the area. |
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Date: Mar 2013/Apr 2013
Period: 4 Weeks Pets: 2 Dogs (Zac & Mikee) Duties: Feed, Water, Walk, Care and Play with Zac & Mikee, Collect, Open, Sort and Action Mail, Bins, Maintain Gardens, Maintain Car, Keep House, Pool & Yards Secure & Clean. What They Say: Full Testimonial Click Here
"~ It’s great that we can stay in touch over facebook and we would heartily recommend you to anybody that wants such flexible and professional House and Pet Sitters, as you two. ~" |
What we say:
Who does not like a house on a Sunshine Coast canal and this one is no exception. It could be classed as mini resort living and we made the most of the pool and other canal water sports. Our two Furry foster kids where Zac who was blind and deaf coming in at 109 years old and Mikee at the ripe old age of 98. Needless to say walks were on the shorted side than what we were used to, however there was still much fun to be had in the leash free dog parks. As our Van Paris is not set up for carrying animals we appreciated the use of what I affectionately called the space ship. The latest model Hyundai I30 which was ideal for transporting Zac and Mikee around, and came with its own fuel card. Another bonus for this House & Pet Sitting assignment was the use of a tread mill and vibrator machine, which along with the pool, gave us very little excuse not to exercise. That is of course when we were not out with the dogs or making full use of the Apple TV. |
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Date: Feb 2013/Mar 2013
Period: 9 Weeks Repeat Sits #: 3 Pets: None Duties: Keep House Secure & Clean, Mow Lawns, Maintain & Weed Gardens, Clean Up After Storms, Maintain Cars, Collect & Sort Mail. What They Say: Full Testimonial Click Here
"~ Enter Gavin and Jill house sitters, very professional with their approach, and very thorough with their communication. ~" |
What we say:
After a very hot, dry trip from Melbourne to Queensland it was a relief to arrive in the beautiful Buderim location surrounded by bush and greenery. It was quite a different experience to house sit without domestic pets to care for, although you can see from the photos that we had birds and possums to feed! It was very entertaining watching the antics of the birds checking out the possums in the tree houses and watching the world go by. Our focus for this house sit was to care for the gardens, and prior to our arrival there had been very little rain, so a lot of watering was required. However within a couple of days the rain started falling and didn't really stop for a month! So we went from no rain to floods within a couple of weeks. There was even reports of a tornado close by, but fortunately we encountered no major damage, just a lot of branches and leaves blown down. We were relieved no branches fell on the house and it gave the owners peace of mind to know someone was caring for their property during this wild weather. |
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Date: Dec 2012/Jan 2013
Period: 3 Weeks Repeat Sits #: 3 Pets: 2 Dogs ( Florence & Dorothy ) Duties: Feed, Water, Walk, Care and Play with Florence & Dorothy, Collect Mail, Keep Unit Secure & Clean. What They Say: Full Testimonial Click Here
"We had a huge amount of responses from the ads we posted but Jill and Gavin caught our eye because of their professionalism and great recommendations ~ We would not hesitate in recommending Jill and Gavin to anyone wanting a house/dog sitter. We were extremely comfortable having them in our home and our dogs loved them! ~" |
What we say:
Over the Christmas / New Year break we had our choice of many assignments and decided to spend it overlooking the Melbourne City skyline from a 15th floor South Bank Apartment, taking care of two Miniature Australian Bulldogs. Flo turned three during the time we were there, and Dot was a very energetic puppy at six months, who seemed to think the whole world was her chew toy, which basically means if she could reach it would be chewed. It was also our first pet sit in a multi-story apartment which meant lifts, crowds and other things special to an apartment in the city for us to get acquainted with. Apart from putting on an amazing fireworks display over New Years, we found Melbourne to be a very dog friendly city. It has many gardens for walks, off-leash dog parks, lakes and rivers. Additionally we had great fun taking the girls into the city to see the Myer Christmas Windows, exploring the arcades and watching sunsets from our balcony. After talking with Dots parents when they got back from their trip, we realised that during our sit we had introduced Dot to many many firsts like seeing horses and swans, mixing with crowds and lots of others. So all up we had a great time, and Amber & Michael had a great holiday coming home to 2 relaxed and stress free girls. |
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Date: Oct/Nov 2012
Period: 5 Weeks Pets: 1 Dog (Buddy) 5 Chickens (mmmm Fresh Eggs) Duties: Feed, Water, Walk, Care and Play with Buddy, Collect Mail, Bins, Maintain Gardens, Feed Chickens, Clean Pen, Water and Collect Fresh Eggs :-), Keep House & Yards Secure & Clean. What They Say: Full Testimonial Click Here
"~ Then there were all the funny and cute photos as a testament of how great a time he had as well. We still can’t believe they gave him a bubble bath in the bathtub and that he looked happy about it. ~" |
What we say:
Valla Beach is a lovely quiet spot, just south of Coffs Harbour, tucked away on the northern coast of NSW. With a combination of bush and beach it made for an ideal location and the weather was lovely as well. It’s just a short 10km drive into the nearest town for shopping, at Nambucca Heads, and half hour away from the wonderful Bellingen markets, which we enjoyed browsing through on a Saturday morning. Even more enjoyable than the location was “Buddy” the dog we cared for. He was so well behaved and an absolute delight to take walking and to the beach. He loved to chase the ball all over the beach and dive into the waves to retrieve it. Even when we took a break and sat on the sand, he amused himself by playing tunnel ball. Funniest thing we’ve ever seen a dog do. He got along well with other dogs, but was far more interested in playing ball than playing with them. We were also spoilt with fresh eggs from the five chickens we looked after. Although we think they must have been on a roster system because there was only ever 2 or 3 eggs each day, and sometimes none, so someone wasn’t pulling their weight. I even cooked up rice and veggies for them, but they weren’t swayed from their regular ‘output’, however we were happy with a dozen eggs each week. It will be hard to go back to store bought eggs now…. just not the same. |
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Date: Sep/Oct 2012
Period: 5 Weeks Pets: 1 Dog (Robin) Duties: Feed, Water, Walk, Care and Play with Robin, Collect Mail, Bins, Maintain Gardens, Mow Lawns, Repair Watering System, Maintain Car, Keep House & Yards Secure & Clean. What They Say: Full Testimonial Click Here
"Would we ask Jill and Gavin to house sit again? Next time we won’t have to go through the angst of trying to decide what to do. We will simply contact Jill and Gavin and hope that their travels will allow them to come back to Bribie Island and live in our home again ~." |
What we say:
We loved House Sitting in Bribie Island, and we loved Robin. He is a 15 year old (makes him 108 in people years) Golden Retriever who was a delight to look after. Even a scheduled trip to the vet was taken in his stride with only the tablet twice a day being an adventure in finding inventive ways of getting him to take them :-) The property is located on the canals and had a virtual plethora of tropical plants which gave a stunning environment to stay in, and attracted many and varied types of birds. We so enjoyed relaxing over a cuppa watching the ducks play and Robin sunning himself on the lawn. While Robin was not big on walking, he loved sitting with us as we worked online, or helping us out in the gardens and it was no problem if we left him for a few hours as we went on bigger walks exploring the Island. Many thanks to Elizabeth & Trevor for entrusting us with there property and Robin. |
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Date: Aug 2012
Period: 1 Week Pets: 2 Dogs (Poppy & Noni) Duties: Feed, Water, Walk, Care and Play with The Dogs, Chop Wood, Bins, Keep House & Yards Secure & Clean. |
What we say:
This house sit was a short one for people we know in the hinterland of Byron Bay. It was a great spot to take the dogs for a walk in the surrounding hills and bush. At night it even got cool enough to make a fire and enjoy it with the dogs while we read a book, or watched a movie or two. On the odd occasion we had to head into town we were very grateful to have the use of a car as our trusty van would have struggled in some of the bigger climbs. There is nothing like a stay in the mountains to reinvigorate our soul, even it was brief. |
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Date: Jul/Aug 2012
Period: 4 Weeks Pets: 1 Dog (Mr Shankley) Duties: Feed, Water, Walk, Care and Play with Mr Shankley, Maintain Gardens, Mow Lawns, Collect Mail, Bins, Keep House & Yards Secure & Clean. What They Say: Full Testimonial Click Here
"~ We returned from our holiday with a happy relaxed dog, clean house and absolutely no problems at all. We would recommend Jill and Gavin as house sitters; they will look after your home and pet(s) with care and love. ~" |
What we say:
We loved our stay in Noosa with Mr Shankely who was a complete delight to look after. Even though we have spent some time on the Sunshine Coast over the last few years we had great fun discovering Noosa on our many dog walks. We soon had our favourite spots, which included sunsets on the Noosa River, Coffee, Muffins and a dog swim at our special spot, and strolling the board walk and shops. Shankley loved having us around all day for company. He sat with us on his bean bag, while we did a bit of work, and enjoyed chewing on pigs ears. He may look tuff but he is really a big sook who loves attention, and we enjoyed giving it to him! |
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Date: May/Jul 2012
Period: 9 Weeks Pets: 2 Dogs (Luda & Aramis) Duties: Feed, Water, Walk, Care and Play with the Dogs, Maintain Gardens, Mow Lawns, Collect Mail, Bins, Keep House & Yards Secure & Clean. What They Say: Full Testimonial Click Here
"~ I appreciate Gavin and your help in looking after my house ~ It made my holiday so much better knowing that someone was looking after my interests back in Australia. ~" |
What we say:
This was our longest house sit to date, being 9 weeks in one place. It was a very different experience living in a converted container, described as a 'beach shack', with 2 large dogs and 4 fish. Toogoom is a lovely restful coastal town, with friendly people and a quiet beach close by to where we stayed. It was wonderful walking the dogs on the beach each day, watching Aramis try to catch fish (which he never caught!) and playing ball with Luda, who was reluctant to drop the ball after fetching! Long walks on the beach to the local cafe for a coffee and muffin, with the dogs, was one of our favorite things to do, along with watching the beautiful sunsets. We had our first experience of taking one of the dogs to the vet, after he hurt his neck. Poor Aramis was a bit sore and sorry for himself for a couple of days, but some medication and extra TLC helped him recover very quickly. All part of the pet-sitting experience! |
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Date: April/May 2012
Period: 3 Weeks Pets: 2 Dogs (Max & Cooper) Duties: Feed, Water, Walk, Care and Play with the Dogs, Maintain Gardens, Mow Lawns, Collect Mail, Bins, Keep House & Yards Secure & Clean. What They Say: Full Testimonial Click Here
"~ I would highly recommend them and I hope Jill and Gavin are available the next time we plan to go away. Jill and Gavin, you are so appreciated. ~" |
What we say:
This house and pet sit with Max and Copper was so much fun. We had a big backyard to play in as well as taking long walks along the beach front. One of our favorite activities was to go and get fish and chips, then eat them at the beach while watching the world pass by. Another favorite was to do some high 5's before dinner and on rainy days play in the indoor tunnels. In the yards a part from mowing the lawns and de-pooping, we had to go collect all the toys Cooper decided needed to be stored outside. Nothing like watching him try and fit a big soft ball through a doggy door. As Coopers and Max's mum had never left them before to say she was nervous would be an understatement. However after talking with us for awhile and some reassuring text messages soon after they left she felt much better. Additionally we sent regular email updates on the boys and our activities and some reassuring pictures. In the end they had a great relaxed holiday and we had a great house sit with the boys. |
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Date: March/April 2012
Period: 4 Weeks Pets: 2 Dogs (Sammy & Issy) Duties: Feed, Water, Walk, Care and Play with the Dogs, Maintain Gardens, Collect Mail, Bins, Keep House & Yards Secure & Clean. |
What we say:
Ok now with this house sit we did not get the usual greeting we have come to expect. Sammy is not into love at first sight and was very upset that his owner was leaving him with two complete strangers and had no issues in letting us know about it. We had been pre warned that this could be the case as most of Anita's (the owner) family had suggested that Sammy does not do well with other people, including them. Issy on the other hand loved us straight away and after taking them both for a walk on the beach and having a snack Sammy changed his mind and from that point on everybody was best friends. We had a great time exploring the Gold Coast with Sammy and Issy and when Anita got home she wanted to show here whole family how great Sammy had got on with us. |
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Date: March 2012
Period: 10 Days Pets: 1 Dog, 1 Cat (Bronte, Mr Bitz) Duties: Feed, Water, Walk, Care and Play with the Dogs and Cat, Maintain Gardens & Pool, Collect Mail, Bins, Keep House & Yards Secure & Clean. What They Say: Full Testimonial Click Here
"~ Upon our return we walked in to happy pets, clean home, emptied bins and mail collected.I would not hesitate to recommend Jill and Gavin to house sit and look upon them now as our friends, and look forward to them coming again and house sit for us in the future. ~" |
What we say:
This was a brief stay at Charlestown however we got to know Bronte and Mr Bitz very well, along with all their little quirks. Mr Bitz while generally good natured, would not be adverse to giving a little bite if he felt you had spent too much time in his personal space. Bronte (the Lab) was not big on walking, so we alternated walks around the block with swimming in the pool for exercise. A never ending source of amusement was the fact that Bronte could not walk forwards across the tile surfaces. So whenever she stepped off a rug, she had to turn around and back up over the tiled floor. Additionally she had her spot on the couch and at eight o'clock every night that is where she would head, kicking off anything that was standing (or sitting) in her way. Even though it was a short stay we did see a little of Charlestown and the surrounding area which are beautiful and deserve another visit and exploration. |
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Date: February 2012
Period: 3 Weeks Pets: 2 Dogs, 1 Cat (Sasha, BJ & Buddy) Duties: Feed, Water, Walk, Care and Play with the Dogs and Cat, Maintain Gardens, Collect Mail, Bins, Keep House & Yards Secure & Clean. What they say: Full Testimonial Click Here
"~ We were very lucky to find Jill and Gavin to house sit for us recently. We knew as soon as we met them that they were responsible and reliable, and we felt comfortable leaving our dogs and cat in their care. Our neighbours all commented later how good they were with the dogs, even taking them for walks in the rain. Our pets got so attached to them during the three week house sit that they all slept in Jill and Gavin’s bedroom, even on the night we came home! We will definitely keep in touch with them and would highly recommend them to anyone – you won’t find better! ~"
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What we say:
NSW has proven to be an absolute delight to discover from the Sapphire Coast through to Shoalhaven, and Lake Tabourie was really beautiful. A relatively small town nestled in between ocean, lakes and national parks. It was a wonderful place to go walking with the dogs, finding different ways to get to the beach, and watch the change in the lake as it was opened up to the sea, after a week of heavy rainfall. A very friendly community, who made us feel very welcome in their town, and always stopped for a chat. We were recognised by everybody because of the dogs, Sasha and BJ, who are well known much loved by everyone. The dogs were an absolute pleasure to look after, so well behaved, with warm and friendly natures. We really enjoyed our time with them. Buddy the cat, thought he was a dog and would often come walking with us, which was very funny, and he enjoyed nightly cuddles and plenty of freedom to come and go, and was happy as long as there was food available. We connected well with all the family and it was hard to say goodbye. But we will definitely go back again sometime, to enjoy more of such a beautiful place, and keep in touch with Robyn & Danny, and of course to see BJ, Sasha & Buddy. |
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Date: January 2012
Period: 2 Weeks Pets: 2 Dogs (Harley, Jessie) Duties: Feed, Water, Walk & Care for the Dogs, Water Gardens, Mow Lawns, Collecting Mail, Bins, Keep House & Yards Secure & Clean. What they say: Full Testimonial Click Here
"~ We were extremely satisfied with the service Jill & Gavin provided looking after our home and pets. We arrived back to a clean home, mowed lawn and calm relaxed dog, who was obviously happy and relaxed in the company of Jill & Gavin.~ "
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What we say:
It was great to be back in Brisbane again. We have never spent much time on this side of the city before so we spent a lot of time walking Harley and Jessie exploring the neighborhood and beach. One of the delights was going to a fully enclosed dog park with all sorts of play ground equipment, and we are not really sure who enjoyed it most, us or the dogs :-) Additionally the beach was dog friendly, so Harley and Jessie had plenty of time to enjoy the water. At this house-sit the owners Deanna and Chris gave us a great idea of attaching the leads to long ropes so the dogs could play in the water while we remained dry. It worked well and we will add it to our many tips for house sitting and pet caring. It was a very enjoyable stay. |
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Date: December 2011
Period: 3 Weeks Pets: 1 Cat (Scarlet) Duties: Feed, Water & Care for the Cat, Water Gardens, Collecting Mail, Bins, Keep House, Yards and Pool Secure and Clean What they say: Full Testimonial Click Here
"~ Upon returning I found the house to be in an extremely neat and tidy condition and Jill and Gavin had washed all their towels and bedding. Our cat was happy and well and it was like we had never left. ~"
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What we say:
Cairns is a beautiful tropical place best visited in the cooler months we have decided! The highlights were walks along the beach and foreshore and visiting Kuranda which is a magical place, especially the butterfly sanctuary. Scarlet was a very easy cat to look after only requiring feeding and she allowed us to give her occasional cuddles, which I think we enjoyed giving the attention more than she did receiving it! Having a swimming pool was wonderful to cool down with regular dips as it was hot every day, and despite being the "rainy" season, we only had one day of rain during the 3 week stay. We look forward to returning up north in the winter to explore more of this beautiful area. |
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Date: November 2011
Period: 3 Weeks Pets: 2 Dogs (Mitzi & Jessy) Duties: Feed, Water, Walk & Care for the dogs, Maintain Pool, Water Gardens, Collecting Mail, Bins, Keep House and Yards Secure and Clean |
What we say:
This house sit started the day the Qantas dispute hit the fan and resulted in a 250km round trip airport drop off for the owners Kim and Robbie. As soon as we arrived we felt at home and were very appreciative of being given the use of a Ute for the duration of our stay. Emerald and the surrounding districts are great to explore, and we loved our daily visit to the botanical gardens with the stars of the stay Mitzi & Jessy. These two loving, playful and fun dogs, (obviously a reflection of the owners), were a pleasure to look after. From the second night Jessy would sleep on our bed, with Mitzi not far away on the floor. They both provided us endless entertainment and photo opportunities with great facial expressions and antics. We loved our stay and will definitely stay in touch with Kim, Robbie and our favorite girls - you have set the standard. |
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Date: October 2011
Period: 2 Weeks Pets: 1 Horse (Jazz), 2 Cows (Wallace & Grommet), 1 Sheep (Sunday Roast), 4 Chickens, 1 Cat (Sooty), 1 Fish (Fish) and 1 Bird (Snowy) Duties: Feed, Water & Care for all the Animals, Water Gardens, Collecting Mail, Bins, Keep House and Yards Secure and Clean What they say: Full Testimonial Click Here
"~ We would certainly welcome Jill and Gavin back to house sit for us again and wish them well in their travels. ~"
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What we say:
We didn’t know how enjoyable it was to look after chickens until we looked after the 4 chooks here. They make such a lovely chortling noise and follow you around, and the fresh eggs are delicious. It took a couple of days to become confident with Jazz the horse, but he was a gentle giant and we loved hand feeding him carrots and apples. Even the cows were cute, although a bit naughty when it came to meal times and Grommet (the brown cow) got a bit pushy trying to eat the others food as well as his own!! Sooty the cat was very affectionate and we all got along very well, with him sleeping on the bed with at night, and lots of cuddles during the day. Snowy the bird was very entertaining as he imitated a dog barking and spent most of the day eating his bird seed stick at a rapid rate. This was our first time on a farm and we loved the experience, so we are sure to do it again. |
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Date: September 2011
Period: 4 Weeks Pets: 3 Dogs Duties: Feed & Care for Dogs, Walk Dogs, Water Gardens, Look after Vegetable Garden, Maintain and Clean Pool, Collecting Mail, Bins, Keep House and Yards Secure and Clean What they say: Full Testimonial Click Here
"~ I was thrilled to meet Jill and Gavin who are pet people. They did a wonderful job caring for our pets and our house in our recent 4 week trip overseas. They embraced our pets like they were their own and gave them the love and affection that we would normally give to them. ~"
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What we say:
This house sit was all about Jake, Marli and Jessie, or as we came to name them Jake, T1 (Trouble 1) and T2 (Trouble 2). Marli (T1) is a 12 month old Staffy cross, and Jessie (T2) a 10 month old Collie cross, so as you can imagine they kept us on our toes. Then there was Jake, a 13 year old Staffy with arthritis but still the boss of the clan and he let us know it. This sit had its challenges and we had to put our years of experience into action to stay one step ahead of the pups who were always looking for ways to get out, have fun and get into trouble! However after awhile we all came to an understanding and spent our time going for walks, ball and stick chasing, time at the beach and generally having a lot of fun. We also enjoyed looking after and eating the amazing home grown vegies, some therapeutic pool cleaning, other general tasks and even had time for some online business work. We will miss the girls and Jake and feel they will miss us as well. |
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Date: July 2011
Period: 1 Week Pets: 2 Dogs Duties: Feed & Care for Dogs, Walk Dogs, Water Plants, Collecting Mail, Bins, Keep House Secure and Clean What they say: Full Testimonial Click Here "~ Thank-you so much for taking care of our home and poodles. We will contact you to sit for us again, maybe during turtle season at Mon Repos. ~" |
What we say:
Bargara is a seaside town which is growing up, and a great place to explore. Which is lucky, because this house sit came with two wonderful dogs Cabury and Cuba who loved to walk. With the beach and bush so close we were spoilt for choice on places to see and walk. Both Cabury and Cuba also loved to be with us when we were working on the computers, and were content to just sit and watch as we spent some of our time on our online businesses. The thing we found fascinating was when they looked to be sound asleep and then a sound came from outside, they were off in a flash out the doggy door and searching for the source of the noise. We both really enjoyed this house sit with the boys, and the area was beautiful, and look forward to going back in turtle season. Thanks Chris and Darryl. |
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Date: June 2011
Period: 1 Week Pets: 1 Dog, 2 Cats Duties: Feed & Care for Cats & Dog, Water Plants, Tend Vegetable Garden, Collecting Mail, Bins, Keep House Secure and Clean What they say: Full Testimonial Click Here
"Thank-you so much for looking after our home and animals. The animals were the happiest I have seen them after we have been away so they obviously really enjoyed your company!"
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What we say:
This was a fun house-sit. The owners found us on housecares.com.au and invited us to stay for the week, while they took a well earned break in their van. The thing I love about pet caring is getting to know their different personalities. Oscar is the boss of the house and loves to just eat and sleep with a little play on the side, Honey is the Princess, she comes home when she wants, eats when she wants and may give you a cuddle she she feels you have deserved it. Snowy is just a big pussy cat, affectionate, loving, playful and always ready for the next adventure. Our other duties included watering the plants, debugging the vegetable garden, collecting the mail and taking the bins out and in. There was a big conservation park near by so taking walks in nature was a great pleasure and its always fun to come back to welcoming faces and wagging tales. |
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Date: Periodically 2009 - 2016
Period: 2 - 4 Weeks at a time Pets: 1 Dog, 1 Cat Duties: Feed & Care for Cat & Dog, Maintaining Garden & Yard, Collecting Mail, Bins, Keep House Secure and Clean What they say: Full Testimonial Click Here
"~ Jill and Gavin are genuinely nice people who connect well with animals and have a very caring and responsible nature ~."
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What we say:
Over the past three years we have periodically sat for Rhonda and Jan in Melbourne when they go away on holidays. They trust us to look after their much loved dog Elly, and cat Titch who enjoys the run of the place and is treated as part of the family. We also ensured the house remains secure, looks live in and keep the yard and garden tidy, while collecting the mail and taking bins out. Jan generously gives us the use of his car so we can get around and catch up with our family and friends, and they always enjoy their holiday secure in the knowledge that we keep them informed on the happenings at home. It is always a fun to visit our home town and catch up with our family, friends and extended family, (yes Titch that means you). |
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