We have started a new adventure as pet sitters! We have used the TrustedHousesitters app for many years to find pet sitters for our dogs when we travelled. Now we are at a new stage in our lives where we have an inhouse pet sitter family member and we can travel to sit for animals all over the world.
This week we are in Seattle, specifically Upper Fremont, caring for Pepper, a cattle dog that picked me as her human the minute we met. What a face! Cattle dogs are protective and like to herd so Pepper is always close at hand and has been my office buddy while I worked remote laying under or beside my desk. We take frequent breaks to walk around the lovely neighborhood and smell all the good stuff out there. Squirrel sightings provide lots of excitement and require a firm hand on the leash to prevent engagement.
While I miss our dog, Thor, I am enjoying being a fur mom to a new dog if just for a week. Next week, we have our second pet sit lined up taking care of four small dogs and a flock of chickens about an hour away from our house in Idaho. Never have I ever taken care of chickens so this should be a fun learning experience. Typically, we plan to look after dogs but who knows-we may become expert chicken sitters! Sound like a good gig?
IT IS! How does it work and how much does it cost? Membership includes a free background check and, depending on the membership level you choose, it includes insurance coverage for both the homeowner and the pet sitter. Post personal references, pictures and details about why you want to pet sit. When we were picking our pet sitters, we reviewed all the applicants and looked for people who had favorable recommendations from their previous pet sits. We would then narrow it down by connecting with the two best applicants by virtual chat Zoom or by phone to get to know them better before making a final decision.
We would typically get multiple applicants depending on the location-we got a lot more interest from applicants when we lived in a beautiful apartment in Seattle than in our house in Boise. Both being the pet sitter and having a pet sitter come in to take care of your animals are free other than the annual Trusted Housesitter membership fee.
