Ray and I finished booking our UK pet-sitting holiday for this fall. We start in a village on the east coast of Devon, where we’ll stay in a thatched roof farmhouse and look after an adorable yellow Lab for two weeks. Then we travel up to a smallholding near Bourton-on-the-Water in the Cotswolds where we’ll take care of donkeys, sheep, chickens and a flat-coated retriever. We’ll follow that up with a short pet-free stay with friends in Cheltenham, and then a weekend in south London with a cat-in-a-flat, before flying home.
A few people have asked how this pet sitting site (Trusted Housesitters) works, so here’s a quick overview. Owners and sitters pay an annual membership fee (it cost us about $100, which pays for itself pretty quickly in hotel savings), but no money is exchanged otherwise. It’s a win-win-win scenario – sitters save on accommodation costs and get the opportunity to live like a local; owners save on kennel costs and get the peace of mind of knowing their pet(s) will be well looked after; pets get lots of extra attention and cuddles with little disruption to their normal routine. The system relies on trust, but there’s enough competition that anything below a 5-star review will impact future opportunities, so there’s motivation on both sides to keep the interaction positive. We Skyped with the owners before finalizing our sits to make sure it was a good fit for all. We’ll also have a handover period before they leave. For us, meeting interesting people along the way is one of the perks of this type of travel.
New listings are sent out twice daily. About two-thirds of the listings are in the UK, so our ‘favourites’ list grew quickly, but – other than a castle in Scotland that we lost out on – we landed all our first choice places. As new sitters with no Trusted Housesitters reviews, I was a bit surprised by how easy it was, but we got some wonderful references from people whose pets/houses we’ve looked after (thanks reference peeps!) and Ray’s experience training guide dogs probably helped.
The concept is perfect for us, given that we like long walks in the countryside, stopping for lunch at a village pub, and spending our evenings curled up with a good book and a cup of tea or watching a movie on Netflix. Having a dog by our side as we explore or a cat curled up on our laps as we relax should just add to the enjoyment (she says confidently, having not yet completed a house sit).
If anyone is considering joining, either as an owner or a sitter, feel free to use our discount code when you check out – RAF196235 – to get 20% off the membership cost (it also gives us a couple of free months). It’s fun to browse the site looking at all the cool places you could visit…a tad addictive actually.
https://www.trustedhousesitters.com/ca/
Hey Lynn, this sounds like such an amazing opportunity for you and Ray! I will pass along this info to Katelyn as I think she may also enjoy experiences like these. It’s wonderful that you and Ray can let your minds rest from all the loss and worry that you have had to endure over the past few years. Enjoy your new life as a traveling pet sitter! And please send pics!!
Hi Lyn and Ray, This sounds wonderful – would have liked the castle in Scotland too. Would like to pet sit chickens and sheep -do not think I could do the dog sitting. Andrew ,Crystal and boys are still tired from their flight ( Toronto , Montreal .Halifax then London) They are now in Linton (short distance from Cambridge ) visiting Crystal’s relatives . They are going to tour Cambridge tomorrow , then fly to Glasgow and start the 7 day hike (West Highland Trail).then back to London. We are not enjoying the humid weather . Josephine went to Smithville to visit a friend (camping in a trailer- not sure where – but her friend camps there every year with her family. Doug and Kim are planning on another short camping and canoe trip this week . Always good to hear from you . Chris and Ne
Neat!! Xo…..Also…happy travels, Nick! Hugs, all!
Ray told me all bout this a few days back. Sounds great. We’ll have to see if there are any Westies to be sat in Scotland given our years of experience with the Westies in Need Rescue!